Software Engineer
Software engineers design, build and maintain the software a business or its customers rely on, from a mobile app to the systems running behind a website.
- Median salary
- $131,900
4.4%vs last year, before tax
- People employed
- 55,200
2.8%vs last year
- Projected growth
- +26.7%
to 2035
- AI exposure*
- Moderate
- 6 out of 10
- Average hours
- 41/wk
+1h vs all jobs
- Shortage status
- Not in shortage
national
- You'd work across the life of a piece of software: designing it, writing the code, testing it, and supporting it once people are using it.
- Most software engineers sit in a product or engineering team alongside designers, product managers and testers, at organisations that build their own digital products, from software companies to banks and government agencies.
- The title is used loosely, so a front end or back end developer may do similar work under a different name, and most people in the field hold a bachelor degree.
How much do software engineers earn?
The median full-time salary for a software engineer is $131,900 per annum, before tax, up $27,900 since 2018.
Who you work for moves this figure a long way, since a product company, a bank and a government agency each apply their own bands to similar work, and contract day rates work differently from a permanent salary. Before you compare two offers, ask how on-call is compensated, whether the package includes super and bonus, and whether the number quoted is base or total package.
What does a software engineer do day to day?
The list below is what fills most weeks; the exact mix shifts with seniority and whatever stage the current work is at.
- Writing code for a feature or a fix, then opening a pull request and working through the review comments that come back
- Reading through an unfamiliar part of the codebase to work out why a bug only shows up for some users
- Joining the team's short daily stand-up to say what you're building and flag anything blocking you
- Sketching a design on a whiteboard or in a short document before committing to an approach
- Watching a release through the monitoring dashboards, and being on call when something breaks after hours
What skills do software engineers need?
Employers look for programming and software development, software testing and QA, agile delivery, backed by Git / GitHub fluency and strong problem solving.
Specialist skills
- Programming and software development
- Software testing and QA
- Agile delivery
- Data analysis
- Cloud infrastructure
- Project management
Software and tools
- Git / GitHub
- Docker / Kubernetes
- Jenkins / CI-CD pipelines
- AWS / Azure / Google Cloud
- Jira / Linear
General skills
- Problem solving
- Written communication
Is the job growing?
About 55,200 people work as software engineers in Australia, and employment is projected to grow 26.7% over the decade to 2035. That's very strong growth. Few roles in Australia are expanding this fast, and it points to solid demand for years to come.
How do you become a software engineer?
Here's the path most software engineers take, step by step.
- 1Study a degree in computer science, software engineering or another computing discipline
A bachelor degree takes about three years full time, or four with an honours year. It's the qualification graduate programs recognise, and it covers the algorithms, data structures and team projects that interviews build on.
- 2Build a portfolio of projects you can show
Employers read your code, so a few finished projects on GitHub with a clear readme and working tests carry more weight than a long list of tutorials. Contributing to an open source project also gives you practice at reading someone else's code.
- 3Land a first paid role
Vacation programs and internships at larger employers are a common way in while you study, and a graduate or junior developer position follows. Moving across from IT support or testing also works, with study in programming alongside the job.
- 4Add a cloud or platform qualification as you go
A certificate in AWS, Azure or Google Cloud, plus familiarity with Docker and CI/CD pipelines, helps you into teams that run their own infrastructure. Which one to choose depends on what local employers use, so check job ads before you pay for a course.
Study routes we have checked
Qualifications that are a recognised way into this role, and what else you need.
- Bachelor of Advanced Computer Science (Honours)
A recognised route into this role
Complete the relevant software, systems or database coursework and practical projects. The qualification is an education route; employers assess role-specific technical skills and experience.
- Bachelor of Computer Science
A recognised route into this role
Complete the relevant software, systems or database coursework and practical projects. The qualification is an education route; employers assess role-specific technical skills and experience.
- Bachelor of Computer Science (Advanced)
A recognised route into this role
Complete the relevant software, systems or database coursework and practical projects. The qualification is an education route; employers assess role-specific technical skills and experience.
- Bachelor of Computer Science (Professional)
A recognised route into this role
Complete the relevant software, systems or database coursework and practical projects. The qualification is an education route; employers assess role-specific technical skills and experience.
- Bachelor of Computer Science/Bachelor of Laws
A recognised route into this role
Complete the relevant software, systems or database coursework and practical projects. The qualification is an education route; employers assess role-specific technical skills and experience.
- Bachelor of Computer Science/Bachelor of Science
A recognised route into this role
Complete the relevant software, systems or database coursework and practical projects. The qualification is an education route; employers assess role-specific technical skills and experience.
- Bachelor of Computer Science/Master of Data Science
A recognised route into this role
Complete the relevant software, systems or database coursework and practical projects. The qualification is an education route; employers assess role-specific technical skills and experience.
- Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)/Bachelor of Computer Science
A recognised route into this role
Complete the relevant software, systems or database coursework and practical projects. The qualification is an education route; employers assess role-specific technical skills and experience.
- Bachelor of Mathematics/Bachelor of Computer Science
A recognised route into this role
Complete the relevant software, systems or database coursework and practical projects. The qualification is an education route; employers assess role-specific technical skills and experience.
- Bachelor of Software Engineering
A recognised route into this role
Complete the software-engineering programme and demonstrate the practical development skills required by the employer.
- Master of Computer Science
A recognised route into this role
Complete the relevant technical coursework and practical projects. The qualification is an education route; employers assess role-specific technical skills and experience.
- Master of Information Technology
A recognised route into this role
Complete the relevant software, systems or database coursework and practical projects. The qualification is an education route; employers assess role-specific technical skills and experience.
- Graduate Certificate in Computer Science
A step towards this role
A short certificate gives a programming foundation; most entrants add further study, a portfolio or practical experience. Employers assess role-specific technical skills.
- Graduate Certificate in Computing
A step towards this role
Gives foundational programming knowledge; most software roles also look for further study or a portfolio of practical work. Employer expectations vary.
- Graduate Diploma in Information Technology
A step towards this role
Provides a programming grounding; many software roles also look for a portfolio, further study or practical experience. Employer expectations vary.
- Graduate Diploma of Information Technology
A step towards this role
Complete the relevant software, systems or database coursework and practical projects. The qualification is an education route; employers assess role-specific technical skills and experience.
- Master of Information and Communications Technology
A step towards this role
Provides software development grounding; employers usually also look for a portfolio or practical experience.
Ready to apply as a software engineer?
Whether you're working toward becoming a software engineer or already are one and want a hand with the next step (sharpening your resume for ATS screening, tightening your cover letter, or knowing what you'll actually be asked at interview), here are examples grounded in this specific role, not generic templates.
What jobs can a software engineer move to?
Moving into IT Project Manager typically comes with the biggest pay rise, worth $40,200 a year more on average.
- IT Project ManagerRecorded move$172,100+$40,200
- Business AnalystRecorded move$140,200+$8,300
- Back End DeveloperRecorded move$128,800−$3,100
- Full Stack DeveloperRecorded move$128,800−$3,100
Thick lines are moves people were recorded making in Jobs and Skills Australia's Data on Occupation Mobility (income tax records, 2011-12 to 2020-21). Thin lines are moves we suggest from skill overlap and entry requirements.
| Move to | Typical pay change | Overlap | Retraining |
|---|---|---|---|
IT Project Manager Delivery experience and technical judgement support a move into project management, with study in planning and stakeholder management.Known move | +$40,200 | 29% | reskill |
Business Analyst Analytical and systems thinking suit business analysis, but a new qualification is needed to work with stakeholders on requirements.Known move | +$8,300 | 19% | requalify |
Solutions Architect Design experience grows into solutions architecture, requiring further study in enterprise architecture and system integration. | +$5,900 | 27% | reskill |
Back End Developer A software engineer's coding and system design skills carry straight into back end work, with only a shift in focus to server side systems.Known move | −$3,100 | 70% | minimal |
Full Stack Developer Broad programming experience transfers to full stack development, adding front end and database skills through a short course.Known move | −$3,100 | 54% | short course |
Moves are chosen from Jobs and Skills Australia's Data on Occupation Mobility, which follows income tax records between 2011-12 and 2020-21, together with entry requirements and skill overlap. A known move is one people were seen making in that data. Pay change compares median full-time pay for the two roles.
Who works as a software engineer?
The typical software engineer is 37 years old; 84% are men, 92% work full-time, and full-timers average 41 hours a week.
- 37
- Median age
- 16%
- Female share
- 92%
- Full-time
- +1h
- vs all-jobs avg
What's it like being a software engineer?
A typical week mixes long stretches on your own with a problem and short bursts of talking it through: stand-up in the morning, a design discussion, then hours of code with headphones on. The difficulty is mostly mental, and a bug can eat a whole day before it gives way, which you'll either find absorbing or draining depending on how well you handle being stuck. Deadlines are real but rarely set by you, and releases bring the occasional late night or a page from the on-call roster. If you like pulling something apart until it makes sense and can sit with not knowing the answer for a few hours, this work rewards that patience.
What people like
- You see the thing you built being used. A feature can go live within days of you writing it, and then turn up in a product that friends and family open without thinking about it.
- Hard problems that eventually give way. A failing test turning green after an afternoon of digging gives a clean, checkable answer, which is a rare kind of satisfaction.
- Quiet, flexible working. Most teams let you work from home some days and shift your hours, because the work goes best in long stretches without interruptions.
- Colleagues who argue about code. Code review and design discussions keep you learning from people who care how things are built, and the standard you're held to rises with them.
What people find hard
- Hours without moving. A day can pass with the only walking being the trip to the kitchen, and your back and eyes feel it by Friday.
- Being stuck while the clock runs. A bug that resists every idea you have can swallow a day, and the pressure worsens when a deadline sits on top of it.
- Legacy systems and unclear requests. You'll spend time in code nobody documented and on work that describes a symptom the user reported instead of what they actually need.
- On-call and release nights. Most teams rotate an on-call roster, so a service falling over at 2am can land on your phone.
Based on our synthesis of professional-body surveys and public accounts of the role, not first-person verified reviews.
Which industries employ software engineers?
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services employs the largest share of software engineers, followed by Financial and Insurance Services.
Top employing industries
- 1Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
- 2Financial and Insurance Services
- 3Information Media and Telecommunications
Ranked by employment share; the source doesn't publish an exact percentage per industry.
| Bachelor degree | 58.3% | |
|---|---|---|
| Postgraduate | 29% | |
| Year 12 or below | 5.5% | |
| Diploma / Advanced Diploma | 3.8% | |
| Certificate III/IV | 1.5% |
Will AI replace software engineers?
Moderate exposure. Not replaced, but changed. AI is taking on some tasks and the rest of the job shifts around them.
Software engineering sits in the moderate range for AI exposure. Assistants such as GitHub Copilot now draft functions, generate tests and explain unfamiliar code, which speeds up the repetitive half of the day. What they don't do is decide what to build, work out why a system falls over under load, or explain a design trade-off to a product manager. If you're starting now, learn to drive these tools well and put real effort into debugging, systems design and reading code you didn't write.
How a typical week splits
- Writing routine application code40% of the week
Assistants draft functions, tests and boilerplate from a short description, and your job becomes editing and checking what comes back.
- Debugging and tracing failures25% of the week
Adding logging, reading stack traces and narrowing down a fault still takes a person who knows the system, even when a tool suggests where to look.
- Designing systems and APIs20% of the week
Choices about services, data models and cost trade-offs depend on the product, the team and the budget, so a tool can lay out options but not make the call.
- Reviews, planning and team conversations15% of the week
Code review, stand-up and negotiating scope with a product manager are discussions about people and priorities.
How we work this out
We break each job into its main tasks, estimate the share of a typical week each one takes, and judge how far current AI and automation tools reach into it. The score out of 10 starts from the job's overall rating (low is 1 to 3, moderate 4 to 6, high 7 to 10) and the task split places it within that range. Source: Career Tips analysis of each role's main tasks.
Common questions about becoming a software engineer
Straight answers to the questions people ask most.
How much do software engineers earn in Australia?
$131,900 per year before tax for full-time software engineers. Where you work and how you're engaged change it most: contract day rates, bonuses and on-call allowances sit outside a base salary, and government and banking bands differ from product companies. Treat it as a guide and check what the package includes before you compare offers.
How do you become a software engineer?
Study a degree or a recognised diploma, build projects you can show, and apply for graduate, internship or junior roles. The step people most often skip is working inside a shared codebase, whether through open source or a job, because that experience is what interviews ask about.
Can you become a software engineer without a degree?
There's no licence or registration to obtain, so a degree isn't legally required and employers hire on what you can demonstrate. That said, about 58% of software engineers hold a bachelor degree, and graduate programs and many large employers screen for one, so a self-taught portfolio has to work harder to get past the first filter.
Are software engineers in demand in Australia?
Software engineers are currently not in shortage, and employment is projected to grow 26.7% over the decade to 2035. Growth at that level means the field keeps adding roles, but hiring varies widely between employers, so a portfolio and a specific stack help you more than the headline figure does.
Will AI take software engineering jobs?
AI tools already write a lot of ordinary code, so routine coding is changing quickly, while understanding a system, deciding what to build and fixing what breaks in production remain work that people do. If you're starting out, get comfortable driving these assistants and put your effort into debugging, testing and design.
What other jobs can a software engineer move into?
Back end developer and full stack developer are the closest moves, and your coding skills carry across almost intact ($3,100 less and $3,100 less respectively). IT project manager pays $40,200 more and needs further study in planning and stakeholder management, while solutions architect ($5,900 more) suits engineers who enjoy system design.
Related roles
- Back End Developer
- Full Stack Developer
- Business Analyst
- IT Project Manager
- Solutions Architect
- QA Tester
Not sure this is you? Take the career quiz and get a ranked shortlist of roles that fit how you like to work.
Career advice
- Skills to put on your resume (with skills finder)A resume skills section built for the job you're applying for. Search your occupation to see the specialist skills, tools and general skills it calls for, with worked examples and what to write if you have no work history yet.
- Hard skills and soft skillsHard skills are the technical abilities a particular job calls for, such as preparing a pay run, framing a wall or writing code.
- Problem solving skillsProblem solving skills are what let you notice that something at work isn't going to plan, work out why, choose a fix and check that it worked.