If you want to pursue software engineering and development, you’ll design, build, test and maintain software systems, often starting with understanding user needs. From there, engineers write and review code, test functionality and refine performance.
As a software engineer, you might:
- Develop applications, operating systems or databases
- Collaborate with designers, analysts and other engineers
- Test and validate software to identify and fix issues
Software engineering requires problem-solving, communication and teamwork in addition to programming. Engineers rarely work in isolation — documenting decisions, collaborating across teams and thinking through how a system will perform after it’s deployed. As AI tools become more common in development environments, engineers are also responsible for guiding how these systems are used, ensuring outputs are accurate, reliable and aligned with user needs.
Software engineer career paths
Software engineering includes a range of roles across different stages of development, including:
- Application developer: Builds software for users, such as mobile apps or business tools
- Software architect: Designs system structure and oversees technical direction
- DevOps engineer: Manages deployment, infrastructure and system reliability
- QA analyst or tester: Identifies defects and ensures software quality
You can shape your career based on their interests, whether that’s building consumer-facing apps or backend systems, and pursue a path with strong demand and opportunity.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, software developers earned a median annual wage of $133,080 in May 2024. And software development and related jobs are projected to grow 15% from 2024 to 2034 – much faster than average. This combination of strong demand and ongoing technological advancement makes software engineering and development a forward-looking career path in today’s tech-powered world.
Do you need a degree to be a software engineer?
In many cases, yes. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a bachelor’s degree in computer and information technology (or a related field) is typically required. U.S. economic data reinforces that most occupations in this field require a four-year degree.
A degree builds structured thinking and helps students understand how and why software works — not just how to write code.
ASU’s online Bachelor of Science in software engineering emphasizes hands-on development, engineering principles and real-world problem solving. Students develop skills in designing, building and maintaining software systems aligned with industry expectations.
At the graduate level, ASU’s online Master of Science in engineering science – software engineering helps professionals deepen their technical expertise and prepare for advanced or leadership roles.
In these online programs, you can learn with flexibility while still engaging in a rigorous educational experience that prepares you for the workforce.
Software engineers also continuously update their skills, adapting to new development practices, tools and system architectures. These paths are accessible to career changers as well as those with technical backgrounds, particularly as the field continues to expand.
Software engineer skills: What you need to succeed
Success in this field depends on technical and professional software engineering skills, including:
- Programming and technical expertise: Proficiency in core languages like Python, JavaScript or Java, working knowledge of others such as C++, and a strong understanding of development tools, systems and hardware interaction.
- Problem-solving and critical thinking: Analyzing complex problems, evaluating solutions and making decisions based on performance, cost and user needs.
- Communication and collaboration: Working with cross-functional teams and translating technical concepts into clear information for stakeholders.
- Adaptability and continuous learning: Staying current with new tools, languages and methodologies throughout their careers.
With these skills, you’ll move beyond just writing code and contribute to building user-focused systems that are scalable and efficient. That often means working through full development cycles — planning features, building prototypes, testing performance and refining systems based on feedback.
How is AI changing software engineering?
The AI shift is changing how engineers approach work, but they remain responsible for the systems they build. You'll work alongside tools that generate code snippets, surface bugs and accelerate routine tasks, which means you'll think more deliberately about architecture and system design before a single line of code is written.
Planning has become a larger share of the work. These technologists define how systems should function, how services communicate and how performance will be measured. AI can assist in execution, but it doesn’t replace the need for judgment, such as reviewing outputs and validating accuracy to ensure reliability.
The field continues to evolve, but the core responsibility hasn’t shifted. Software engineers are still accountable for creating systems that work reliably, efficiently and at scale. That responsibility becomes more visible in an AI-supported environment.
Explore our online degrees to start your path toward a career in software engineering: