Software Engineering

.NET Developers design and build software applications using Microsoft's .NET platform, primarily in C#. They work across web APIs, enterprise applications, cloud services, and background processing systems. The role involves writing well-structured code, integrating with databases and external services, and collaborating with product and infrastructure teams to deliver reliable software.

Android Developers design, build, and maintain native Android applications using Kotlin and the Android SDK. They work on the full feature lifecycle — from interpreting design specs through coding, testing, and production deployment — and are responsible for the performance, stability, and user experience of their apps on Android phones, tablets, and other form factors.

Android Software Developer IIs are experienced mid-level engineers who independently own Android feature development from design through production deployment. They write and review Kotlin code fluently, make sound architectural decisions within established patterns, and mentor junior developers — bridging the gap between entry-level execution and senior-level system thinking.

Angular Developers build single-page web applications using Google's Angular framework — writing TypeScript components, managing application state with RxJS observables, integrating backend APIs, and maintaining the performance and accessibility of complex enterprise UIs. They work within cross-functional product teams and are responsible for both feature development and the long-term maintainability of the Angular codebase.

API Developers design, build, and maintain the application programming interfaces that allow software systems to communicate with each other. They create the backend contracts that mobile apps, web clients, and third-party integrations depend on — focusing on correctness, performance, documentation, and versioning to ensure APIs remain usable as products and consumer requirements evolve.

An Application Developer designs, codes, tests and maintains the software applications that customers and employees use directly, from web portals and mobile apps to internal business systems. BLS files the title under Software Developers (SOC 15-1252), an occupation with a May 2025 median annual wage of $135,980 and a range of $82,460 at the 10th percentile to $214,670 at the 90th. The work runs from turning a business request into a design, through code review and release, to fixing what breaks in production. In 2026 it also means meeting platform SDK floors, guarding against OWASP security risks, and following WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility rules for public-sector apps.

AR/VR Developers design and build immersive experiences for augmented and virtual reality platforms — using game engines like Unity and Unreal Engine to create spatial interfaces, 3D environments, and interactive applications for headsets, mobile AR, and mixed reality devices. They work at the intersection of real-time 3D graphics, human-computer interaction, and platform-specific SDK development.

AI Developers build software systems that incorporate machine learning, large language models, and AI capabilities — from training and fine-tuning models to building inference pipelines, integrating LLM APIs, and deploying AI features into production applications. They bridge data science and software engineering, turning AI research and model outputs into reliable, scalable products.

ASP.NET Developers build web applications and APIs using Microsoft's ASP.NET Core framework and C# programming language. They work on server-side application logic, RESTful API development, database integration, and the full lifecycle of .NET web applications — typically within enterprises, financial services firms, and organizations standardized on the Microsoft technology stack.

AWS Cloud Engineers design, build, and maintain cloud infrastructure on Amazon Web Services — provisioning compute, storage, networking, and security resources, automating infrastructure with code, and ensuring that applications run reliably and cost-efficiently in AWS. They are the operational backbone of organizations that have moved their workloads to the cloud.

AWS Developers build cloud-native applications using Amazon Web Services — designing serverless architectures with Lambda and API Gateway, integrating managed services like DynamoDB, SQS, and S3, and deploying applications through infrastructure-as-code pipelines. They bridge software development and cloud operations, building applications that are architected from the start to run on AWS rather than adapted from on-premises patterns.

Back End Developers build and maintain the server-side systems that power web and mobile applications — writing the business logic, database queries, and API endpoints that frontend interfaces and mobile apps depend on. They are responsible for data integrity, application performance, security, and the reliability of the systems that process user requests behind the scenes.

Big Data Developers design and build systems that process, store, and analyze datasets too large for traditional databases — building distributed data pipelines using Spark, Kafka, and cloud data platforms, implementing batch and streaming data workflows, and delivering the reliable data infrastructure that analytics, machine learning, and reporting systems depend on.

Blockchain Developers design and build decentralized applications, smart contracts, and blockchain infrastructure — writing Solidity code for Ethereum-compatible networks, building Web3 frontends that interact with contracts, and working on the protocol or Layer 2 infrastructure that makes decentralized systems run at scale. They work in an environment where the stakes of code quality are unusually high: deployed smart contracts typically cannot be patched after the fact.

C++ Developers write high-performance, resource-efficient software in C++ — building game engines, real-time systems, financial trading infrastructure, embedded firmware, compilers, and any application where performance and low-level hardware control matter more than development speed. They work in a language that rewards deep knowledge and penalizes carelessness, producing software that runs where other languages can't or won't meet requirements.

A Chief Technology Officer (CTO) is the executive responsible for a company's technology vision, architecture, and engineering execution. They set the technical direction, build and lead engineering teams, own the product infrastructure, and communicate technology strategy to boards, investors, and customers. The role spans hands-on architecture decisions and pure business strategy depending on company size and stage.

Cloud Software Developers design and build software systems that run on cloud infrastructure — AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud. They architect applications using managed cloud services, write and deploy containerized workloads, implement serverless functions, and ensure systems are scalable, cost-efficient, and observable. The role blends traditional software development with infrastructure-as-code and cloud platform expertise.

Cloud Solutions Architects design the technical architecture of cloud-based systems — choosing the right services, defining integration patterns, and creating blueprints that development and operations teams build from. They work across internal platform decisions and customer-facing technical guidance, translating business requirements into cloud architecture that is scalable, secure, and cost-justified.

Computer Programmers write, test, and maintain code that makes software applications work. They translate designs and specifications from software developers or architects into executable programs, debug problems in existing code, and update software to fix errors or improve performance. The role appears across industries from healthcare to finance to manufacturing, wherever software needs to be built and maintained.

Computer Vision Software Engineers build systems that extract meaningful information from images and video — detecting objects, classifying scenes, tracking motion, reading text, and analyzing medical scans. They combine deep learning model training with production engineering to deploy CV systems in products ranging from autonomous vehicles and surveillance cameras to medical diagnostics and manufacturing quality control.

Data Scientists analyze large datasets, build predictive models, and communicate insights that drive business decisions. They combine statistical methods, machine learning, and programming to identify patterns, test hypotheses, and build systems that generate value from data. The role spans exploratory analysis, model development, and working with engineers to deploy models into production.

DevOps Engineers build and maintain the infrastructure, tooling, and processes that enable software development teams to ship code reliably and frequently. They own CI/CD pipelines, container orchestration, cloud infrastructure, monitoring systems, and incident response processes. The role sits at the intersection of software development and systems operations, requiring both coding skills and deep infrastructure knowledge.

Drupal Developers build and maintain websites and content management systems using the Drupal PHP framework. They customize Drupal installations through module development, theme building, and site configuration, deploying solutions for government agencies, universities, healthcare organizations, and enterprise companies that need structured, complex content at scale.

Enterprise Application Developers build and maintain large-scale software systems that support business operations — ERP integrations, internal workflow tools, data exchange platforms, and line-of-business applications used by thousands of employees. They work with established enterprise architectures, legacy integration patterns, and business stakeholders to deliver software that improves organizational efficiency.

Enterprise Software Implementation Specialists configure, deploy, and customize enterprise software for customers — translating product capabilities into working solutions that match each client's specific workflow, data structure, and integration requirements. They sit at the intersection of technical depth and customer-facing communication, owning the critical phase between software sale and business value delivered.

ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) Developers build and maintain data pipelines that move and transform data between source systems, data warehouses, and analytics platforms. They design the workflows that extract data from databases, APIs, and files, apply business logic transformations, and load processed data into destinations where analysts and business intelligence tools can use it.

A Firmware Engineer writes the low-level software that runs directly on a product's microcontroller or processor: boot code, peripheral drivers, real-time control loops and the update mechanism that keeps shipped devices current. The role sits between electrical engineering and application software, inside companies that build connected devices, instruments, vehicles and medical equipment. BLS does not track firmware engineers separately; for software developers, the closest occupation, May 2025 national pay ran from $82,460 at the 10th percentile to $214,670 at the 90th, with a median of $135,980. Federal cybersecurity guidance for medical devices and a voluntary federal label for consumer devices now reach into how firmware is built and updated.

Front End Developers build the user-facing layer of web applications — the interfaces that users interact with in their browsers. They write HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, implement UI components, integrate with back-end APIs, and ensure that applications look correct, perform well, and work across devices and browsers. Modern front-end development is primarily component-based using frameworks like React, Vue, or Angular.

Full Stack Developers build complete web applications — both the user-facing front end and the server-side back end. They design and implement databases, APIs, and business logic on the server, and build the interfaces and interactions users see in the browser. Working across both layers makes them effective in small teams where a single person needs to own a feature end-to-end.

Game Developers design and build video game software: the gameplay systems, rendering, physics, audio integration, and tools that make interactive entertainment work. They write code in C++ or C# using engines like Unreal or Unity, implementing everything from player movement and AI behavior to UI systems and performance optimization for target hardware platforms. Pay and headcount in the field track the games business itself more closely than software engineering generally, with 2026 bringing another round of publisher layoffs alongside early experiments in AI-assisted production.

Hadoop Developers design, build, and maintain distributed data processing systems built on the Apache Hadoop ecosystem. They ingest, store, and transform large datasets using tools like HDFS, MapReduce, Hive, Spark, and HBase, enabling analytics teams and data scientists to work with data at scales that traditional relational databases cannot handle.

iOS Developers build and maintain applications for Apple's iPhone, iPad, and related devices. They write Swift code using Apple's development frameworks, collaborate with designers and product teams to implement features, and manage the full App Store release process from first build to production deployment. The role now includes integrating on-device AI models through Apple's Foundation Models framework, adopting Swift 6 strict concurrency, and using Xcode 27 agentic coding to accelerate routine development tasks. Experienced developers with 3+ years of shipped apps remain in consistent demand, and BLS puts the May 2025 range for software developers at $82K to $215K (10th to 90th percentile).

iOS Software Engineers build and maintain Apple platform applications at a level that emphasizes system design, cross-team collaboration, and code quality alongside feature delivery. The title reflects a level of engineering maturity — owning technical problems fully, contributing to design decisions, and ensuring what ships is reliable, performant, and maintainable.

IT Managers oversee an organization's technology infrastructure, support operations, and IT staff. They manage help desk teams, direct infrastructure projects, negotiate vendor contracts, enforce security policies, and align IT capabilities with business needs — serving as the primary decision-maker for everything that keeps technology running day-to-day.

Java Developers design, build, and maintain applications on the JVM using Java as their primary language. They apply software engineering principles to produce reliable, testable code that handles business logic, integrates with data systems, and serves as the backend for enterprise and consumer-facing applications across industries. Most work now runs on Java 25, the current LTS release, and Spring Boot 4, the framework generation that replaced Spring Boot 3 in late 2025.

Java Web Developers build and maintain web applications using Java on the server side — handling HTTP requests, managing business logic, interacting with databases, and producing responses consumed by browsers or front-end applications. They work across the full web request lifecycle, from initial HTTP handling to database queries and response formatting.

JavaScript Developers write code that runs in browsers and on servers to build the interactive applications people use every day. They work with modern JavaScript, TypeScript, and frameworks like React and Node.js to implement features across the full web stack, from user interfaces to API endpoints and data access layers.

JavaScript Software Engineers build and maintain web-based applications and services at a level that combines feature delivery with technical ownership — contributing to architecture decisions, driving code quality, and ensuring that JavaScript systems are reliable, performant, and extensible as they scale. The role typically implies greater seniority and broader responsibility than a JavaScript Developer title.

Junior Software Developers are entry-level engineers who write code under the guidance of senior teammates, implement well-defined features, fix bugs, and build the foundational skills needed for a full software development career. The role is characterized by a steep learning curve, significant mentorship investment from the team, and the expectation of rapid growth over the first 12-24 months.

A Lead Software Developer is a senior engineer who still writes production code while setting the technical direction for one team: design decisions, code review standards, task breakdown and mentoring. The role sits between senior developer and engineering manager, and depending on the employer it may or may not come with direct reports. Federal wage data files it under Software Developers (SOC 15-1252), where the May 2025 BLS survey put the national median at $135,980, the 10th percentile at $82,460 and the 90th percentile at $214,670. BLS does not report lead developers separately, so that band covers developers at every level.

Linux Systems Administrators manage, configure, and maintain Linux-based servers and infrastructure — keeping operating systems patched, services running, users provisioned, and security policies enforced. They are the people who know why a production server is degraded at 2 AM and how to fix it before the business notices.

Machine Learning Software Engineers build the infrastructure and systems that take ML models from research notebooks into production applications. They bridge the gap between data scientists who develop models and software engineers who build products — owning model training pipelines, serving infrastructure, monitoring systems, and the deployment workflows that keep ML-powered features reliable at scale.

Magento Developers build and customize e-commerce stores on the Magento/Adobe Commerce platform. They work with PHP, the Magento module system, and front-end theming tools to implement client requirements across product catalog management, checkout customization, third-party integrations, and site performance.

MEAN Stack Developers build full-stack web applications using MongoDB, Express.js, Angular, and Node.js — a JavaScript-across-the-stack architecture that enables developers to work from database to UI in a single language. They implement features across the entire application layer, from RESTful API endpoints to Angular component interfaces.

Mobile Application Engineers design and build mobile applications at a level that emphasizes technical ownership, architectural depth, and platform expertise over pure feature delivery. They drive decisions about how mobile systems are structured, lead cross-team technical collaboration, and ensure mobile applications are reliable, performant, and maintainable as they scale in complexity and user base.

Mobile Developers build software applications for smartphones, tablets, and wearables using native iOS or Android tooling, or cross-platform frameworks like React Native and Flutter. They work across the application feature set — implementing UI, integrating APIs, handling device sensors, and managing the release processes that distribute apps to users through app stores.

Node.js Developers build and maintain server-side applications using JavaScript and the Node.js runtime. They design APIs, manage asynchronous workflows, integrate databases, and deploy services to cloud infrastructure. Most work on product teams building web services, real-time applications, or microservices that need high throughput and low latency.

Objective-C Developers maintain and extend iOS, macOS, and tvOS applications written in Objective-C. Most modern Apple platform development has shifted to Swift, but large enterprise and consumer apps with substantial existing codebases continue to require Objective-C expertise. These developers also manage Swift interoperability and incremental migration paths in mixed-language projects.

Oracle Developers design, build, and maintain database applications and backend logic using Oracle Database and PL/SQL. They write stored procedures, optimize queries, manage schema objects, and integrate Oracle systems with enterprise applications. Many work within Oracle ERP environments — E-Business Suite, Oracle Cloud Applications, or Oracle Fusion — supporting business-critical financial, HR, and supply chain systems.

Perl Developers write and maintain software in the Perl programming language, primarily in legacy system maintenance, bioinformatics, network operations, and systems administration contexts. They build automation scripts, text processing pipelines, web backends using the CPAN ecosystem, and data transformation tools in environments where Perl has been entrenched for decades.

PHP Developers build and maintain server-side web applications using PHP and its frameworks. They develop custom web applications, e-commerce platforms, content management systems, and APIs that power some of the world's most visited websites. PHP runs on approximately 75% of the web's server-side infrastructure, making PHP developers among the most commonly employed backend web engineers.

Python Developers design, build, and maintain production software systems using Python. The title often implies a broader engineering scope than 'Python Developer' — contributing to system architecture, writing technical documentation, and taking ownership across the full software development lifecycle. These developers work on web applications, data systems, automation infrastructure, and increasingly on AI application layers.

Python Web Developers build and maintain web applications and APIs using Python web frameworks. They work on Django or FastAPI backends, connect to relational databases, build REST APIs consumed by frontend applications, and deploy to cloud infrastructure. Python Web Developers bridge the gap between data-centric Python work and user-facing web products.

React Developers build user interfaces and web applications using React and its ecosystem. They design component architectures, manage application state, integrate with backend APIs, and optimize performance for production web products. React is the dominant JavaScript UI library and React Developers are among the most hired frontend engineers in the industry.

Ruby on Rails Developers build web applications using the Rails framework — one of the most productive web development environments available. They design database schemas, write application logic in the Rails MVC structure, build APIs, and deploy Rails applications to production. Rails powers a significant portion of the SaaS world and remains the framework of choice for teams that prioritize developer productivity and convention over configuration.

A Salesforce Agentforce Developer builds the AI agents that run inside a company's Salesforce org: it scopes what each agent handles, writes its instructions and scripted logic, wires it to Apex, flows and prompt templates as actions, grounds its answers in CRM and Data 360 records, and tests it before release. The role sits on a Salesforce platform team or at a consulting partner, between admins who configure the org and architects who own the data model. BLS files the work under software developers, who earned a median of $135,980 in May 2025, with the 10th to 90th percentile running from $82,460 to $214,670.

Salesforce Developers build custom applications, automations, and integrations on the Salesforce platform. They write Apex code, develop Lightning Web Components, configure platform tools, and integrate Salesforce with external systems. Most work for companies that use Salesforce as their CRM and need custom functionality beyond what the standard platform provides.

Salesforce Software Engineers build and architect complex Salesforce solutions, applying software engineering rigor to platform development. Beyond feature development, they design scalable architecture, lead technical design reviews, manage org health and governance, and integrate Salesforce with enterprise systems. The Engineer title typically signals higher technical expectations than the Developer title in Salesforce contexts.

Senior .NET Developers design and build production-grade applications on the Microsoft technology stack, providing technical leadership across architecture, code quality, and team development. They own complex systems end-to-end, make architecture decisions that scale, and mentor engineers around them. In 2025–2026, Senior .NET Developers increasingly work with cloud-native patterns on Azure and modern .NET 8/9 runtime capabilities.

Senior Embedded Software Engineers design and build the firmware and software that runs on microcontrollers, microprocessors, and specialized hardware systems. They write low-level C and C++ code, work directly with hardware peripherals, develop real-time operating system (RTOS) applications, and lead embedded architecture decisions. Their work appears in medical devices, automotive systems, industrial equipment, consumer electronics, and IoT devices.

Senior Java Developers design and build production Java applications, lead architecture decisions, and drive engineering quality across complex systems. They work primarily in Spring Boot microservices, distributed systems, and enterprise application platforms. Senior Java Developers combine deep platform expertise with the leadership skills to mentor teams, set standards, and take accountability for system reliability.

Senior Mobile Application Developers design and build polished, high-performance applications for iOS and Android platforms. They own technical architecture decisions for mobile products, mentor junior developers, lead code and design reviews, and work closely with product and design teams to deliver features that users actually enjoy using.

Senior Python Developers build and maintain production Python systems: web services, data pipelines, automation infrastructure, and ML model serving. They lead technical work within their team, establish engineering standards, and translate product requirements into systems that hold up under real-world conditions. The role is shifting as AI coding tools take over more hands-on code writing, elevating architecture and review duties. They own performance, testing standards, and production reliability across the stack, from API layer through data pipeline to model serving. They also mentor junior engineers, conduct code reviews, and ensure that Python code remains maintainable and scalable over years of collaborative development.

Senior Ruby on Rails Developers build and maintain production web applications using Rails and the broader Ruby ecosystem. They own architectural decisions for their services, lead code reviews, mentor junior engineers, and work closely with product teams to ship features that are fast, reliable, and maintainable over the long run.

Senior Software Engineers build complex software systems and lead technical decision-making within their team. They write production code, design scalable architectures, conduct code reviews, mentor engineers, and own the reliability of the systems they build — from initial design through long-term maintenance.

Senior Web Developers design, build, and maintain web applications across the full stack — frontend interfaces, backend APIs, and the infrastructure connecting them. They own significant technical decisions within their product domain, lead code reviews, mentor junior developers, and are responsible for the performance and reliability of the web properties they build.

SharePoint Developers design, build, and maintain SharePoint and Microsoft 365 solutions, from intranet portals and document management systems to custom applications built with the SharePoint Framework and grounded Copilot agents. They translate business requirements into secure, governed collaboration environments, migrate legacy on-premises farms to SharePoint Online ahead of Microsoft's 2026 end-of-support deadline, and increasingly configure the content architecture that Microsoft 365 Copilot draws on for answers. The role sits at the intersection of platform administration, front-end development, and AI-assisted knowledge management, and it rewards developers who can also explain governance tradeoffs to non-technical stakeholders.

A Software Architect is a senior software engineer who decides how a system is divided into services, how those parts share data and talk to each other, and which design standards every team building it follows. In a software engineering organization the job sits at the senior individual-contributor level, alongside staff and principal engineers, with influence that comes from design reviews and written decisions rather than direct reports. BLS counts the title within Software Developers, where May 2025 national pay ran from $82,460 at the 10th percentile to $214,670 at the 90th, with a median of $135,980.

Software Automation Engineers design and build software systems that replace manual, repetitive processes — primarily test automation frameworks that validate software quality, but also CI/CD pipelines, deployment automation, infrastructure provisioning, and workflow automation. They improve team velocity by making reliable software delivery possible at speeds that manual processes can't support.

A Software Development Engineer (Amazon and Microsoft) is an individual-contributor engineer responsible for a team's services from design through operation; the SDE title and its levels are documented on Amazon's career ladder, and this page also covers the engineering expectations Microsoft has set out for its engineers. At Amazon the SDE II guide describes owning features across their life cycle, choosing between feature work and operational work, documenting how the software is built, tested, run and secured, and mentoring others. BLS files the title under Software Developers (SOC 15-1252), where May 2025 national pay ran from $82,460 at the 10th percentile to $214,670 at the 90th, with a $135,980 median. BLS does not publish pay for Amazon's SDE levels or for Microsoft's engineering levels.

A Software Development Engineer in Test (SDET) is a software engineer whose code exists to prove other code works: test frameworks, API and browser suites, test data builders and the pipeline stages that block a bad merge. SDETs sit inside product engineering teams at software publishers, banks, device makers and any company that ships its own software, and they own the test strategy as much as the test code. BLS counts the job within Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers, where the May 2025 national wage band ran from $61,440 at the 10th percentile to $167,010 at the 90th, with a median of $104,300.

A Software Development Manager leads a team of software engineers and is accountable for both what the team ships and how its engineers develop. The role sits above tech leads and senior engineers and below directors of engineering, working daily with product managers, designers and operations staff. Federal pay data place it among computer and information systems managers, whose May 2025 national wages ran from $107,550 at the 10th percentile to $297,510 at the 90th, with a median of $175,140. The week mixes hiring, one-on-ones, delivery planning, design reviews and incident follow-up.

Software Engineers design, build, test, and maintain the applications and systems that run modern products, from customer-facing apps to the backend services behind them. The work spans initial design through production deployment and ongoing maintenance: writing code, reviewing teammates' pull requests, and keeping shipped software reliable. The job can include directing and checking AI-generated code as well as writing it by hand, and engineers remain accountable for correctness, security, and maintainability. Bureau of Labor Statistics data classifies this work under Software Developers, which pays a median of $135,980 a year nationally and is projected to grow much faster than average through 2035.

A Software Engineer II builds and ships features independently within one team's codebase: a mid-level software developer, one step above entry level and below senior. The title is an employer level rather than a specialty, so it covers backend, frontend, mobile and infrastructure work. Typical duties include writing and testing production code, reviewing teammates' pull requests, taking on-call shifts and mentoring newer engineers. BLS reports no level-specific pay, but its Software Developers occupation, which covers all levels, paid a median of $135,980 in May 2025, with a 10th-to-90th percentile spread of $82,460 to $214,670.

A Software Engineer III is the third level on a numbered software engineering ladder, an engineer trusted to own projects from design through production, solve open-ended problems without close direction, and mentor newer teammates. The title sits above Software Engineer II and below staff or principal levels, though where it falls depends on each employer's ladder. BLS does not report pay by level; for software developers as a whole, the May 2025 median was $135,980, with the 10th percentile at $82,460 and the 90th at $214,670.

Software Integration Engineers design and build the connections between software systems — APIs, middleware, event pipelines, and data feeds that allow applications, platforms, and services to share data and trigger actions across organizational and technical boundaries. They own the plumbing that holds modern enterprise architecture together.

Software Project Engineers in software engineering combine hands-on technical work with project coordination responsibilities. They manage the technical execution of engineering projects — tracking deliverables, managing schedules, coordinating between development teams and stakeholders, and resolving technical blockers that impede progress. The role bridges engineering and project management without being purely either one.

Software Project Managers lead the planning, execution, and delivery of software engineering projects. They manage schedules, budgets, team coordination, and stakeholder communication to ensure development work ships on time and within scope. In modern product companies they often work as Scrum Masters or program managers, while in enterprise and consulting environments they manage formal project plans with contractual deliverable commitments.

Software QA Engineers verify that software works correctly, reliably, and within specification before it reaches users. They design test cases, execute test plans, report defects, and build automated test coverage that enables development teams to ship with confidence. Their work sits at the intersection of technical depth and product understanding.

Software Technical Support Engineers troubleshoot and resolve software, hardware, and integration issues for customers, combining deep product knowledge with technical problem-solving skills. They serve as the critical interface between customers experiencing problems and the engineering teams who built the product, often diagnosing complex issues that span multiple system layers and documenting solutions that improve the support organization's collective knowledge.

Solution Architects design technology solutions that solve specific business problems — translating requirements into architectures that define the systems, integrations, and technical approaches needed to deliver the outcome. They work at the intersection of engineering depth and business fluency, advising both technical teams and business stakeholders on how technology can meet organizational needs.

A SQL Developer writes and maintains the database code that applications and reports depend on: schemas, queries, stored procedures, views and the migration scripts that change them. The job sits between application engineering and database administration, and the same work also appears under the title database developer. BLS assigns that title to Database Architects (SOC 15-1243) and does not report SQL developers separately. For Database Architects, BLS reported May 2025 national pay of $86,240 at the 10th percentile, a median of $139,500 and $204,000 at the 90th percentile.

System Analysts bridge the gap between business requirements and technology solutions. They analyze how existing systems work, identify gaps and improvement opportunities, gather and document detailed requirements, and work with development and IT teams to ensure that new or modified systems meet the actual needs of the business and its users.

System Developers design and implement low-level software that interacts directly with hardware, operating systems, and infrastructure — including device drivers, firmware, OS kernels, runtime environments, and performance-critical services. They work in languages like C, C++, and Rust where memory management, concurrency, and performance are first-class concerns, not afterthoughts.

A system integration engineer joins separately built subsystems, hardware, software and outside services, into one working system and then proves that it works. The role sits between design and verification: integration engineers pin down interfaces, build test setups, chase defects that appear only when parts meet, and assemble the evidence a customer or certifying authority reviews. The work shows up on aircraft, spacecraft and weapon programs, in medical and industrial equipment, and in IT shops that connect enterprise and healthcare platforms. BLS does not report the title separately; its nearest group, Computer Occupations, All Other, paid $55,940 at the 10th percentile, $116,580 at the median and $188,470 at the 90th in May 2025.

Systems Developers design and build the internal platforms, automation tools, integration layers, and operational infrastructure that organizations rely on to run their software at scale. Unlike application developers who build user-facing products, Systems Developers work on the technical foundation — CI/CD pipelines, deployment automation, monitoring infrastructure, data pipelines, and the internal services that application teams depend on.

Technical Consultants advise organizations on technology decisions, system design, and implementation approaches — bringing outside expertise that clients lack in-house. They assess current systems, identify problems and opportunities, develop recommendations, and often guide implementation teams through changes. The role combines deep technical knowledge with the communication skills needed to work with both engineers and executives.

Technical Program Managers (TPMs) coordinate the execution of large, multi-team software programs — managing dependencies, timelines, and risks while bridging the gap between engineering teams and business stakeholders. Unlike traditional project managers, TPMs have sufficient technical depth to engage credibly with engineers on system design, identify technical risks before they become schedule problems, and make informed tradeoffs between implementation approaches.

Test Engineers design and implement test strategies, write automated test suites, and ensure software meets quality and reliability standards before reaching production. They work closely with developers and product teams throughout the software development lifecycle, catching defects early and building the testing infrastructure that enables teams to ship with confidence.

UI Developers build the visual and interactive layer of web applications — translating designs into working interfaces with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. They work at the intersection of design and engineering, responsible for the code that users directly interact with: component libraries, responsive layouts, animations, form interactions, and the accessibility and performance characteristics that determine whether an interface is actually pleasant to use.

UI/UX Designers create the visual design and interaction patterns for digital products — conducting user research, designing wireframes and prototypes, defining visual specifications, and working with engineering teams to ensure that what gets built matches the intended user experience. They bridge the gap between what users need and what product and engineering teams build.

Unity Developers build interactive experiences using the Unity game engine — including video games, augmented and virtual reality applications, simulations, and architectural visualizations. They write C# scripts to control game logic and character behavior, optimize runtime performance, integrate assets from artists and animators, and work within Unity's component-based architecture to ship polished, performant experiences.

Unix Developers build, maintain, and optimize software that runs on Unix and Linux operating systems — writing shell scripts, system utilities, daemons, and infrastructure automation in environments where the command line, file system, and process model are first-class concerns. They work across financial services, telecommunications, government systems, and large enterprise environments where Unix remains the primary production platform.

UX Designers research how users think, work, and interact with digital products — then translate those findings into interaction designs, information architectures, and prototypes that product teams build from. They sit at the intersection of user advocacy, design craft, and product strategy, using evidence from user research to shape decisions that would otherwise be made on assumption.

UX Engineers sit at the intersection of design and engineering — building interactive prototypes, implementing design systems, and translating UX concepts into production-quality front-end code. They are fluent in both design tools and programming languages, enabling them to bridge the gap between design intent and engineering implementation more precisely than either a pure designer or a pure engineer can do alone.

VB.NET Developers build, maintain, and modernize applications written in Visual Basic .NET — a .NET Framework and .NET Core language that remains in active use in enterprise and government software, particularly in financial services, insurance, manufacturing, and Windows desktop application environments. They work within the .NET ecosystem alongside C# and F# developers, often leading migration efforts from legacy VB6 or Classic ASP codebases.

Web Designers create the visual design, layout, and user experience for websites and web applications — combining design sensibility with enough front-end technical knowledge to translate their work into functional interfaces. They work with typography, color, layout systems, and interaction patterns to create web experiences that are visually clear, easy to navigate, and aligned with brand standards.

A Web Developer builds and maintains the websites and browser-based applications that businesses, universities and publishers run, working in HTML, CSS, JavaScript and a server-side stack. On a software engineering team the role sits between design and back-end engineering: it turns mockups into working pages, connects them to APIs and databases, and keeps them fast, secure and accessible. BLS counts the job as Web Developers (SOC 15-1254), an occupation that paid a median of $92,650 in May 2025, with the 10th percentile at $48,100 and the 90th percentile at $162,290. Employers include software publishers, advertising agencies and colleges.

A Web Developer II is a mid-level web developer with 3–6 years of experience who works independently on complex features, participates in architectural decisions, and contributes to team practices. The II designation means they require minimal direction on well-defined problems, make sound technical judgments, and are beginning to influence how the team works — not just executing assigned tasks.

Web Solutions Developers design and build customized web-based applications that solve specific business problems — combining web development skills with requirements analysis, client communication, and solution architecture. The role appears frequently in consulting firms, IT service providers, and enterprise IT departments where developers work across multiple client engagements or business units rather than on a single product.

Windows Developers build software for the Windows platform — from native desktop applications and system utilities to Windows services, shell extensions, and driver-adjacent tools. They work in C#, C++, or both, using the full range of Windows APIs and developer tools to create applications that run on workstations, servers, and embedded Windows devices.

WordPress Developers build, customize, and maintain websites and web applications on the WordPress platform. Their work ranges from creating custom themes and plugins to architecting high-traffic multisite installations and headless WordPress setups. They typically work in PHP, JavaScript, and CSS, and often specialize in either front-end theme development or back-end plugin and API work.

Xamarin Developers write and maintain cross-platform mobile applications using C# and the Xamarin/.NET ecosystem. As the industry transitions from Xamarin.Forms to .NET MAUI, these developers carry expertise in both frameworks — maintaining large existing Xamarin.Forms codebases while building new projects in MAUI. Their C# background makes them natural fits in .NET-heavy engineering organizations extending into mobile.