It’s a well-known fact: Women are under-represented in technology fields. Today, only 5.31 percent of software developers worldwide are women. The reasons for this are convoluted, and the reality of it is disheartening. But it’s not a permanent status quo. It’s a situation that is changing. And if you’re a woman considering a career in computing, you may be wondering, “is software development a good career?” There are many good reasons to pursue a career in this industry, despite the reality that women are in the minority in the computer sciences.
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Why Don’t We Have More Women in Tech?
If you want to find the answer to the question, “Why don’t more women work in technology?”, get ready to open Pandora’s box. You’ll find people with all kinds of reasons, from work culture and gender discrimination, to fewer women studying technology, to women themselves talking about the barriers they face, or the lack of women mentors already working in the field.
And, of course, we have society in general to blame as well, with the messages that pervade our culture. In the 1980s, women were pursuing computer science degrees in droves, up until new home computers were marketed exclusively to men and boys, clearly differentiating between what was “appropriate” for boys vs. girls. Then the numbers of women studying computer science went into a steep decline—or nosedive, if you want a more accurate description.
That bias exists still today, more than 30 years later. Part of the blame can be traced to the early education of our children. As Tracey Welson-Rossman, the founder of TechGirlz, has said: “It has become undeniably obvious that technology as a career is not being presented to girls in a way that is attractive to them.”
Why aren’t there more women in tech? There isn’t one answer to that question. But there is hope, because the situation is changing. Due to concerted efforts to bring about change, more women are choosing to study computer science, and more women are making the choice to study computer science. Things are looking up, and that’s going to make the benefits of a career in tech more accessible to more women.
3 Reasons for Choosing a Career in Software Development
If you’re a woman in tech considering a software development career and you live outside of the U.S., you might find you’re in good company. India, the United Arab Emirates, Romania, China, Sri Lanka and Italy are the six countries with the highest percentage of women software developers. The U.S. ranked 11th.
That low number might put you off, but hang on, because we’re going to give you three reasons why software development is a good career choice for women (and men, too):
Read more: Best Programming Languages to Learn in 2022
Reason 1: Software Development Is a Fast-Growing Field With a Lot of Career Potential
Why consider a career as a software developer? For one thing, it’s a great job! Indeed names various software developer positions as some of the highest paying. For another, it’s a rapidly growing field. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) predicts the number of software developer jobs in the U.S. will grow by 22 percent by 2030. Already about 250,000 software developer jobs are unfilled in the U.S. and we can expect that number to grow as the demand for software developers continues to outpace the supply.
Then there’s the near future that will see the nature of work as we know it change. More than half of U.S. workers will be freelancers by 2027, and software developers will be among them. Zippia includes software developers on their list of top in-demand freelance skills.
Software development jobs also pay well. The average developer salary is $110,140, according to BLS data. In general, tech careers tend to pay better because of supply and demand: Women working in IT make more than women working in traditional roles.
Reason 2: You Can Get Into Software Development Without a College Degree
If plenty of job opportunities and high pay aren’t enough, the low barrier to entry is another reason to consider software development. Although it depends on the situation, you don’t necessarily need a degree in computer science to get a job as a software developer. One survey discovered 27 percent software developers don’t have a college degree, and 69.1 percent consider themselves self-taught. In a report on software development trends for 2021, find “years of experience” is the most important criteria when hiring software developers, with problem solving and communication skills also being important. There is no mention in this particular article about college education being a crucial component to succeeding as a software developer.
In addition, it’s easier to get educated without the cost of college, because software developers have multiple ways to learn on their own, including studying online, programming on their own, doing boot camps and earning certifications.
Reason 3: Software Development Is a Flexible Career
Although you might assume that a career in software development will require moving to Silicon Valley and getting entrenched in the “boys only” environment, fighting against gender bias for the next few years, that’s definitely not required. Software developers are needed at all types of companies, big and small. In addition, software developers can work remotely, so you don’t have to move to a tech hub like Silicon Valley to find work. In fact, 89 percent of software developers in the U.S. work somewhere other than Silicon Valley.
Is Software Development a Good Career?
If you’re wondering, “is software development a good career?” The answer is yes, especially if you appreciate the opportunity to work from anywhere, as many software developers work remotely. In 2021, it was revealed that more than 4.7 million people were working remotely at least half the time in the United States.. And that’s a job perk they insist upon: A 2020 survey found 73 percent of programmers ranked remote work as one of the most important benefits, ranking it higher than health care, work hours and professional development.
It’s also a flexible career path. Software developers can climb the career ladder to become a senior developer or architect. They can specialize in one skill or language, or they can start their own companies.
In addition, the field is constantly changing, with dozens of programming languages being used, and emerging technologies like AI, blockchain, progressive web apps (PWAs), low-code development and cybersecurity all poised to create more jobs. Start a career in software development, and you won’t be bored—you’ll be constantly keeping up…which probably explains why “willingness to learn” is the number one criteria when hiring developers.
Tremendous Opportunity in Software Development Jobs
Obviously, all the reasons given above are equally applicable to men who are considering various software development jobs—not just women. Who wouldn’t want a good-paying job in a fast-growing field with a low barrier to entry and plenty of flexibility and challenge? But for women who are still under-represented in the field, at only 25.1 percent of software developers in the U.S., more encouragement is needed. And we need to look to the future. We need women in software development now so our daughters will have mentors in the field when they grow up. They will see other women succeeding, and know they can, too.
Whether you’re just starting out in software development or you’re looking to advance in your career, our Software Development programs include many options, giving students the opportunity to train in some of the fastest growing sectors of software development. You will find upskilling options for any level in your career — from Python Training to Java Certification Training, as well as more comprehensive bootcamps like our Post Graduate Program in Full Stack Web Development, offered in collaboration with Caltech CTME.
Explore your options today!
FAQs
Can women be software developer? ›
It is commonly known within the technology industry that men dominate software development roles. A 2020 global software developer survey demonstrated that female software developers are greatly underrepresented, accounting for just 8 per cent of positions in this field.
Are women better software developers? ›According to recent studies, women are better programmers than men, and their code, gets accepted more often. However, it happens only when they are not identifiable as women as found in research from GitHub.
Which job is best for girls in software? ›You need to be a whiz in programming, software engineering, and data science. Related careers include AI Developer, AI Architect, Machine Learning Engineer, Data Scientists and Business Intelligence Developer.
Are there female software engineers? ›A 23% female software engineering team is quite a long way off from equal representation. Bringing gender parity starts with addressing the gap in education, but recruiters and hiring managers can also make a significant impact by creating and empowering more female role models.
What percentage of software developers are female? ›According to a global software developer survey in 2022, the vast majority of developers are males, accounting for 91.88 percent of all respondents. Female developers amounted to only five percent of all respondents, demonstrating the male-dominating reality of software development jobs.
Why are there so few female programmers? ›Despite being equipped with the necessary skills to succeed in STEM majors, many women choose not to pursue computer science when entering college due to two main reasons: 1) masculine stereotypes of students and professionals at the computer science field; 2) heavy focus on the technical aspects of programming in ...
Is there a demand for female software engineers? ›One answer could be “the broken rung.” Women currently remain highly underrepresented in software engineering (14% of total workforce) and computer science-related jobs (25% of total workforce). In fact, women software engineer hires have only increased 2% over the last 21 years.
Do women make better coders? ›Although men famously make up 91% of the industry, researchers in a gender-blind study discovered that code written by women was approved at a higher rate (78.6%) than software code written by men (74.6%). Proof if it were needed that women not only make great coders, but they outperform their male colleagues.
What percentage of the tech industry is female? ›As per the latest data, women hold just 26.7% of tech-related jobs. The total number of women in tech-related positions decreased by 2.1% from 2020 to 2021. Of a sample of 552,751 tech employees across 56 companies, 141,038 employees are women.
IS it field suitable for girls? ›Girls are doing equally well in the IT fields, the KEY is finding the Right Course at the Right Campus to ensure your success is smooth. If you require any Career Guidance do contact me. All the best !
Which field is best for girls? ›
- Human Resources. A highly sought-after corporate job in the present-day world is the Human Resource Manager. ...
- Doctor. ...
- Data Scientist. ...
- Fashion Designer. ...
- Journalist. ...
- Banker. ...
- Career Counselor. ...
- Interior Designer.
When asked about the reason behind this answer, it was learned that girls prefer software engineer boyfriends because almost all young tech entrepreneurs are from this field. Young founders of tech companies attract women towards male software engineers. After all money matters a lot!
Is learning software development hard? ›Software engineering is challenging to learn from scratch — but with a bootcamp, even industry newcomers can build a strong knowledge base and ready themselves for an entry-level role quickly if they are willing to put in the time, hard work, and dedication.
What percent of Google engineers are female? ›...
Distribution of Google employees worldwide in 2021, by gender and department.
Software development is an excellent career choice by any measure. It's a high-paying and growing field, there are plenty of jobs, and workers report positive job satisfaction.
What is the average age of a software developer? ›The average age for a software developer in the world is 32. And most developers are within the 2–5 years of experience range.
What does it mean to be a woman in tech? ›Being a woman in tech means building a strong network of supporters. Her team is diverse, with men and women of all colors and backgrounds and all interests. She and her teammates make mistakes together and learn from each other through collaboration.
Is software development in demand? ›Job Outlook
Overall employment of software developers, quality assurance analysts, and testers is projected to grow 25 percent from 2021 to 2031, much faster than the average for all occupations.
However, due to the demand-supply gap in the current workforce, 20%-30% are female programmers and 70% - 80% are male programmers. "For long, fewer girls entered Engineering, however, their numbers are growing with each passing year.
Are there many female coders? ›Well, in terms of sheer numbers that's true. Data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that 73% of US computer science workers are male coders and only 27% are female coders. Across technology generally, women are underrepresented.
Is software engineering a stressful job? ›
Surprisingly, the job of a software engineer is relaxed and with low levels of stress despite the many challenges that come along in the profession such as working long hours, working on legacy code, dealing with bad managers, or having tough clients.
Why are there more male programmers? ›Male programmers started to make the field more "prestigious" by creating professional associations and educational requirements for work. They also used personality tests that favored people who were not interested in working with others.
Which engineering is better for girls? ›Branches pursued: Computer science (45.76 per cent pursued it) is the most popular branch among girls, followed by Electronics (34.57 per cent), Electrical (14.3 per cent), Mechanical (3.72 per cent) and Civil (1.59 per cent) engineering.
Which study is best for girls in future? ›- Diploma in Architecture Engineering.
- Diploma in Agriculture.
- Diploma in Home Science.
- Diploma in Event Management.
- Diploma in Yoga.
- Diploma in Computer Science.
- Diploma in Journalism and Mass Communication.
- Diploma in Cosmetology.
| Occupation | Number of women |
|---|---|
| Cooks | 497,042 |
| Teaching assistants | 492,318 |
| Social workers, all other | 484,979 |
| Waiters and waitresses | 482,214 |
For the third year in a row, enlisted military personnel, firefighter, airline pilot, and police officer are the four most stressful occupations, according to CareerCast's annual Most Stressful Jobs report.
Which job is easy and high salary? ›1. House Sitter. If you're looking for easy high paying jobs, don't discount house sitter. Your main responsibility is simply to be present, ensuring a home doesn't sit empty.
Who do engineers usually marry? ›Male engineers marry teachers and nurses because engineers think rationally about the long-term consequences of their actions. A career in engineering generally involves relocations to other cities or countries and both teaching and nursing are portable occupations.
Is software developer a hard job? ›Yes and no. It's not as hard as many people think. Yes, it's difficult, but if you spend some time learning programming and do it regularly, you'll learn everything that is needed to become a developer and you'll get your first job without a computer science degree!
How many programmers are female? ›Software Programmer Statistics By Gender
28.7% of software programmers are women and 71.3% of software programmers are men.
Which degree is best for software developer? ›
If you want to be a software developer, an applied computer science bachelor's degree will make you stand out to employers. Software developers in the field recommend completing a curriculum that emphasizes soft skills in addition to technical knowledge of tools, algorithms, and data structures.
Does software development require math? ›Despite its name, software engineering does not require math. At least, it doesn't require as much math as you might think. There are numbers and problem-solving, but you won't have to break out your AP Calculus certificate or trigonometry textbook to program—or engineer—software.
Is software development the same as coding? ›Coding involves implementing the set of instructions in a form that a machine understands and in a way that is optimal. Development is about delivering a proper product and maintaining it. Development encompasses the processes of creating a complete package to the pleasure and satisfaction of end users.
How hard is it to be hired by Google? ›It is difficult to get a job at Google because of their quality standards and the high number of applications they receive per year. For example, INC reported that Google receives 2 million job applications per year, which means it's more competitive to get into than Harvard University.
How many programmers are white? ›Race & Ethnicity
65% of Computer programmers are White (Non-Hispanic), making that the most common race or ethnicity in the occupation.
Google's average employee is 29 years old, similar to other tech companies, according to the Payscale data the lawsuit refers to, and to investment banks and consultancies.
What are the disadvantages of being a software developer? ›5 Drawbacks Of A Job In Software Development
Juggling an overwhelming amount of projects. Working consistent overtime and non-traditional business hours such as nights, weekends and holidays. Constant demand to refresh current skills or up-skill to new technologies. Need to carve your own career path and growth plan.
On average, software engineers work 8-9 hours a day or 40-45 hours a week. However, this can vary depending on multiple factors. For example, if you're working for a startup, you might need to work 50-60 hours per week to quickly launch the product or service.
Is software engineering a good career for introverts? ›Software Engineer
A career as a software engineer could be a great fit for an introvert because a large chunk of the job is writing code, testing, and fixing bugs—all of which involve independent work—though they should also be prepared to collaborate with their teams.
One answer could be “the broken rung.” Women currently remain highly underrepresented in software engineering (14% of total workforce) and computer science-related jobs (25% of total workforce). In fact, women software engineer hires have only increased 2% over the last 21 years.
Is software developer an easy job? ›
It's not as hard as many people think. Yes, it's difficult, but if you spend some time learning programming and do it regularly, you'll learn everything that is needed to become a developer and you'll get your first job without a computer science degree!
Is software engineering a stressful job? ›Surprisingly, the job of a software engineer is relaxed and with low levels of stress despite the many challenges that come along in the profession such as working long hours, working on legacy code, dealing with bad managers, or having tough clients.
Is software developer a good career choice? ›Software development is an excellent career choice by any measure. It's a high-paying and growing field, there are plenty of jobs, and workers report positive job satisfaction.
What is the average age of a software developer? ›The average age for a software developer in the world is 32. And most developers are within the 2–5 years of experience range.
Is learning software development hard? ›Software engineering is challenging to learn from scratch — but with a bootcamp, even industry newcomers can build a strong knowledge base and ready themselves for an entry-level role quickly if they are willing to put in the time, hard work, and dedication.
Which degree is best for software developer? ›If you want to be a software developer, an applied computer science bachelor's degree will make you stand out to employers. Software developers in the field recommend completing a curriculum that emphasizes soft skills in addition to technical knowledge of tools, algorithms, and data structures.
Does software developer need math? ›Despite its name, software engineering does not require math. At least, it doesn't require as much math as you might think. There are numbers and problem-solving, but you won't have to break out your AP Calculus certificate or trigonometry textbook to program—or engineer—software.
Is being a software developer fun? ›Most Software Engineers have, at some point, spent time coding and programming purely for fun – they enjoy scanning code for errors and other programming puzzles. The best software engineering pros love to build things and they love to fix things, and they enjoy the day-to-day work of being a Software Engineer.
Why do software developers quit? ›Although it can sound oversimplified, boredom can be a major reason developers leave their jobs. Developers want to be challenged, inspired, work on exciting projects that provide them with opportunities to learn and grow. A survey by Stack Overflow, which got nearly 23.000 responses, showed just that.
Why is software development so hard? ›While it's undoubtedly a promising career, the vastness and complexity of software development can make it hard to learn. Software development is a field that requires its practitioners to have a good understanding of multiple programming languages, operating systems, database systems, and more.
How many hours software engineers work? ›
On average, software engineers work 8-9 hours a day or 40-45 hours a week. However, this can vary depending on multiple factors. For example, if you're working for a startup, you might need to work 50-60 hours per week to quickly launch the product or service.
Who gets paid more software engineer or developer? ›An average annual salary of a Software Developer is Rs. 493,576 per year in India while that of a Software Engineer is Rs. 523,770 per year.
What are the disadvantages of being a software engineer? ›5 Drawbacks Of A Job In Software Development
Juggling an overwhelming amount of projects. Working consistent overtime and non-traditional business hours such as nights, weekends and holidays. Constant demand to refresh current skills or up-skill to new technologies. Need to carve your own career path and growth plan.
Software engineers can work from home and 86% of developers work 100% remotely. The number of developers working remotely has exploded in the past few years with only 19% working full remote before 2020.