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Low Risk Growing +25%

Software Developer

Software developers design, build, and maintain software applications and systems.

Software Developer has an AI risk score of 25/100 (Low Risk). The median salary is $124,200 with 1.8 million people employed. The safest transition path is Senior Software Engineer with a risk score of 20/100.

$124,200
Median Salary
1.8 million
Total Employed
3
Career Transitions
AI Risk Score
0 %
Low Risk

Safer than 75% of jobs in our database

How we calculate this score →
Pivot Score 75/100

Strong pivot potential — many safe, transferable career paths available.

Recommended Courses

Start your transition today with these courses

★ Start Here Career Booster

System Design Interview

Educative

Duration 4 weeks
Price $79
Rating ★ 4.8

Skills You'll Learn

ScalabilityDistributed SystemsDatabase DesignCaching
Enroll Now →

AWS Solutions Architect

AWS

Duration 3 months
Price $300/exam
Rating ★ 4.7

Skills You'll Learn

Cloud ArchitectureAWS ServicesSecurityCost Optimization
Enroll Now →

Engineering Management

Coursera

Duration 6 weeks
Price Free (audit)
Rating ★ 4.5

Skills You'll Learn

Team BuildingProject ManagementCommunicationCareer Development
Enroll Now →

Job Market Data

Real trends from multiple job platforms

High Demand

Listing Trends

5 sources tracked
🇺🇸 United States
vs. Feb 2026
112.7K listings
-14%
🇩🇪 Germany
vs. Feb 2026
14.3K listings
+197%
🇫🇷 France
vs. Feb 2026
1.1K listings
+6%
🇪🇸 Spain
vs. Feb 2026
925 listings
+127%
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
vs. Feb 2026
11.5K listings
+2%
Sources: AdzunaArbeitsagenturFrance TravailReedJooble
Updated Mar 18, 2026

Career Outlook

Why this is a strong career choice

Job Outlook
Growing +25%
AI Resistance Score
6/10 Good
Market Demand
Competitive

Why This Career Is AI-Resistant

AI assists but cannot architect systems

Complex problem-solving needs humans

Business requirements translation is human

Code review and mentorship require judgment

Strong choice for career changers

Career Transitions

Safe career paths based on your existing skills

Best Match

Senior Software Engineer

20%
Salary Change +30%
Skill Overlap 95%
Time to Transition 2-4 years

Skills to Learn

System DesignCode ReviewMentorshipTechnical Leadership

Your first step

Look up a free System Design course or tutorial — one evening is enough to know if this path fits you.

Engineering Manager

15%
Salary Change +40%
Skill Overlap 70%
Time to Transition 4-6 years

Skills to Learn

People ManagementHiringPerformance ReviewsStrategic Planning

Your first step

Look up a free People Management course or tutorial — one evening is enough to know if this path fits you.

Solutions Architect

15%
Salary Change +35%
Skill Overlap 80%
Time to Transition 3-5 years

Skills to Learn

System DesignCloud ArchitectureClient CommunicationTechnical Writing

Your first step

Look up a free System Design course or tutorial — one evening is enough to know if this path fits you.

Need help making the switch?

Talk to a mentor who's been through a similar career change.

Find a Mentor