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Software Development - Software Developers & Software Quality Assurance Analysts & Testers
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  7. Software Development - Software Developers & Software Quality Assurance Analysts & Testers

Software Developers & Software Quality Assurance Analysts & Testers

What They Do:

  • Test programs or databases, correct errors, and make necessary modifications.
  • Modify existing software to correct errors, allow it to adapt to new hardware, or to improve its performance.
  • Analyze user needs and software requirements to determine feasibility of design within time and cost constraints.
  • Confer with systems analysts, engineers, programmers and others to design system and to obtain information on project limitations and capabilities, performance requirements and interfaces.
  • Store, retrieve, and manipulate data for analysis of system capabilities and requirements.

Source: O*NET (2019)

Sample Job Titles:

  1. Software Development Engineer
  2. Java Developer
  3. Software Developer
  4. Devops Engineer
  5. .Net Developer

Source: O*NET (2019)

Outlook in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD MSA (Metropolitan Statistical Area)

Employment (Q1 2021) 15,538
Projected Annual Growth 1.8%
Average Entry Level Salary $71,100
Median Salary $115,300

Source: Greater Washington Partnership analysis of Chmura-JobsEQ and Burning Glass data, 9/17/21

Supply-Demand Snapshot: Software Developers & Software Quality Assurance Analysts & Testers (all levels)
Entry Level Job Ads
18,330
Current Workforce
15,538

Source: Greater Washington Partnership analysis of Burning Glass data, 9/17/21

Preferred Certifications

(requested in at least 10% of entry level jobs requiring up through a bachelor’s degree)

  • Security Clearance (21%)

Top 10 Skills Requested

(entry level jobs requiring up through a bachelor’s degree)

  • Java
  • Software Development
  • Software Engineering
  • Javascript
  • SQL
  • Python
  • Linux
  • DevOps
  • Git
  • Microsoft C#

Source: Greater Washington Partnership Analysis of Burning Glass data, Q1 2021

Outlook in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV MSA MSA (Metropolitan Statistical Area)

Employment (Q1 2021) 64,690
Projected Annual Growth 2.1%
Average Entry Level Salary $75,100
Median Salary $117,500

Source: Greater Washington Partnership analysis of Chmura-JobsEQ and Burning Glass data, 9/17/21

Supply-Demand Snapshot: Software Developers & Software Quality Assurance Analysts & Testers (all levels)
Entry Level Job Ads
60,547
Current Workforce
64,690

Source: Greater Washington Partnership analysis of Burning Glass data, 9/17/21

Preferred Certifications

(requested in at least 10% of entry level jobs requiring up through a bachelor’s degree)

  • Security Clearance (21%)

Top 10 Skills Requested

(entry level jobs requiring up through a bachelor’s degree)

  • Java
  • Software Development
  • Software Engineering
  • Javascript
  • SQL
  • Python
  • Linux
  • DevOps
  • Git
  • Microsoft C#

Source: Greater Washington Partnership Analysis of Burning Glass data, Q1 2021

Outlook in the Richmond, VA MSA MSA (Metropolitan Statistical Area)

Employment (Q1 2021) 6,603
Projected Annual Growth 2.0%
Average Entry Level Salary $ 73,800
Median Salary $ 102,900

Source: Greater Washington Partnership analysis of Chmura-JobsEQ and Burning Glass data, 9/17/21

Supply-Demand Snapshot: Software Developers & Software Quality Assurance Analysts & Testers (all levels)
Entry Level Job Ads
7,644
Current Workforce
6,603

Source: Greater Washington Partnership analysis of Burning Glass data, 9/17/21

Preferred Certifications

(requested in at least 10% of entry level jobs requiring up through a bachelor’s degree)

  • Security Clearance (21%)

Top 10 Skills Requested

(entry level jobs requiring up through a bachelor’s degree)

  • Java
  • Software Development
  • Software Engineering
  • JavaScript
  • SQL
  • Python
  • Linux
  • DevOps
  • Git
  • Microsoft C#

Source: Greater Washington Partnership Analysis of Burning Glass data, Q1 2021

Largest Employers in Capital Region:

  1. CapitalOne
  2. Booz | Allen | Hamilton
  3. General Dynamics
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