RoleMath

role

Software Developer

Source-cited RoleMath page about Software Developer.

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Researched by RoleMath Research. Every figure on this page traces to the official source shown next to it.

What the numbers say about this work

Government occupation data for the role this maps to — Software Developers (SOC 15-1252). This is planning context for the occupation, not a salary or a job this role guarantees you.

Median pay (occupation)
$135,980 / yr · $82,460 to $214,670 (10th–90th percentile)
Projected change (2024–34)
+15.8% · ~115.2k openings/yr
Typical entry education
Bachelor's degree

BLS OEWS — occupation-level, national BLS Employment Projections 2024–34 This role has a high-confidence mapping to the listed O*NET-SOC/BLS occupation.

What it pays by metro

The national median hides a wide geographic spread. Below is the occupation’s median in some of the highest-paying and largest-employment metros, adjusted for local prices — regional price-level context, not take-home pay or a salary this role guarantees you.

MetroNominal medianCost-adjusted
San Jose, CA$213,110$192,994
San Francisco, CA$186,640$161,435
Boulder, CO$164,560$156,423
Manchester, NH$162,090$153,412
Boston, MA$166,090$153,409
Bridgeport, CT$162,650$152,203

See all metros and how this is calculated → Sources: BLS OEWS (May 2025), occupation-level metro median ÷ BEA Regional Price Parities (2024, US=100).

What this work involves

The tasks the U.S. Department of Labor’s O*NET lists most central to this occupation — role-fit evidence to weigh against your background, not a measure of employer demand.

  • Analyze user needs and software requirements to determine feasibility of design within time and cost constraints.
  • Develop or direct software system testing or validation procedures, programming, or documentation.
  • Confer with systems analysts, engineers, programmers and others to design systems and to obtain information on project limitations and capabilities, performance requirements and interfaces.
  • Modify existing software to correct errors, adapt it to new hardware, or upgrade interfaces and improve performance.
  • Prepare reports or correspondence concerning project specifications, activities, or status.
  • Analyze information to determine, recommend, and plan installation of a new system or modification of an existing system.

O*NET — occupation-level

Skills that matter

The skills O*NET rates most important for this occupation. A starting map for what to build — weigh it against the specific job you’re targeting.

  • Critical Thinking
  • Active Learning
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Active Listening
  • Writing
  • Speaking
  • Monitoring
  • Mathematics

O*NET — occupation-level

What employers ask for right now

The skills and certifications employers most often name in a sample of 1,112public job postings for this role. Treat it as a to-learn list — it’s dated hiring language, not a count of open jobs, demand, or salary.

Most-named skills

  • Python 467
  • AWS 387
  • Kubernetes 344
  • Software development 320
  • TypeScript 318
  • React 275
  • Java 266
  • API 239
  • Azure 195
  • GCP 192
  • GitHub 190
  • JavaScript 177

Certifications named

  • Security+ 4

Compare what employers ask across roles → Qualitative employer-language sample only; do not use as official demand, market-size, salary, or certification ROI evidence.

Certification decision support

Certifications mapped to Software Developer

Certifications mapped to this role from cited OEM target-role data and the RoleMath role mapping, ordered by relationship strength and then Difficulty Score. This is planning context — not a guarantee, not an employer requirement, and not a claim that any one certification is best for everyone. Your fit depends on your background; pay/outlook context is occupation-level on the role page.

Start here signalGitHub Foundations20/100 · Foundational

Start with foundations

2 mapped

Beginner-friendly version-control and developer-platform foundations before choosing a vendor stack.

CredentialDifficultyCostRelationshipWhy it appears here
GitHub FoundationsMicrosoft · beginner
20/100FoundationalCost not verifiedfoundationGitHub Foundations maps to Software Developer as a foundation credential based on its cited name keyword:github signal.Official source
Certified Backstage Associate (CBA)Linux Foundation · foundation
20/100Foundational$250 examfoundationCertified Backstage Associate (CBA) maps to Software Developer as a foundation credential based on its cited name keyword:developer signal.Official source

Developer workflow

2 mapped

Credentials around source control, automation, and collaboration tooling used around software projects.

CredentialDifficultyCostRelationshipWhy it appears here
GitHub ActionsMicrosoft · intermediate
40/100ModerateCost not verifiedstrong signal after foundationGitHub Actions maps to Software Developer as a strong role signal after foundational programming and version-control practice, based on its cited name keyword:github signal.Official source
GitHub AdministrationMicrosoft · intermediate
40/100ModerateCost not verifiedstrong signal after foundationGitHub Administration maps to Software Developer as a strong role signal after foundational programming and version-control practice, based on its cited name keyword:github signal.Official source

Cloud and platform development

6 mapped

Vendor platform credentials for building or operating applications on cloud-native platforms.

CredentialDifficultyCostRelationshipWhy it appears here
Certified Kubernetes Application Developer (CKAD)Linux Foundation · intermediate
40/100Moderate$445 examstrong signal after foundationCertified Kubernetes Application Developer (CKAD) maps to Software Developer as a strong role signal after foundational programming and version-control practice, based on its cited name keyword:developer signal.Official source
Red Hat Certified Cloud-native DeveloperRed Hat · specialist
40/100Moderate$500 examstrong signal after foundationRed Hat Certified Cloud-native Developer maps to Software Developer as a strong role signal after foundational programming and version-control practice, based on its cited name keyword:developer signal.Official source
AWS Certified Developer - AssociateAmazon Web Services · Associate
55/100Moderate$150 examstrong signal after foundationAWS Certified Developer - Associate maps to Software Developer as a strong role signal after foundational programming and version-control practice, based on its cited name keyword:developer signal.Official source
Microsoft Certified: Azure Developer AssociateMicrosoft · intermediate
55/100ModerateCost not verifiedstrong signal after foundationMicrosoft Certified: Azure Developer Associate maps to Software Developer as a strong role signal after foundational programming and version-control practice, based on its cited name keyword:developer signal.Official source
Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Certified Developer ProfessionalOracle · professional
60/100HardCost not verifiedadvanced adjacentOracle Cloud Infrastructure Certified Developer Professional maps to Software Developer as an advanced credential for progressing toward/within this role, not an entry signal.Official source
Professional Cloud DeveloperGoogle Cloud · professional
75/100Hard$200 examadvanced adjacentProfessional Cloud Developer maps to Software Developer as an advanced credential for progressing toward/within this role, not an entry signal.Official source

Network automation

6 mapped

Cisco DevNet and programmability credentials for software work tied to network infrastructure.

CredentialDifficultyCostRelationshipWhy it appears here
Cisco Certified DevNet AssociateCisco · associate
40/100Moderate$300 examstrong signal after foundationCisco Certified DevNet Associate maps to Software Developer as a strong role signal after foundational programming and version-control practice, based on its cited track token:developer signal.Official source
Cisco Certified DevNet Specialist - Collaboration Automation and ProgrammabilityCisco · specialist
40/100Moderate$300 examstrong signal after foundationCisco Certified DevNet Specialist - Collaboration Automation and Programmability maps to Software Developer as a strong role signal after foundational programming and version-control practice, based on its cited track token:developer signal.Official source
Cisco Certified DevNet Specialist - Data Center Automation and ProgrammabilityCisco · specialist
40/100Moderate$300 examstrong signal after foundationCisco Certified DevNet Specialist - Data Center Automation and Programmability maps to Software Developer as a strong role signal after foundational programming and version-control practice, based on its cited track token:developer signal.Official source
Cisco Certified DevNet Specialist - Enterprise Automation and ProgrammabilityCisco · specialist
40/100Moderate$300 examstrong signal after foundationCisco Certified DevNet Specialist - Enterprise Automation and Programmability maps to Software Developer as a strong role signal after foundational programming and version-control practice, based on its cited track token:developer signal.Official source
Cisco Certified DevNet Specialist - Service Provider Automation and ProgrammabilityCisco · specialist
40/100Moderate$300 examstrong signal after foundationCisco Certified DevNet Specialist - Service Provider Automation and Programmability maps to Software Developer as a strong role signal after foundational programming and version-control practice, based on its cited track token:developer signal.Official source
Cisco Certified DevNet ProfessionalCisco · professional
60/100Hard$400 examadvanced adjacentCisco Certified DevNet Professional maps to Software Developer as an advanced credential for progressing toward/within this role, not an entry signal.Official source

AI and application builders

6 mapped

Credentials for AI-assisted, agent, or intelligent-application development after core programming practice.

CredentialDifficultyCostRelationshipWhy it appears here
GitHub Certified: Agentic AI Developer (beta)Microsoft · intermediate
40/100ModerateCost not verifiedstrong signal after foundationGitHub Certified: Agentic AI Developer (beta) maps to Software Developer as a strong role signal after foundational programming and version-control practice, based on its cited name keyword:github signal.Official source
GitHub CopilotMicrosoft · intermediate
40/100ModerateCost not verifiedstrong signal after foundationGitHub Copilot maps to Software Developer as a strong role signal after foundational programming and version-control practice, based on its cited name keyword:github signal.Official source
Microsoft Certified: AI Agent Builder Associate (beta)Microsoft · intermediate
40/100ModerateCost not verifiedstrong signal after foundationMicrosoft Certified: AI Agent Builder Associate (beta) maps to Software Developer as a strong role signal after foundational programming and version-control practice, based on its cited track token:developer signal.Official source
Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Apps and Agents Developer Associate (beta)Microsoft · intermediate
40/100ModerateCost not verifiedstrong signal after foundationMicrosoft Certified: Azure AI Apps and Agents Developer Associate (beta) maps to Software Developer as a strong role signal after foundational programming and version-control practice, based on its cited track token:developer signal.Official source
Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Cloud Developer Associate (beta)Microsoft · intermediate
40/100ModerateCost not verifiedstrong signal after foundationMicrosoft Certified: Azure AI Cloud Developer Associate (beta) maps to Software Developer as a strong role signal after foundational programming and version-control practice, based on its cited track token:developer signal.Official source
Microsoft Certified: Intelligent Applications Builder Associate (beta)Microsoft · intermediate
40/100ModerateCost not verifiedstrong signal after foundationMicrosoft Certified: Intelligent Applications Builder Associate (beta) maps to Software Developer as a strong role signal after foundational programming and version-control practice, based on its cited track token:developer signal.Official source

Data platform development

4 mapped

Developer credentials for databases, Spark, Snowflake, SQL, and data-platform application work.

CredentialDifficultyCostRelationshipWhy it appears here
Microsoft Certified: Azure Cosmos DB Developer SpecialtyMicrosoft · intermediate
40/100ModerateCost not verifiedstrong signal after foundationMicrosoft Certified: Azure Cosmos DB Developer Specialty maps to Software Developer as a strong role signal after foundational programming and version-control practice, based on its cited name keyword:developer signal.Official source
Microsoft Certified: SQL AI Developer AssociateMicrosoft · intermediate
40/100ModerateCost not verifiedstrong signal after foundationMicrosoft Certified: SQL AI Developer Associate maps to Software Developer as a strong role signal after foundational programming and version-control practice, based on its cited track token:developer signal.Official source
Databricks Certified Associate Developer for Apache SparkDatabricks · associate
45/100Moderate$200 examstrong signal after foundationDatabricks Certified Associate Developer for Apache Spark maps to Software Developer as a strong role signal after foundational programming and version-control practice, based on its cited name keyword:developer signal.Official source
SnowPro Specialty: SnowparkSnowflake · specialist
55/100Moderate$225 examstrong signal after foundationSnowPro Specialty: Snowpark maps to Software Developer as a strong role signal after foundational programming and version-control practice, based on its cited track token:developer signal.Official source

Secure coding and exploit development

4 mapped

Application-security and offensive-development credentials; useful later, not a general first step.

CredentialDifficultyCostRelationshipWhy it appears here
GitHub Advanced SecurityMicrosoft · intermediate
40/100ModerateCost not verifiedstrong signal after foundationGitHub Advanced Security maps to Software Developer as a strong role signal after foundational programming and version-control practice, based on its cited name keyword:github signal.Official source
Certified Application Security Engineer (CASE JAVA)EC-Council · intermediate
55/100ModerateCost not verifiedspecializedCertified Application Security Engineer (CASE JAVA) maps to Software Developer as a specialized credential based on its cited name keyword:application security signal, not as a general entry starting point.Official source
Certified Application Security Engineer (CASE.NET)EC-Council · intermediate
55/100ModerateCost not verifiedspecializedCertified Application Security Engineer (CASE.NET) maps to Software Developer as a specialized credential based on its cited name keyword:application security signal, not as a general entry starting point.Official source
OffSec Exploit Developer (OSED)OffSec · professional
75/100HardCost not verifiedadvanced adjacentOffSec Exploit Developer (OSED) maps to Software Developer as an advanced credential for progressing toward/within this role, not an entry signal.Official source

Language and application development

4 mapped

Language, microservices, and application-development credentials that sit closest to building software.

CredentialDifficultyCostRelationshipWhy it appears here
Red Hat Certified Enterprise Microservices DeveloperRed Hat · specialist
40/100Moderate$500 examstrong signal after foundationRed Hat Certified Enterprise Microservices Developer maps to Software Developer as a strong role signal after foundational programming and version-control practice, based on its cited name keyword:developer signal.Official source
GIAC Python Coder (GPYC)GIAC (SANS) · specialist
40/100ModerateCost not verifiedstrong signal after foundationGIAC Python Coder (GPYC) maps to Software Developer as a strong role signal after foundational programming and version-control practice, based on its cited track token:developer signal.Official source
Oracle Certified Professional: Java SE 17 DeveloperOracle · professional
60/100HardCost not verifiedadvanced adjacentOracle Certified Professional: Java SE 17 Developer maps to Software Developer as an advanced credential for progressing toward/within this role, not an entry signal.Official source
Oracle Certified Professional: Java SE 21 DeveloperOracle · professional
60/100HardCost not verifiedadvanced adjacentOracle Certified Professional: Java SE 21 Developer maps to Software Developer as an advanced credential for progressing toward/within this role, not an entry signal.Official source

Difficulty is the RoleMath Difficulty Score, not a pass rate. Certification mappings are planning context, not employer requirements, job guarantees, salary claims, or ROI claims.

Answer blocks

Common Questions

What certifications do I need to become a Software Developer?

Certifications commonly mapped to a Software Developer role, ordered from the lowest-difficulty starting point: GitHub Foundations; Certified Backstage Associate (CBA); Cisco Certified DevNet Associate; Cisco Certified DevNet Specialist - Collaboration Automation and Programmability — with advanced credentials such as Certified Application Security Engineer (CASE JAVA), Certified Application Security Engineer (CASE.NET) as later steps.

Entry options, lowest difficulty first: GitHub Foundations (Microsoft; Difficulty Score 20/100, Foundational; exam fee pending vendor verification); Certified Backstage Associate (CBA) (Linux Foundation; Difficulty Score 20/100, Foundational; exam fee pending vendor verification); Cisco Certified DevNet Associate (Cisco; Difficulty Score 40/100, Moderate; exam ~$300); Cisco Certified DevNet Specialist - Collaboration Automation and Programmability (Cisco; Difficulty Score 40/100, Moderate; exam ~$300); Cisco Certified DevNet Specialist - Data Center Automation and Programmability (Cisco; Difficulty Score 40/100, Moderate; exam ~$300). Advanced or later-step credentials: Certified Application Security Engineer (CASE JAVA) (EC-Council; Difficulty Score 55/100, Moderate; exam fee pending vendor verification); Certified Application Security Engineer (CASE.NET) (EC-Council; Difficulty Score 55/100, Moderate; exam fee pending vendor verification); Cisco Certified DevNet Professional (Cisco; Difficulty Score 60/100, Hard; exam ~$400).

Citations: Source rows are visible in the page citation ledger; certification source URLs are linked in the decision table.

Use the RoleMath planner to adapt this sequence to your background, budget, and timeline. RoleMath sells nothing.

What is the easiest certification to start a Software Developer career?

The lowest-difficulty cited certification for starting a Software Developer path is GitHub Foundations (RoleMath Difficulty Score 20/100, Foundational, exam fee pending vendor verification). It is a starting signal, not a guarantee of a role.

Entry options, lowest difficulty first: GitHub Foundations (Microsoft; Difficulty Score 20/100, Foundational; exam fee pending vendor verification); Certified Backstage Associate (CBA) (Linux Foundation; Difficulty Score 20/100, Foundational; exam fee pending vendor verification); Cisco Certified DevNet Associate (Cisco; Difficulty Score 40/100, Moderate; exam ~$300).

Citations: Source rows are visible in the page citation ledger; certification source URLs are linked in the decision table.

Use the RoleMath planner to adapt this sequence to your background, budget, and timeline. RoleMath sells nothing.

How much do Software Developer certifications cost and how hard are they?

Cited Software Developer certification exam fees range roughly $150–$400, spanning from Foundational entry options to Hard credentials on the RoleMath Difficulty Score. Pay and outlook are reported at the occupation level on the Software Developer page, never per certification.

Entry options, lowest difficulty first: GitHub Foundations (Microsoft; Difficulty Score 20/100, Foundational; exam fee pending vendor verification); Certified Backstage Associate (CBA) (Linux Foundation; Difficulty Score 20/100, Foundational; exam fee pending vendor verification); Cisco Certified DevNet Associate (Cisco; Difficulty Score 40/100, Moderate; exam ~$300); Cisco Certified DevNet Specialist - Collaboration Automation and Programmability (Cisco; Difficulty Score 40/100, Moderate; exam ~$300).

Citations: Source rows are visible in the page citation ledger; certification source URLs are linked in the decision table.

Use the RoleMath planner to adapt this sequence to your background, budget, and timeline. RoleMath sells nothing.

Software Developer

Quick Verdict

Software Developer maps to the BLS occupation Software Developers (SOC 15-1252), which has a national median of $135,980. Pay is occupation-level and location-driven - not caused by the job title or a certification. Below are the full cited labor-market context, the skills the role draws on, and the certification paths that map to it. This role has a high-confidence mapping to the listed O*NET-SOC/BLS occupation.

Fit Signals

  • Investigative (6.05)
  • Conventional (5.62)
  • Realistic (3.61)

Skills & Tools

*Tools and technologies ONET associates with this occupation* - role-specific examples with ONET hot/in-demand flags, not employer requirements:

  • Amazon Web Services AWS software (hot technology, in demand)
  • Apache Kafka (hot technology, in demand)
  • Atlassian JIRA (hot technology, in demand)
  • C (hot technology, in demand)
  • C# (hot technology, in demand)
  • C++ (hot technology, in demand)
  • Cascading style sheets CSS (hot technology, in demand)
  • Docker (hot technology, in demand)

*Foundational ONET skills** (broadly shared across occupations, not unique to this role): Critical Thinking, Active Learning, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Writing, Speaking.

AI & this career

What we can — and can’t — tell you about AI and this role

Cited context only: an occupation-level outlook, descriptive usage data, an employer-language sample, and attributed research — kept separate. No RoleMath AI score, no automation timeline, no job-loss prediction. How we source this →

Occupation outlook · BLS

Where the occupation is projected to go

BLS projects Software developers at 15.8% employment change for 2024-2034, with 115.2 thousand annual openings. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

A forecast, not a guarantee; occupation-level, not about you - and BLS does not model rapid AI adoption, so this is never an AI prediction.

How AI shows up in the work

Descriptive usage, not demand or loss

For this shared SOC, the May 2026 usage sample reports 39.21% augmentation-labeled and 60.79% automation-labeled Claude conversations. Anthropic Anthropic Economic Index dataset, CC-BY.

Across all occupations the same dataset splits 51.4% augmentation / 48.6% automation (May 2026) — shown so a single role’s number is never read as an outlier.

Descriptive Claude usage data, not employment demand, not job loss, and not a personal forecast; CC-BY attribution required.

Employer language · sample

What a posting sample mentions

a sample of 96 postings (as of 2026-06-12) mentions these AI-related terms RoleMath public ATS employer-language pilot

Employer-language sample only; not official demand, market-size, salary, or certification ROI evidence.

Published research · attributed

What independent research says (not RoleMath’s claim)

  • Eloundou et al. estimate that about 80% of U.S. workers have at least 10% of their work tasks exposed to large language model capabilities (Science 2024). American Association for the Advancement of Science exposure = task overlap, not job loss.
  • Eloundou et al. estimate that about 19% of U.S. workers have at least 50% of their work tasks exposed to large language model capabilities (Science 2024). American Association for the Advancement of Science exposure = task overlap, not job loss.
  • Eloundou et al. explicitly disclaim any forecast of AI adoption or timing, describing their measure as capability overlap with tasks rather than a prediction of job loss (Science 2024). American Association for the Advancement of Science exposure = task overlap, not job loss.
  • OECD reports that high-skill occupations are the most exposed to AI on task-overlap measures (OECD Employment Outlook 2023). Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development exposure = task overlap, not job loss.
  • OECD reports that, as of 2023, there is little empirical evidence of negative employment effects from AI (OECD Employment Outlook 2023). Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development exposure = task overlap, not job loss.
  • OECD and the AIOE research find that AI exposure and automation risk often run in opposite directions, with the most-exposed high-skill occupations tending to be the least at risk of automation. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development exposure = task overlap, not job loss.
  • Felten, Raj and Seamans construct an occupation-level AI Occupational Exposure index by linking AI capabilities to O*NET occupational abilities (Strategic Management Journal). Strategic Management Journal (Wiley) exposure = task overlap, not job loss.
  • Stanford Digital Economy Lab researchers find a roughly 16% relative decline in employment for workers ages 22-25 in the most AI-exposed occupations, based on high-frequency ADP payroll data (Canaries in the Coal Mine, working paper). Stanford Digital Economy Lab correlational usage data, not proof.
  • The ILO notes that AI-exposure indicators measure potential task overlap and cannot by themselves establish job loss (Workers' exposure to AI). International Labour Organization exposure = task overlap, not job loss.
  • The Anthropic Economic Index reports no measured systematic rise in unemployment attributable to AI in its usage data. Anthropic correlational usage data, not proof.

Tier A research stays attributed and separate from BLS outlook and employer-language samples.

Every page here connects to the same cited data spine — these are the closest surfaces to what you just read.

Roles & paths this connects to

role comparisonFull-Stack Developer vs Software Developer — an honest comparisonrole comparisonQA Test Engineer vs Software Developer — an honest comparisonrole role cost and timeWhat it costs and how long to become a Software Developer

Zoom out

has salary pageSoftware Developer Salaryrole needs skillSoftware development — a core tech skillrole needs skillSystems analysis — a core tech skill

Every figure on this page, sourced

The claims above trace to these records — the source, and when it was last checked. If a figure has no row here, we did not publish it.

IDSupportsSourceChecked
SCHEMA-CIT-1Schema citationSoftware Developer BLS OEWS wage sourceLogged in source packet
SCHEMA-CIT-2Schema citationSoftware Developer BLS Employment Projections sourceLogged in source packet
SCHEMA-CIT-3Schema citationSoftware Developer O*NET sourceLogged in source packet

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