Software developers
SOC Code: 15-1252
Software developers carries a 45% AI exposure score (High automation risk), with a median annual wage of $133,080 and +15.8% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 1,693,800 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 45% AI exposure, Software developers sits 8 points above the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 81% of them. Most of its core tasks still require human judgment.
Career outlook score
73/100
Software developers, weighted across 3 of 3 tracked dimensions
A weighted composite of median wage, projected growth, and AI-automation security (inverted exposure), each benchmarked against every other tracked occupation. It describes this occupation's standing across those three dimensions, not a guarantee of future outcomes.
- Median wage A+ $133,080
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth A+ +15.8%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) F 45% exposure
Lower O*NET task-automability scores lower risk; this dimension scores security, not exposure
Home health and personal care aides is #1 of 832 occupations by employment (4.3M, AI exposure rank #392 at 35%) vs. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks #1 by AI task exposure (95%, employment rank #17 at 1.6M).
Automation-risk inventory
Exclusive cut of 832 occupations by PlainWorkforce automation-risk band. Orthogonal to the continuous AI-exposure distribution chart below and to this occupation's single risk badge, this is the corpus band mix, with Software developers in the High band.
Credential × growth standing
Bachelor's bar with above-average BLS growth
Software developers sits in the Bachelor's entry band (178 of 832 occupations) and the Much faster pace bucket (31 of 832). That pairing is rarer than the HS / some-college + declining cluster that dominates the BLS map - treat the degree bar as the binding gate while the growth line stays supportive.
Where Software developers sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Software developers sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
45% Higher than most higher than 81% of 832 occupations
Occupations, banded by AI-exposure score
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor) · BLS 2024–2034
Source: O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor); AI-exposure scores are PlainWorkforce's analysis. As of BLS 2024–2034.
Software developers vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Software developers is marked in rose; the top-left corner is the most future-proof.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 (growth) and O*NET (AI-exposure analysis by PlainWorkforce).
Employment Projections
Where This Score Comes From
Software developers's High automation-risk tier is computed from O*NET Database 30.0 task-level analysis, where each documented task the occupation performs is evaluated against current generative AI, robotic process automation, and machine-learning capabilities. A score in the 40–70% range indicates meaningful automation pressure on specific task categories, but the role as a whole still requires human judgment for coordination, exception handling, or client interaction.
The employment, wage, and education figures above come from a second, separate federal source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034, matched to the O*NET task data by Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 15-1252) code, with the wage figure cross-validated against the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 survey. BLS figures are presented exactly as published, with no adjustment on our part; the SOC-code match is what lets Software developers be compared directly against every other tracked occupation on the same basis, not just roles that happen to share a job title.
For career planners, this profile should be read alongside the task, skill, and knowledge breakdowns below and the list of employers whose workforce composition includes Software developers. Public companies with meaningful exposure to this occupation, such as Factset Research Systems Inc and Alphabet Inc., inherit a share of the same automation risk through their industry classification. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Monitor functioning of equipment to ensure system operates in conformance with specifications.
- 2. Analyze user needs and software requirements to determine feasibility of design within time and cost constraints.
- 3. Develop or direct software system testing or validation procedures, programming, or documentation.
- 4. Confer with systems analysts, engineers, programmers and others to design systems and to obtain information on project limitations and capabilities, performance requirements and interfaces.
- 5. Coordinate installation of software system.
- 6. Modify existing software to correct errors, adapt it to new hardware, or upgrade interfaces and improve performance.
- 7. Prepare reports or correspondence concerning project specifications, activities, or status.
- 8. Analyze information to determine, recommend, and plan installation of a new system or modification of an existing system.
- 9. Store, retrieve, and manipulate data for analysis of system capabilities and requirements.
- 10. Design, develop and modify software systems, using scientific analysis and mathematical models to predict and measure outcomes and consequences of design.
Key Skills Required
- Programming
- Critical Thinking
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Learning
- Systems Analysis
- Active Listening
- Complex Problem Solving
- Technology Design
- Systems Evaluation
Knowledge Areas
- Computers and Electronics
- Mathematics
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Education and Training
- Engineering and Technology
- Design
- Telecommunications
- Public Safety and Security
- Production and Processing
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Software developers?
Software developers has an AI exposure score of 45%, indicating a high level of automation risk. Some tasks in this role can be augmented or partially automated by AI, but core responsibilities require human judgment.
What is the job outlook for Software developers?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Software developers is projected to grow by 15.8% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 1,693,800 workers.
What skills are needed for Software developers?
Key skills for Software developers include Programming, Critical Thinking, Judgment and Decision Making, and others. Typical entry-level education is Bachelor's degree.
How much do Software developers earn?
The median annual wage for Software developers is $133,080, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024). Actual earnings vary by location, experience, industry, and employer. The BLS publishes detailed wage percentiles by region in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
What education is required for Software developers?
The typical entry-level education for Software developers is Bachelor's degree. Employers generally expect None of related work experience. On-the-job training typically involves None. Requirements can vary by employer and specialization.
Which companies employ Software developers?
Public companies with significant Software developers workforce shares include Factset Research Systems Inc, Alphabet Inc., Microsoft Corp, among others. These employers are mapped by industry classification (SIC/NAICS) to BLS occupation-industry employment distributions. See the full employer rankings for AI displacement risk grades.
Employers with High AI Exposure in This Occupation Group
Public companies whose industry occupation mix includes a significant share of Software developers roles.
| Company | AI Grade | Risk Score |
|---|---|---|
| Factset Research Systems Inc | C | 46.8% |
| Alphabet Inc. | C | 46.8% |
| Microsoft Corp | C | 46.8% |
| Meta Platforms, Inc. | C | 46.8% |
| Oracle Corp | C | 46.8% |
| Palantir Technologies Inc. | C | 46.8% |
| Sap SE | C | 46.8% |
| Salesforce, Inc. | C | 46.8% |
AI Exposure Rating
High automation risk based on 10 analyzed tasks. A moderate share of tasks may be augmented by AI tools.
Nationwide occupations with similar workforce profiles
Two data-derived peer sets for Software developers: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (45% here).
- Aerospace engineers · AI exposure 45%
- Airfield operations specialists · AI exposure 45%
- Couriers and messengers · AI exposure 45%
- First-line supervisors of gambling services workers · AI exposure 45%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (+15.8% here).
- Industrial machinery mechanics · growth +16.1%
- Epidemiologists · growth +16.2%
- Massage therapists · growth +15.4%
- Computer and information systems managers · growth +15.2%
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on published BLS + O*NET metrics among occupations with ≥10,000 workers in 2024; corpus ranks above sort the full tracked set.
Related Occupations
Showing 6 of 10 occupations with a comparable automation-risk profile.
What to do with this
Use Software developers' numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Software developers side by side against another occupation on wage, growth, and AI exposure. Workforce comparison tool
- Understand how the AI exposure score above is actually calculated before treating it as a verdict. Reading AI exposure scores
- See the full ranked list of occupations with the lowest automation exposure nationwide. Safest occupations from AI
AI exposure scores estimate task automatability from O*NET data; they are not a certainty of job loss, and BLS growth projections are estimates, not guarantees.
Data sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET Database 30.0. Employment figures are rounded. Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (OES).