Why Software Engineers Earn So Much?: A software engineer makes use of his engineering skills to solve problems in the area of technology
INTRODUCTION
Different technological inventions widely dominate the 21st century. Technology is vast with a lot of advancement compared to the previous past centuries. The way everything is now, it can be evidently stated that this world cannot survive without technology. Although I will not subscribe to this assertion because our ancient people actually survived, the question is: is it as easy as we have it now in our contemporary century? Technology has made the world so easy to live in. Imagine you being in the United States of America today, and by tomorrow you urgently travel to the United Kingdom for an important meeting. Or probably you reached out to someone via a telephone call to relate urgent information. Although technological advancement and revolution are going on in the world as a negative impact on our society, I can tell you that if effectively utilized, we will have more of its benefit than its disadvantages.
A collective effort of technological professionals often invents every technological tool or device. That is to say. No invention can be done by just a single person, although he/she might be the brain behind it but must still work with other professionals. Every technological device must always have software and hardware component. The software component of a device is just like the brain behind all the device’s activities. The hardware component is the physical component that carries out the command of the software component. They are the input and output devices of a technological component. Although both the hardware and software components are highly essential for a system’s proper functioning, the software of a technological system is inevitable. They are the programming language in which the device basically uses to function. A software engineer often develops the software component of a system. So it evident now that the role of software engineers in technological advancement is inevitable.
Software engineering is an aspect of computer science and technology that involves developing and building computer and technological systems software (various software needed for functioning and activities). Therefore, a software engineer is a professional individual specializing in building and designing software for a different technological device for proper productivity. Software engineers have extensive knowledge of programming languages, software development, and computer operating systems, and they apply engineering principles to software creation. Software engineers are highly paid because they are valuable and inevitable in the world of technological advancement.
Systems software is composed of programs that include system functioning and operations systems. Applications software consists of user-focused programs that include web browsers, database programs. There is a lot of capital investment in the field of software engineering. Definitely, the software engineers will be of the greatest benefit both financially and in terms of value and worth. The demand for skilled and qualified software engineers seems is quite significant and unending. This demand results from an increase in the number population, landscape, technological advancement and solutions, and an increase in economic capacity for financial freedom. With billions of physical devices connected to the Internet and that is collecting and sharing data, all industries are quickly becoming technology-driven industries.
Why Software Engineers Earn or Make So Much?
It is fascinating to be so inquisitive about why this set of special professional individuals are highly paid. Although from my previous paragraph, it is obvious they are inevitable, but there is still a need to know more about why they deserve to be highly paid. A software engineer is highly paid because of the following reason.
- Software engineer qualifications and requirements
- Software engineer roles and function
- Software engineers’ scarcity compares to their demand.
In the subsequent paragraph, I will expressly discuss the point listed above.
SOFTWARE ENGINEER QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS
To be a software engineer is not a baby’s dream as it requires a lot of effort, passion, diligence, and commitment to meet up the requirement. No wonder, after meeting up the requirements, a software engineer becomes a gold himself/herself. Some of the requirements include:
- As a basic, a software engineer must have a degree in computer science and engineering or any related technological course. Although having this qualification is not enough, but it is always the starting point.
- A Software engineer must be vast in programming languages. He/she must learn and develop himself/herself in programming languages like Java and python.
- He/she must be creative and ready to learn new things every day.
- He/she must be smart and possess the ability to develop new ideas and innovation.
- A software engineer must be able to develop software at any time to solve technological problems.
- He/she must be current and always update with new information and idea.
- A software engineer must be able to think radically and comprehensively. His/her calculative and arithmetic skills must be solid.
- He/She must have a good interpersonal relationship. That is the ability to relate with clients and other team members they are working together.
- He/She must have a good team spirit. That is the ability to join hands with others to achieve a common goal. This is very important because software engineers need to work with other professionals like the hardware engineer to build up a whole system of technology. In this respect, the success of an invention can only be achieved through teamwork.
- He/she must always work with accuracy when working on any software project. Precision is also needed. Accuracy is highly required because of the sensitivity of any software. Any error made can spoil the whole system of technology. It can cause a waste of time and resources. It can also cause discouragement and frustration.
- He/she must always be ready to meet his/her client’s demands all the time. That is, he must be dynamic and rational in the way he/she thinks.
- He/she Must be an expert at working under pressure while giving attention to the relevant subject matter.
- He/she must be able to work with limited resources available for better productivity.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF A SOFTWARE ENGINEER
Considering the duties and responsibilities of a software engineer, everybody will agree that they really deserve to be paid well. The technicality and uniqueness of their duties are quite evident. A software engineer performs the following duties and responsibilities.
- A software engineer makes use of his engineering skills to solve problems in the area of technology. That is, software engineer serves as a way of applying engineering skills in technology.
- A software engineer helps improve the quality and functionality by detecting and identifying issues and providing common patterns and solutions, thereby developing standard operating procedures.
- He/she improves software applications’ functioning by regular improvement and upgrade to fit the current demand. For example, a software application for Microsoft word in the 1990s can not meet the demand of 2021.
- System design. A software engineer helps to design all forms of software needed for system application. A software engineer is always creative in his/her design. He/she makes the software application so that it will fit the function his/her client needs it.
- Implementation. A software engineer helps to implement code into the overall product system and infrastructure. After implementing the code, it the function of other professionals like hardware developers to work with the software code to make a whole system of technology.
- A software engineer also works with other professionals in technology to implement technical designs that will meet the market and consumer demand, thereby solving technological problems in society.
THE SCARCITY OF SOFTWARE ENGINEERS
About their demands, Software engineers are relatively scarce, especially in the United States of America. Every year, approximately 12,000 people are inaugurated into software professions, but they couldn’t meet the demands of this world of technology because of her relative increase rate. Many technology companies and firms are seriously looking for software engineers. About two to three companies may have to compete for just one software engineer most of the time. As the case may be, he/she will have to go for a more lucrative and juicy offer in which those companies will use as bait for him. A software engineer will have to charge more on a contract basis when he believes that he/she has more clients who really need his/her service at all cost. The forces of demand and supply are quite applicable in this.
CAN SOFTWARE ENGINEERS SALARY REDUCE WITH TIME?
This is an important question in which most of my readers will want to ask. So the answer is it is quite possible. It can only be possible if the supply is now relatively greater than the demand. The meaning of these economic terms is that if more people in the population tend to become software engineers to the extent that they are even more than the demand in technological advancement, then technically, their salary will decrease. We can call that devaluation of labor.
Also read Data Scientist: Why Digitalisation is Part of My DNA and Not Just a Career Option
