Software developers invent the technologies we sometimes take for granted. For instance, that app that rings, sings or buzzes you out of a deep sleep every morning? A software developer helped design that. And when you roll into the office and turn on your computer, clicking and scrolling through social media, music and your personal calendar – developers had a big hand in shaping those, too.

You might spend your lunch break shopping, and before you make that big purchase, you check your bank account balance using your phone. Later, you cook a new recipe from that great app your friend told you about. As you look over the course of your day, you come to see that software developers are the masterminds behind the technologies you can’t imagine living without.

The best developers are creative and have the technical expertise to carry out innovative ideas. You might expect software developers to sit at their desks designing programs all day – and they do, but their job involves many more responsibilities. They may spend their days working on a client project from scratch and writing new code. But they may also be tasked with maintaining or improving the code for programs that are already up and running.

Software developers also check for bugs in software. And although the job does involve extreme concentration and chunks of uninterrupted time, developers have to collaborate with others, including fellow developers, managers or clients. Developers are often natural problem solvers who possess strong analytical skills and the ability to think outside the box.

Software developers are employed in a range of industries, including computer systems design, manufacturing and finance. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 25.7% employment growth for software developers between 2022 and 2032. In that period, an estimated 410,400 jobs should open up.

While several different paths can lead to a career in software development, here’s how many developers get started:

1. Earn a bachelor’s degree. Software developers often pursue a degree in computer science, where they study computers and programming.
2. Gain hands-on experience. Employers are typically drawn to applicants with practical experience. Many students complete an internship or seek out experience beyond the classroom to prepare themselves for a career in software development. Even if you don’t enroll in a formal internship program, familiarizing yourself with coding and learning programming languages like Python and SQL can show potential employers that you’re equipped to do the job.
3. Pursue a master’s degree. Though not required, some employers prefer developers with an advanced degree.

"It’s super important to understand CS fundamentals like big O notation, common algorithms, standard languages and technical approaches. You can learn this from school or from apprenticeship, but you need to learn it somehow," Sam Schillace writes in an email. Schillace is a former vice president of engineering for industry solutions at Google. Before that, he co-founded Writely, which he later sold to Google, where it was used to create Google Docs.

So while a bachelor’s degree in computer science is a good idea, a degree alone won’t help you snag that dream job in software development. "We look at track records as much as school – someone from a great school with no outside coding projects or interesting technical accomplishments is definitely less interesting, and someone who is a rock star coder with no degree but a huge list of achievements would be an easy hire," Schillace explains.