2173-NOC

Software engineers and designers

(NOC 2173)
High opportunity occupation High opportunity occupation
Annual Earnings
$110,287
Typical Education Background
Degree
Job Openings
(2022-2032)
9,980

Career Overview

Software engineers and designers research, design, test and maintain software applications, technical environments, operating systems, embedded software, information warehouses and telecommunications software.

Duties

Software engineers and designers perform some or all of the following:

  • Explore how, where and why the software will be used to meet the needs of the end user
  • Research, review and use data and technical information to design, develop and test software systems
  • Test the software design to make sure it’s useful and will work
  • Develop and manage database systems
  • Put forward ideas that improve the software and put those improvements in place
  • Plan, design and co-ordinate software development, installation, integration and operation of computer-based systems
  • Troubleshoot, test and develop ways to maintain operating systems and other software
  • May lead or co-ordinate teams to develop software

Earnings

Earnings is income that workers receive in exchange for their labour. Depending on the type of employment, earnings can be in the form of wages (hourly), salaries (fixed monthly or annual) or self-employed earnings.

Annual Earnings

$110,287

Provincial Hourly Rate

High$75.00/hr
Median$52.88/hr
Low$32.00/hr
Source: B.C. Labour Market Information Office, derived from 2022 Job Bank Wage data

Work Environment

# Workers Employed

9,100

% Employed Full Time

68%
Source: 2016 Census

Software engineers and designers may work in a variety of settings. Some may work in an office or studio (for game design), others may work from home or split their time between a home and company office. Project management and video conferencing technologies allow people to work remotely at least some of the time, if their company agrees to it.

Depending on the work they do, software engineers and designers generally work a regular 40-hour week. Sometimes, people in this job may need to work overtime to meet deadlines. Those with this career could have flexible work schedules. They may work some nights or weekends on a regular basis and some might prefer this schedule as it allows them to manage other parts of their life, such as childcare, in a way that benefits them.

Software engineers and designers work for both the private and public sector. This includes information technology (IT) consulting firms, IT research and development organizations and video game companies. They also work in the aviation, transportation and healthcare industries to name a few. Some with this job may be self-employed and work as a contractor or consultant to larger companies.

People in this job spend a lot of time sitting at a desk and working on a computer. This can cause wrist, back or neck strain. To help stop this from happening, it’s important to make sure that workstations are set up properly.

Career Pathways

As software engineers and designers gain experience, take more training or earn a degree, they can move into higher-level positions, such as chief software architect.

With business and management experience, software engineers and designers may become managers of large software groups or hold other senior positions in the company. Some choose to open their own consulting firms.

Occupational Interests

It’s important to understand what kinds of occupations align with your interests.

For more about occupational interests visit Skills for the Future Workforce > Characteristics.

Here are the top occupational interest(s) for this career profile:

Investigative
Investigative

Job Titles

Architect, application / software
Architect, systems / technical
Designer, AI (artificial intelligence)
Engineer, computer applications
Engineer, system integration
Engineer, telecommunications
Engineer, verification / testing

Education, Training and Skills

Usually, software engineers and designers must complete a bachelor's degree in software engineering, computer engineering, computer science or a related subject. Working in a co-op work program through a post-secondary institution can help those with job opportunities.

For some in this job, it could be beneficial to have the Information Systems Professional (ISP) designation, which is issued by the Canada’s Association of Information Technology (IT) Professionals (CIPS). To receive this, a person must have:

Licensing by a provincial or territorial association of professional engineers is required to practise as a Professional Engineer (P.Eng.). To obtain a Professional Engineer licence, candidates must have the equivalent to graduation from an accredited program in engineering, a period of work experience that demonstrates the required competencies to practise engineering and pass a professional practice examination on the professional obligations, law and ethics of engineering practice in Canada. In British Columbia, this is done through Engineers and Geoscientists B.C. (EGBC).

Other qualifications that can be helpful in finding a job as a software engineer and designer include:

  • Membership in a professional association – this may be required by some employers, particularly jobs that involve public safety or supervisory work
  • A master's or doctoral degree in a related subject
  • Knowledge of the most up-to-date technology in their area of focus

Throughout their careers, software engineers and designers are expected to continue training. If they are licensed through EGBC, they may need to do this so they can keep their licence current. EGBC offers courses, self-directed studies, seminars and other professional development opportunities for its members.

Software engineers and designers should know how to communicate well because they often lead or work in teams and can be asked to explain complicated software designs to clients. Critical thinking and problem solving are also skills that are an advantage.

Education programs in B.C.

The following program areas are related to this occupation:

  • Math/Statistics Related (Arts)
  • Math/Statistics (Science)
  • Web Technologies
EducationPlannerBC Logo
Find out more information about programs offered specifically for this career.

Skills

Every job calls for a certain set of skills. Knowing those skills is the first step in finding a good career fit.

Here, you will find the 10 most relevant workplace skills. Some are more important to achieving success in a certain career than others. These skills may come naturally to you or you may need to gain them through education, training and experience.

See the list of work-related skills below, ranked in order of importance for this career. Check out the list and see if this career matches your skills—take that first step!

Critical Thinking

Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

66%
Reading Comprehension

Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.

63%
Active Listening

Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

61%
Complex Problem Solving

Being able to solve novel, ill-defined problems in complex, real-world settings.

61%
Judgment and Decision-Making

Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

61%
Systems Analysis

Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations and the environment will affect outcomes.

58%
Speaking

Talking to others to share information effectively.

56%
Systems Evaluation

Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, while meeting the goals of the system.

55%
Programming

Writing computer programs for various purposes.

55%
Operations Analysis

Analyzing operational and product needs to create a design.

53%

Labour Market Statistics

Discover data, facts and information that have been gathered and analyzed. Learn about the characteristics of the economy and labour market in B.C.

Employment

Find out about employment types and trends by region and industry.

Employment

9,100
Source: 2016 Census

Employment by Region

Map of BC Map of Cariboo region Map of Kootenay region Map of Mainland/Southwest region Map of North Coast and Nechako region Map of Northeast region Map of Thompson-Okanagan region Map of Vancouver Island/Coast region
Cariboo
Kootenay
Mainland/Southwest
North Coast and Nechako
Northeast
Thompson-Okanagan
Vancouver Island/Coast
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Region Employment (2022) % Employment of this Occupation
Cariboo 50 0.3%
Kootenay 130 0.8%
Mainland/Southwest 13,950 87.9%
North Coast and Nechako N/A 0.1%
Northeast N/A 0.0%
Thompson-Okanagan 450 2.7%
Vancouver Island/Coast 1,020 8.3%
Source: 2016 Census and B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Labour Market Outlook

The B.C. Labour Market Outlook is a 10-year forecast of the expected supply and demand for labour in the province. It’s usually updated every year. The purpose is to provide British Columbians with the knowledge to make informed decisions on careers, skills training, education and hiring.

Forecasted Job Openings (2022-2032)

9,980
Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Forecasted Job Openings

Forecasted Employment Growth Rate

Composition of Job Openings

Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Job Openings by Region (2022-2032)

Map of BC Map of Cariboo region Map of Kootenay region Map of Mainland/Southwest region Map of North Coast and Nechako region Map of Northeast region Map of Thompson-Okanagan region Map of Vancouver Island/Coast region
Cariboo
Kootenay
Mainland/Southwest
North Coast and Nechako
Northeast
Thompson-Okanagan
Vancouver Island/Coast
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Region Job Openings Avg. Annual Employment Growth
Cariboo 0 1.8%
Kootenay 50 2.1%
Mainland/Southwest 8,790 3.3%
North Coast and Nechako N/A N/A
Northeast N/A N/A
Thompson-Okanagan 330 4.4%
Vancouver Island/Coast 790 3.9%
N/A: Data is not available for this region.
Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Industry Highlights

Learn about the opportunities in B.C.'s major industries, including employment trends, earning potential, locations of work and more.

Forecasted Job Openings by Industry

IndustryJob Openings (2022-2032)
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services148,000
Information, Culture and Recreation57,300
Manufacturing49,200
Wholesale Trade33,100
Retail Trade115,500
For additional industry information, visit the Industry Profiles page.
Source: 2016 Census and B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Insights from Industry

Software engineers often work for companies that are involved in the development of safety critical software and systems. These are systems such as aircraft, cars and medical devices – which means if they fail, someone could die. People who work in this job must be detail oriented, responsible and have a commitment to making sure that each part of their job is done well.

Those in this career need to continue to update their skills regularly since improvements and changes in technology often affect their work. More and more, employers want their software engineers and designers to have graduated from a CEAB-accredited program and be licensed with Engineers and Geoscientists B.C. (EGBC).

The health-care sector increasingly needs software engineers to design, develop, evaluate and maintain safe and secure eHealth information systems.

Resources