Software engineers and designers
High opportunity occupation
Career Overview
Software engineers and designers research, design, test and maintain software applications, technical environments, operating systems, embedded software, information warehouses and telecommunications software.
Job Titles
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.
Work Environment
# Workers Employed
17,565% Employed Full Time
77%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.
Related Careers
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:
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:
- Graduated from an accredited computer science or information systems program, or
- Passed the ISP examination offered by the Institute for Certification of Computing Professionals (ICCP)
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.
Top 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!
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Being able to solve novel, ill-defined problems in complex, real-world settings.
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations and the environment will affect outcomes.
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.
Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, while meeting the goals of the system.
Writing computer programs for various purposes.
Understanding how new information could be used to solve current and future problems in making decisions.
Talking to others to share information effectively.
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
17,565Employment by Region
| Region | Employment | % Employment of this Occupation |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | 55 | 0.3% |
| Kootenay | 90 | 0.5% |
| Mainland/Southwest | 15,385 | 87.6% |
| North Coast and Nechako | 20 | 0.1% |
| Northeast | 0 | 0.0% |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 535 | 3.0% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 1,475 | 8.4% |
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 (2024-2034)
11,670Forecasted Job Openings
Forecasted Employment Growth Rate
Composition of Job Openings
Job Openings by Region (2024-2034)
| Region | Job Openings | Avg. Annual Employment Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | 20 | 1.6% |
| Kootenay | 70 | 1.5% |
| Mainland/Southwest | 10,230 | 3.0% |
| North Coast and Nechako | Not available | Not available |
| Northeast | Not available | Not available |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 460 | 2.8% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 890 | 2.4% |
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
| Industry | Job Openings (2024-2034) |
|---|---|
| Professional, Scientific and Technical Services | 9,130 |
| Information, Culture and Recreation | 760 |
| Retail Trade | 680 |
| Wholesale Trade | 410 |
| Manufacturing | 180 |
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
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Association of Computing Machinery (ACM)www.acm.org
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Association of Consulting Engineering Companies of British Columbia (ACEC-BC)www.acec-bc.ca
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Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of BC (APEGBC) – Careerswww.apeg.bc.ca/careers
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Canadian Information Processing Society (CIPS) of British Columbiabc.cips.ca
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Canadian Technology Immigration Network (CTIN)www.ctin.ca
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Engineering Institute of Canada (EIC)www.eic-ici.ca
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Engineers & Geoscientists BCwww.egbc.ca
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Engineers Canadawww.engineerscanada.ca
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IEEE Computer Societywww.computer.org
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Information and Communications Technology Councilwww.ictc-ctic.ca
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Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Canadawww.ieee.ca
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Iranian Engineers of British Columbia Association (IEBCA)www.iebca.ca/
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Society of Punjabi Engineers and Technologists of British Columbia (SPEATBC)www.speatbc.org
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Technology Registrations Canada (TRC)www.technologyregistrationscanada.ca
Career Videos
Watch the video below to see what a day in the life of a software engineer is like.
Watch the video below to see what a day in the life of a software engineer is like.
