Have you ever found yourself wondering just how many software engineers are there in the US? And if this is a solid career choice? Who are these software developers, and where are they based? 

If so, you’re not alone, as many people wonder the same thing. Our software engineer statistics have the answers to all of these questions - and more. 

Let’s dive right in.

Spectacular Software Development Statistics 

  • The US is home to more than 4.4 million software developers.
  • 88% of software engineers are male. 
  • There are 1,365,500 software developer jobs available.
  • Employment for software developers is expected to grow by 21%.
  • The employment rate amongst software developers is 87%.
  • The demand for blockchain engineers increases by 517% every year.
  • Samsung alone employs 40,506 operations software engineers.
  • In 2017, there were less than 50,000 Computer Science graduates and over 500,000 open positions.

Stats on How Many Software Engineers Are there in the US?

And what countries should the US be keeping its eye on to make sure its talent remains on their turf? 

Let’s find out.

1. The US has more than 4.4 million software developers.

It’s estimated that more than 4.4 million software developers call the US home. Software engineer statistics show that this makes the US home to the most software engineers. But not for long…

2. India will overtake the US’s number of software developers by 2023.

By the time 2023 is over, India will have the biggest concentration of software developers. Back in 2017, India had around 2.75 million. But by 2023, this number will skyrocket to 5.2 million. 

3. 837,000 devs are based in Germany.

Europe is home to a bunch of software developers, too! If you were wondering how many software engineers are there in Europe, here’s the data: more than 813,000 live and work in the UK, 467,454 are based in France, and 368,291 get their development done in Russia. 

4. China’s software developer industry is growing at 6% to 8%.

Other countries may be ahead, but no country's pool of software developer talent is growing as fast as China’s. 

How many developers are there in the world? Well, you’ll have to make it all the way to the end of this article to find out. We like keeping you on your toes like that.

US Software Engineering Demographics

Now that we know how many software engineers are in the US, it’s time to take a closer look at who these people are. 

5. 89% of software engineers are men.

When it comes to the number of male vs female software engineers, women sure do get the short end of the stick. In fact, women make up only 11% of the entire software engineering workforce. 

6. 41% of software engineers are white.

Software engineer race demographics are an interesting topic since many races are underrepresented. But still, we like the inclusivity and hope to see it continue. The bulk (41%) of engineers are white, 24% are South Asian, 12% are East Asian, 9% are “other,” 6% are Hispanic, 5% are black, and 3% are Arab.   

7. 71% of software developers are married.

Why is it surprising to discover that over two-thirds of software developers are married? Perhaps it has something to do with the media’s depiction of software developers being skinny, pale, greasy-haired computer nerds with a fear of sunlight and terrible social skills. 

Clearly, that’s not the case. 

8. The average age of software developers is 43.1 years.

You may think that software engineering is a young person’s game, but the average age is actually 43.1 years. The most common ages for people in this field are 30 and 34 years of age. 

US Software Developer Employment Statistics

Now that you know a little more about the US software engineering demographics, let’s take a look at the job outlook of these people by diving into these US software developer employment statistics. 

9. Employment for software developers is expected to grow by 21%.

According to software engineer labor statistics, the employment outlook for 2018 to 2028 is growing at a steady rate of 21% which is MUCH faster than average across a multitude of industries.

10. There are 1,365,500 software developer jobs.

In 2018, there were a whopping 1,365,500 software developer jobs available. And in the period from 2018 to 2028, this number is set to increase by 284,100.

11. 78% of software engineers change jobs for higher compensation.

The question of “How often do software engineers change jobs?” is tough to answer, as it varies from person to person. What we can tell you is WHY they would want to leave. Close to eight in ten would change jobs for higher compensation. Other reasons include growth opportunities, location and commute, company culture, as well as not enjoying the type of work they do.

12. The employment rate among software developers is 87%.

If you ever wonder whether or not a career in software development or engineering is a safe bet, consider the fact that the vast majority of all software developers are employed. 

But just where are they employed? 

US Software Engineers Hubs Statistics

What are the states with the highest number of programmers? What are the best cities for software engineers in US? Are certain areas better than others? 

So many questions, so little time! 

13. California is home to 628,414 programmers.

California is one of the best USA IT hubs. The states with the highest number of programmers are California, Texas (324,717), New York (218,041), and Virginia (204,699), also including remote programming jobs and positions.

Now that we know the states with the highest number of programmers, let’s discover the best cities for software engineers in US.

14. Seattle is the best city for software engineers.

Seattle, WA, is undoubtedly amongst the best cities for software engineers in US. With big tech companies like Microsoft, Salesforce, Adobe, and DocuSign driving the industry at a rate of 47.7%, it’s easy to see why. 

15. The San Jose tech industry is growing at 79.6%.

The number of tech jobs in San Jose has grown by 80% in the last decade, and the industry is currently growing at 79.6%, making it another one of the best cities for software engineers in US.  

16. Dallas is the 11th best-paying city for software engineers.

Dallas is one of the states with the highest density of programmers. But while many choose to settle there, it’s only the 11th best-paying city for software engineers.

Software Developer Shortage Statistics

As you may know, there is a shortage of software developers. How severe is this shortage? We’ll let these software developer shortage statistics and general developer talent facts answer this one. 

17. There are 5 jobs for every 1 software developer.

Jeez! It’s pretty clear that there is a massive supply and demand problem when it comes to software developers.  

And that’s not all:

18. The demand for blockchain engineers increases by 517% every year.

Year over year the demand for software engineers increases massively. The latest startup statistics indicated that the demand for software engineers in the blockchain field is particularly intense.

19. In 2017, there were less than 50,000 Computer Science graduates and over 500,000 open positions.

With less than 50,000 graduates and more than 500,00 positions that need filling, it’s clearly a seller’s market, not a buyer’s market. 

When we average things out: 

There are less than 30,000 Computer Science students who graduate each year. At that rate it will take 8 years to fill the open positions available today. 

20. It takes an average of 35 days to hire a software engineer.

Maybe one of the reasons we find ourselves in a software developer shortage is because it takes over a month to hire one.  

So, just what are the software engineers who form part of the workforce up to these days? 

Let’s take a look at the most popular software engineering fields that employ a large portion of qualified professionals. 

21. There are 20 million registered iOS developers.

Mobile application development sure does keep developers busy. On the App Store alone, there are 20 million software developers who cater to the 500 million app users who visit the Store weekly. 

22. Samsung alone employs 40,506 operations software engineers.

This is huge! In contrast, Google employs only 18,593 people spread across its research and development sectors.  

23. There are approximately 421,300 jobs for computer systems software engineers.

These jobs are spread out across various industries. Computer services provide the bulk of jobs (31%), the manufacturing industry offers 19%, the finance and insurance sector employs 6%, and the remainder is made up of software publishers and engineering services. 

24. There are 67,180 computer hardware engineers.

While this job may not be the most popular, there are currently 64,400 jobs available for computer hardware engineers.   

How Much Software Developers Make in the US

Have you been wondering how much software developers make in the US? Or if there’s a pay gap between male vs female software engineers? And if working in an office or from home has an impact on salary? 

Let’s find out. 

25. The median pay for software developers is $105,590 per year.

In 2018 the software engineer average salary was $105,590 per year or $50.77 per hour. Not bad at all, is it?

26. ...But not all states pay the same. Washington software developers earned $131,790 last year, while Wyoming devs earned $72,210.

The software engineer average salary in Washington was a whopping $131,790. In California, it was $127,950, and the figure for New York was $116,830. In Wyoming, software developers earned $72,210. In South Dakota, they earned $75,000, and those in Louisiana earned $81,640. 

27. Female software developers make 83 cents to the dollar men earn.

Working the exact same job, women earn quite a bit less than men. That works out to $16,640 less per year. 

28. Freelance software engineers earn around $104,463 per year.

While freelance software engineer rates vary according to states, most earn around $104,463 per year. 

Speaking of freelance software engineers…

Freelancer Software Engineers Statistics

How many software engineers work from home? And should you opt for a freelance software engineer or one that is employed by an agency? Let’s find out. 

29. 12% of software engineers work remotely full-time.

Slightly more than one in ten software engineers work from home 100% of the time. 

30. 57.9% of freelance software engineers prefer working in an office environment.

Somewhat surprisingly, more than half of all freelance software engineers actually prefer working in an office. 33.2% prefer working from home, and the remaining 8.8% prefer working from co-working spaces or coffee shops. 

31. Freelance software engineer rates are typically 203% lower than the rates of software agencies.

If you’ve been wondering whether to give your development work to a freelancer or an agency, you should know that freelance software engineer rates can be up to 203% lower. We just made that decision a little easier--you’re welcome. 

32. Toptal, Upwork, Guru, and Gigster are the top sites for freelancers.

The software engineer job market 2019 saw was largely online. Toptal, Upwork, Guru, and Gigster had the most freelance dev jobs according to freelancer software engineer statistics. 

And on that note...

To Sum Up

How many software engineers are there in the US? A LOT, that’s how many. On a serious note, we hope that you recognize that being a software engineer is a great career option. 

The software development statistics don’t lie:

The talent shortage is no laughing matter. 

So, if you have an appreciation for engineering, developing or maintaining software we urge you to act on your appreciation and make a career out of it.