![[Featured image] A software developer in a blue sweater sits at a desk with a laptop, tablet, and a stack of sticky notes.](https://images.ctfassets.net/wp1lcwdav1p1/5EBeC9LfCE3AKD4I8zU05y/4631324635107b95e8062a7083c8abd4/Screenshot_2023-10-16_at_12.10.33-converted-from-jpg.webp?w=330&h=216&q=60&fit=fill&f=faces&fm=jpg&fl=progressive)
Software Developer Salary Guide (2026)
Software developers use programming and creative skills to build software. They enjoy problem-solving and working as part of a team.
February 24, 2023
Article
Software Development
Explore articles about software engineering, DevOps, and software testing. Learn about careers as a software engineer, mainframe developer, or QA tester, key technical skills and certifications, and how to prepare for these roles.
![[Featured Image]: DevSecOps engineer, wearing a gray sweatshirt, sitting at a desktop computer, analyzing information on the security of the software development process.](https://images.ctfassets.net/wp1lcwdav1p1/4YB0WsbBU8kAzUjSBp9Kli/031fd252ada4af46ff30ac2446149118/GettyImages-530196724__1___1_.jpg?w=330&h=216&q=60&fit=fill&f=faces&fm=jpg&fl=progressive)
![[Featured Image]: A product tester, working on a laptop, is analyzing information to evaluate a company's product.](https://images.ctfassets.net/wp1lcwdav1p1/3tgMwAeL9fsE5EYqkP2Wq/74ef29154315cdfd59212d979f8cd409/Karen_Lied_Wisconsin_20210110_27.jpeg?w=330&h=216&q=60&fit=fill&f=faces&fm=jpg&fl=progressive)
Explore popular software development courses
Skills you'll gain: Software Development Life Cycle, Software Architecture, Full-Stack Web Development, Software Design, Web Development, Software Development Methodologies, Software Design Patterns, Development Environment, Unified Modeling Language, Software Engineering, Web Applications, Software Development Tools, Software Development, Application Deployment, Programming Principles, Front-End Web Development, Web Language, Back-End Web Development, Integrated Development Environments, Python Programming
Skills you'll gain: Cloud Deployment, Unit Testing, Software Development Life Cycle, CI/CD, Object-Relational Mapping, OpenShift, Istio, Kubernetes, Cloud-Native Computing, Node.JS, Cloud Infrastructure, Git (Version Control System), HTML and CSS, Server Side, Javascript, Front-End Web Development, Cloud Computing, Data Ethics, Data Import/Export, Software Development
Skills you'll gain: Django (Web Framework), Jest (JavaScript Testing Framework), Bootstrap (Front-End Framework), Restful API, Version Control, GitHub, Git (Version Control System), Responsive Web Design, Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), Unix Commands, Back-End Web Development, API Testing, Relational Databases, Object Oriented Programming (OOP), Database Management Systems, HTML and CSS, Command-Line Interface, Mobile Development, Python Programming
![[Featured Image]: Computer programmer, working at a desktop computer, writing and testing a program for the project.](https://images.ctfassets.net/wp1lcwdav1p1/6yOwrlS3TKXhVY9YmY2iWN/1c96b657a2978b485c75324ac779f7da/image1_-_2026-09-01T110710.076.webp?w=330&h=216&q=60&fit=fill&f=faces&fm=jpg&fl=progressive)
![[Featured Imaga] A quality assurance specialist analyzes data on their desktop computer screen with a pen in their hand.](https://images.ctfassets.net/wp1lcwdav1p1/6oAPP12EASPSzCM3GzrawT/868cce2d5a4aead7fd33dc664b89b6cd/image1_-_2026-09-01T162347.541.webp?w=330&h=216&q=60&fit=fill&f=faces&fm=jpg&fl=progressive)
![[Featured image] A video game designer wears a VR headset and leans on a desk while reviewing a video game.](https://images.ctfassets.net/wp1lcwdav1p1/3FqiykzOUgVcdw3opjB441/c1d8cc1aaa81739c72fc56716b44ce32/GettyImages-909076824__1_.jpg?w=330&h=216&q=60&fit=fill&f=faces&fm=jpg&fl=progressive)
![[Featured Image] A DevOps engineer adjusts their glasses while looking at their laptop.](https://images.ctfassets.net/wp1lcwdav1p1/7fOc0FMeARbAilORUzCiFo/92f6dcb418779291e460f314b12e9164/GettyImages-1143754750__2_.webp?w=330&h=216&q=60&fit=fill&f=faces&fm=jpg&fl=progressive)
![[Featured Image]: QA automation tester working on designs and protocols, preparing a report for the software development team.](https://images.ctfassets.net/wp1lcwdav1p1/3d3Qa8i2dZJJCdbU2dTuuU/17a863630097374e9818555f1a89d065/iStock-973715860__3_.jpg?w=330&h=216&q=60&fit=fill&f=faces&fm=jpg&fl=progressive)
![[Featured Image] A back-end developer in a gray sweatshirt uses their laptop to work on an API with nearby coworkers.](https://images.ctfassets.net/wp1lcwdav1p1/27JJqy4m6mK3Xsbf5qnxwm/d3cc76727faaa895c5ae96119547cb5d/iStock-523821384__3_.webp?w=330&h=216&q=60&fit=fill&f=faces&fm=jpg&fl=progressive)
![[Featured Image]: Candidate for DevOps engineer position preparing for an interview.](https://images.ctfassets.net/wp1lcwdav1p1/SA5fZ7Zc5Ka98lLnTg6de/149b10af6d03c0ce1125c94ef78ee8b7/GettyImages-530196724__1_.jpg?w=330&h=216&q=60&fit=fill&f=faces&fm=jpg&fl=progressive)
![[Featured Image] A software developer works through the steps of the software development life cycle.](https://images.ctfassets.net/wp1lcwdav1p1/1UvFNvgPpxwF57AgIH3q3v/be27448b5334ab157e779079694784ea/GettyImages-1143754750.jpg?w=330&h=216&q=60&fit=fill&f=faces&fm=jpg&fl=progressive)
![[Featured image] A quality assurance analyst analyzes software for a company.](https://images.ctfassets.net/wp1lcwdav1p1/3kZNRlGE9fgFvSvrcVyuni/53a84e5738d608fe326b364ceee1d954/Ehab_Badwi_Berlin_20201118_0357__4_-converted-from-jpg.webp?w=330&h=216&q=60&fit=fill&f=faces&fm=jpg&fl=progressive)
Software development covers a wide variety of skills and careers, from programming to quality assurance to DevOps. With so many options and opportunities available, it can be tricky to know where to start. On Coursera, you'll find expert resources to support your goals, whether you're just starting out or are ready to take the next step in your career. Explore software development topics, including:
Interested in software development? Find out more about what a software developer does and popular software development courses.
Interested in DevOps? Read about the basics of DevOps and explore certifications for DevOps engineers.
Interested in information technology? Learn more about IT and explore popular information technology certifications.
Ready to start learning? Explore our catalog of software development, DevOps, and IT courses for beginners and experienced professionals.
