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Occupational Focus: Software Developers

October 08, 2026

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Software developers research, design, and develop computer and network software or specialized utility programs. They analyze user needs and develop software solutions, applying principles and techniques of computer science, engineering, and mathematical analysis.

Employment and Wages

In 2025, there were 43,460 Software developers in Michigan making up almost 1.0 percent of total state employment. Nationally, there were 1,687,890 Software developers in this occupation that made up 1.1 percent of overall national employment. The median hourly wage for this occupation in Michigan was $60.37 per hour in 2025. Nationally, the median hourly wage for Software developers was slightly higher at $65.38.

Common Job Titles

Examples of job titles encompassed by this position include:

  • Application Developer
  • Software Architect
  • Application Integration Engineer
  • DevOps Engineer (Development Operations Engineer)
  • Systems Engineer

Some of this occupation's responsibilities include:

  • Analyzing user needs and software requirements to determine feasibility of design within time and cost constraints.
  • Developing or direct software system testing or validation procedures, programming, or documentation.
  • Conferring with systems analysts, engineers, programmers and others to design systems and to obtain information on project limitations and capabilities, performance requirements and interfaces.
  • Modifying existing software to correct errors, adapt it to new hardware, or upgrade interfaces and improve performance.
  • Preparing reports or correspondence concerning project specifications, activities, or status.

Education and Skills

Almost 86 percent of Software developers have obtained bachelor’s degree or higher. A bachelor’s degree is the typical education requirement for entry-level positions, without on-the-job training. Essential skills include critical thinking, active learning, reading comprehension and writing. The technology requirements frequently listed in job postings are database user interface and query software (GraphQL, Prometheus), development environment software (Oracle Java 2 Platform Enterprise Edition J2EE), operating system software and web platform development software (Bootstrap, Spring Framework, Vue.js).

Most Related Occupations:

  • Computer Hardware Engineers
  • Computer Network Architects
  • Computer Programmers
  • Database Administrators
  • Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers

Outlook for Software Developers 

This occupation has a strong outlook. The long-term projected growth rate from 2024 to 2034 is 7.7 percent, which is significantly higher than Michigan’s projected 0.4 percent growth rate for all occupations. Software developers are projected to have a total of 2,445 annual openings through 2034, due to transfer or exit, such as to retire. The demand for Software developers is also projected to be strong due to the continued expansion of software development for artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), robotics, and other automation applications.

By the numbers for software developers in Michigan.

Source: 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; 2022 to 2032 Occupational Employment Projections, Michigan Center for Data and Analytics

View/Download Data Table

Occupation Employment and Wages Employment Projections

Author:

Rebecca Abebe

Student Assistant

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