1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-State Tuition
$51,832
Enrollment
4,550
What is a Contract Software Engineer?
The average contract software engineer salary is $102,925. The most common degree is a bachelor's degree degree with an computer science major. It usually takes 2-4 years of experience to become a contract software engineer. Contract software engineers with a Software Engineering Master Certification (SEMC) certification earn more money. Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 21% and produce 284,100 job opportunities across the U.S.
What Does a Contract Software Engineer Do
There are certain skills that many contract software engineers have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed analytical skills, communication skills and creativity.
How To Become a Contract Software Engineer
If you're interested in becoming a contract software engineer, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 71.0% of contract software engineers have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 17.8% of contract software engineers have master's degrees. Even though most contract software engineers have a college degree, it's impossible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.
Contract Software Engineer Career Paths
In addition to switching up your job search, it might prove helpful to look at a career path for your specific job. Now, what's a career path you ask? Well, it's practically a map that shows how you might advance from one job title to another. Our career paths are especially detailed with salary changes. So, for example, if you started out with the role of senior software engineer you might progress to a role such as project manager eventually. Later on in your career, you could end up with the title vice president of engineering.
Contract Software Engineer
Vice President Of Engineering
13 Years
Director Of Software Development
12 Years
Senior Development Manager
10 Years
Senior Director Of Engineering
15 Years
Enterprise Project Manager
10 Years
Manager, Systems Engineering
9 Years
Show More
Average Salary for a Contract Software Engineer
Contract Software Engineers in America make an average salary of $102,925 per year or $49 per hour. The top 10 percent makes over $138,000 per year, while the bottom 10 percent under $76,000 per year.
Average Contract Software Engineer Salary
$102,925 Yearly$49.48 hourly
What Am I Worth?
Roles and Types of Contract Software Engineer
There are several types of contract software engineer, including:
Software Engineer
Role:
Software Engineers get to apply lots of different areas of study into their everyday work. Whether it's science, engineering, mathematics, computer science, or even design, these engineers are able to use lots of different methods and techniques in their line of work.
Essentially, software engineers design, develop and test software applications for computers. They usually work in offices or labs during their average 40-hour workweek. Even though they use a wide range of study, typically software engineers only require a Bachelor's degree, although a Master's degree is appealing to most employers.
Essentially, software engineers design, develop and test software applications for computers. They usually work in offices or labs during their average 40-hour workweek. Even though they use a wide range of study, typically software engineers only require a Bachelor's degree, although a Master's degree is appealing to most employers.
- Average Salary: $100,260
- Degree: Bachelor's Degree
Software Test Engineer
Role:
Software test engineers are professionals who ensure that software is doing what it is designed to do consistently. From their title, one major duty of a software test engineer is to test out the software. They carry out a variety of both automated and manual tests to ensure the software is consistently producing the desired results. After tests have been carried out, you have to come up with reports about the outcome of the test, which will aid decision-making. You are also to collaborate with developers and other colleagues. Sometimes, you could be called to monitor the work of other testers.
Generally, software test engineers hold a bachelor's degree in software engineering or computer science. Having a master's degree gives you an edge and makes you eligible for leadership positions. Software test engineers are not only expected to be shrewd, but you have to be a great communicator. Paying attention to detail, the ability to handle stress well, and multitasking are some other skills you must possess. The median salary per year is $83,070.
Generally, software test engineers hold a bachelor's degree in software engineering or computer science. Having a master's degree gives you an edge and makes you eligible for leadership positions. Software test engineers are not only expected to be shrewd, but you have to be a great communicator. Paying attention to detail, the ability to handle stress well, and multitasking are some other skills you must possess. The median salary per year is $83,070.
- Average Salary: $85,338
- Degree: Bachelor's Degree
Software Consultant
Role:
Software consultants provide advice to clients on how to get and use customized software solutions to meet their business objectives. They may also work with the software professionals of an organization to create customized software solutions to the unique problems of an organization, test and deploy solutions to ensure they satisfy the client's needs.
Software consultants may also be hired to assist in the development of new software technology that will dominate a competitive market for a business. The responsibility of a software consultant may also include assisting in the training of a company's staff on the technical procedures and applications of a newly deployed software system.
To work as a software consultant, you are required to have a bachelor's degree in computer science or software engineering. You are also required to have strong communication skills, written or verbal, problem-solving skills, analytical skills, project management skills. The annual base salary of a software consultant is $84,983.
Software consultants may also be hired to assist in the development of new software technology that will dominate a competitive market for a business. The responsibility of a software consultant may also include assisting in the training of a company's staff on the technical procedures and applications of a newly deployed software system.
To work as a software consultant, you are required to have a bachelor's degree in computer science or software engineering. You are also required to have strong communication skills, written or verbal, problem-solving skills, analytical skills, project management skills. The annual base salary of a software consultant is $84,983.
- Average Salary: $88,605
- Degree: Bachelor's Degree
States With The Most Contract Software Engineer Jobs
Number Of Contract Software Engineer Jobs By State
| Rank | State | Number of Jobs | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 17,943 | $133,202 |
| 2 | Texas | 7,033 | $95,399 |
| 3 | Washington | 5,849 | $118,081 |
| 4 | New York | 5,035 | $108,661 |
| 5 | Virginia | 4,862 | $100,648 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | 4,409 | $95,143 |
| 7 | Illinois | 4,141 | $90,234 |
| 8 | Florida | 4,117 | $82,594 |
| 9 | Maryland | 3,594 | $101,108 |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | 3,567 | $100,022 |
| 11 | North Carolina | 3,320 | $93,636 |
| 12 | New Jersey | 3,060 | $105,824 |
| 13 | Georgia | 3,031 | $86,089 |
| 14 | Colorado | 2,579 | $84,660 |
| 15 | Ohio | 2,467 | $94,324 |
| 16 | Oregon | 2,435 | $105,776 |
| 17 | Minnesota | 2,337 | $91,618 |
| 18 | Michigan | 2,149 | $92,561 |
| 19 | Arizona | 1,981 | $99,412 |
| 20 | Indiana | 1,878 | $95,115 |
| 21 | Utah | 1,462 | $105,281 |
| 22 | Missouri | 1,423 | $82,209 |
| 23 | Wisconsin | 1,269 | $90,419 |
| 24 | Alabama | 1,164 | $82,541 |
| 25 | Connecticut | 1,124 | $99,428 |
| 26 | Tennessee | 1,110 | $81,850 |
| 27 | Iowa | 897 | $87,850 |
| 28 | Kansas | 854 | $85,830 |
| 29 | Kentucky | 767 | $91,192 |
| 30 | Arkansas | 743 | $88,390 |
| 31 | South Carolina | 730 | $88,529 |
| 32 | Nebraska | 697 | $83,108 |
| 33 | New Hampshire | 663 | $108,889 |
| 34 | Delaware | 655 | $92,223 |
| 35 | Idaho | 627 | $91,155 |
| 36 | Nevada | 619 | $115,678 |
| 37 | Louisiana | 619 | $88,544 |
| 38 | Rhode Island | 614 | $92,802 |
| 39 | New Mexico | 561 | $87,030 |
| 40 | Oklahoma | 517 | $82,043 |
| 41 | Montana | 481 | $97,874 |
| 42 | Maine | 406 | $92,035 |
| 43 | Vermont | 371 | $85,670 |
| 44 | Mississippi | 337 | $75,735 |
| 45 | West Virginia | 327 | $94,335 |
| 46 | North Dakota | 294 | $86,416 |
| 47 | South Dakota | 277 | $79,907 |
| 48 | Wyoming | 252 | $90,166 |
| 49 | Hawaii | 246 | $73,804 |
| 50 | Alaska | 245 | $81,013 |
Top Colleges for Contract Software Engineers
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
3. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-State Tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
4. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-State Tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
5. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-State Tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
6. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-State Tuition
$12,424
Enrollment
15,201
7. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
8. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
In-State Tuition
$54,104
Enrollment
7,089
9. Dartmouth College
Hanover, NH • Private
In-State Tuition
$55,453
Enrollment
4,312
10. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-State Tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
Top Skills For a Contract Software Engineer
The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 8.2% of contract software engineers listed java on their resume, but soft skills such as analytical skills and communication skills are important as well.
Choose From 10+ Customizable Contract Software Engineer Resume templates
Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Contract Software Engineer templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Contract Software Engineer resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.
Contract Software Engineer Demographics
Contract Software Engineer Gender Distribution
Male
90%
Female
10%
After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
- Among contract software engineers, 10.2% of them are women, while 89.8% are men.
- The most common race/ethnicity among contract software engineers is White, which makes up 52.4% of all contract software engineers.
- The most common foreign language among contract software engineers is Spanish at 17.1%.
Online Courses For Contract Software Engineer That You May Like
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Software development is not just about coding, it also involves the application of scientific knowledge and well-defined engineering techniques to produce maintainable, scalable, cost-effective and on-schedule software products. This specialization covers software engineering methodologies, techniques, and tools for planning, capturing requirements, designing, implementing, testing, and maintaining large-scale software systems. It combines scientific and technological knowledge with many...
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If you want to enter the exciting world of software development, this Software Engineering Foundations Specialization is for you. No prior degrees or knowledge of programming or application development are necessary. Software Developers are in great demand earning a median salary of US$110,140 per year according to the US Bureau of Labor and Statistics. The field is growing at a rate of 22% making it a great time to start a career in software engineering.. The self-paced courses in this program...
See More on Coursera3. Software Engineering: Implementation and Testing
Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) is the process of developing software through planning, requirement analysis, design, implementation, testing, and maintenance. This course focuses on the implementation and testing phases of SDLC, and you will examine different software development processes for large software systems development, and understand the strengths (pros) and weaknesses (cons) of different software development processes. You will also encounter defensive programming techniques...
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How Do Contract Software Engineer Rate Their Jobs?
Top Contract Software Engineer Employers
Most Common Employers For Contract Software Engineer
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cisco | $131,104 | $63.03 | 15 |
| 2 | Microsoft | $130,930 | $62.95 | 18 |
| 3 | AT&T | $117,221 | $56.36 | 8 |
| 4 | Intel | $112,794 | $54.23 | 28 |
| 5 | JDI | $112,347 | $54.01 | 10 |
| 6 | TEKsystems | $111,000 | $53.37 | 9 |
| 7 | Wells Fargo | $110,196 | $52.98 | 8 |
| 8 | Collins Aerospace | $108,193 | $52.02 | 20 |
| 9 | Qualcomm | $106,672 | $51.28 | 12 |
| 10 | Motion Recruitment | $104,967 | $50.46 | 20 |
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