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What is a junior software engineer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted experts
Frank McCown Ph.D.,
Kevin Treu Ph.D.
introduction image

Junior software engineer is an entry-level position in the software engineering field that typically works under the supervision of senior software engineers to develop and maintain software applications. Junior software engineers are involved in all aspects of the software development lifecycle, including design, coding, testing, deployment, and troubleshooting. They should have a strong understanding of programming languages, such as Java or Python, and be willing to learn new technologies as needed.

What general advice would you give to a junior software engineer?

Frank McCown Ph.D.Frank McCown Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Associate Professor, Harding University

The market is stable for software developers, despite the economic challenges created by the pandemic. Before accepting a job offer, talk to the company's employees through online meetings or email, and see what they think of the company. Do they enjoy their work? Are there opportunities to learn new technologies? How does the company treat their employees? There's a good chance you will be working remotely in your first job, so you will need to exercise a lot of self-discipline, be punctual for online meetings, do the work you've been assigned, and know when to ask questions when you get stuck. Expect a steeper-than-normal learning curve if you are working remotely instead of in an office.
ScoreJunior Software EngineerUS Average
Salary
6.1

Avg. Salary $77,904

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
4.0

Growth rate 21%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
4.0
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.17%

Asian 29.83%

Black or African American 4.56%

Hispanic or Latino 8.32%

Unknown 4.84%

White 52.29%

Gender

female 25.36%

male 74.64%

Age - 38
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 38
Stress level
4.0

Stress level is moderate

7.1 - high

Complexity level
7.9

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance
6.6

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a junior software engineer?

Pros

  • Opportunity to learn and gain experience

  • Potential for career growth within the company

  • Work with a team of experienced developers

  • Chance to work on exciting projects

  • Ability to work from home or remotely

Cons

  • High workload and long hours

  • Steep learning curve can be overwhelming

  • Limited autonomy and decision-making power

  • Pressure to meet tight deadlines

  • Competitive job market for junior roles

Junior software engineer career paths

Key steps to become a junior software engineer

  1. Explore junior software engineer education requirements

    Most common junior software engineer degrees

    Bachelor's

    76.8 %

    Master's

    14.6 %

    Associate

    5.0 %
  2. Start to develop specific junior software engineer skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Java16.13%
    C++14.42%
    Python9.72%
    Object Oriented Programming7.37%
    CSS6.11%
  3. Complete relevant junior software engineer training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New junior software engineers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a junior software engineer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real junior software engineer resumes.
  4. Research junior software engineer duties and responsibilities

    • Used the controls and components from the AJAX control toolkit to achieve rich user experience.
    • Contribute to implementing microservices used to manage entities and maintain a synchronize state between supplier and distributor.
    • Used HTML, JavaScript, AJAX and JSP to create the UI development for web application.
    • Extract data in UI for different clients using JSON format.
  5. Prepare your junior software engineer resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your junior software engineer resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a junior software engineer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable junior software engineer resume templates

    Build a professional junior software engineer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your junior software engineer resume.
    Junior Software Engineer Resume
    Junior Software Engineer Resume
    Junior Software Engineer Resume
    Junior Software Engineer Resume
    Junior Software Engineer Resume
    Junior Software Engineer Resume
    Junior Software Engineer Resume
    Junior Software Engineer Resume
    Junior Software Engineer Resume
  6. Apply for junior software engineer jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a junior software engineer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first junior software engineer job

Zippi

Are you a junior software engineer?

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Average junior software engineer salary

The average junior software engineer salary in the United States is $77,904 per year or $37 per hour. Junior software engineer salaries range between $59,000 and $101,000 per year.

Average junior software engineer salary
$77,904 Yearly
$37.45 hourly

What am I worth?

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How do junior software engineers rate their job?

-/5

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Junior software engineer reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2023
Pros

Problem solving and cutting edge technology - always learning and evolving my skill set

Cons

Still have to deal with people :)


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2020
Pros

I enjoyed working on creative problems that dealt with the user interface

Cons

I didn't like how technical it could become


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2019
Pros

Designing a new system or making changes to an old one.

Cons

Compensation. Pay and Benefits do not match the time spent on a project. Alabama is the Worst state to live in for SOFTWARE ENGINEER Salaries. 40 to 50 percent less than our peer States.


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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