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What is an operating system programmer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Quoted expert
James Sellmann Ph.D.
The average operating system programmer salary is $75,544. The most common degree is a bachelor's degree degree with an computer science major. It usually takes 6-8 years of experience to become an operating system programmer. Operating system programmers with a Programming in C# Certification certification earn more money. Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow -7% and produce -17,900 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to an operating system programmer?

James Sellmann Ph.D.

Dean, Professor of Philosophy and Micronesian Studies, University of Guam

General advice is to keep in mind that you must leverage your skills, especially your soft skills of being able to work with people, to communicate effectively and to be able to solve problems. Be real. Don't try to pretend to be someone else to impress others. Be your authentic self. And show up on time.

ScoreOperating System ProgrammerUS Average
Salary
5.9

Avg. Salary $75,544

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
5.1

Growth rate -7%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
3.5
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.18%

Asian 15.11%

Black or African American 4.89%

Hispanic or Latino 8.63%

Unknown 4.67%

White 66.53%

Gender

female 16.13%

male 83.87%

Age - 48
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 - 48
Stress level
5.1

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level
7.3

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance
5.7

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Operating system programmer career paths

Key steps to become an operating system programmer

  1. Explore operating system programmer education requirements

    Most common operating system programmer degrees

    Bachelor's

    54.1 %

    Associate

    23.3 %

    High School Diploma

    8.0 %
  2. Start to develop specific operating system programmer skills

    SkillsPercentages
    CNC11.17%
    Technical Support5.90%
    Calipers5.75%
    Mainframe5.05%
    PC4.92%
  3. Complete relevant operating system programmer training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New operating system programmers 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 an operating system programmer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real operating system programmer resumes.
  4. Research operating system programmer duties and responsibilities

    • Develop daily automate process to down data from UNIX box to Novell server.
    • Achieve improved efficiency and cost reduction goals through efforts and expertise provide in multiple LPAR eliminations and data center consolidations.
    • Used SAS computer language to merge large databases and samples to optimize cooperative database response rates.
    • Produce PDF, RTF and HTML files using SAS/ODS.
  5. Prepare your operating system programmer resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your operating system programmer 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 an operating system programmer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable operating system programmer resume templates

    Build a professional operating system programmer 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 operating system programmer resume.
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  6. Apply for operating system programmer jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for an operating system programmer 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 operating system programmer job

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Average operating system programmer salary

The average operating system programmer salary in the United States is $75,544 per year or $36 per hour. Operating system programmer salaries range between $53,000 and $107,000 per year.

Average operating system programmer salary
$75,544 Yearly
$36.32 hourly

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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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