Post job

Programming internship vs software developer

The differences between programming interns and software developers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a programming internship and a software developer. Additionally, a software developer has an average salary of $87,521, which is higher than the $31,896 average annual salary of a programming internship.

The top three skills for a programming internship include internship program, python and powerpoint. The most important skills for a software developer are java, python, and C++.

Programming internship vs software developer overview

Programming InternshipSoftware Developer
Yearly salary$31,896$87,521
Hourly rate$15.33$42.08
Growth rate21%21%
Number of jobs49,839294,329
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 74%Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Average age3939
Years of experience44

What does a programming internship do?

In programming internship, one of the primary responsibilities is to observe company practices and follow directions while exercising creativity in programming and computer development. Among the tasks may revolve around conducting thorough research and analysis, craft and develop software or even hardware to support a client's programming needs, generate codes, and monitor systems for any issues or inconsistencies. Furthermore, it is crucial to maintain an active communication line and coordination, as most of the tasks will be in a team setting.

What does a software developer do?

A software developer is responsible for designing application systems to support the user and business' needs. Duties of a software developer include testing software codes, performing diagnostic programs and troubleshooting, interpreting system data and establishing efficient parameters, and ensuring the compatibility of the systems. A software developer must have an excellent knowledge of computer programs and programming languages to understand its complexities, especially on detecting system defects and malfunctions. A software developer must have strong attention to detail, communication, and decision-making skills to coordinate with the team and also work independently under minimal supervision.

Programming internship vs software developer salary

Programming interns and software developers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Programming InternshipSoftware Developer
Average salary$31,896$87,521
Salary rangeBetween $23,000 And $42,000Between $67,000 And $113,000
Highest paying CityShoreline, WASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateWashingtonCalifornia
Best paying companyInland Empire Utilities AgencyThe Citadel
Best paying industryGovernmentFinance

Differences between programming internship and software developer education

There are a few differences between a programming internship and a software developer in terms of educational background:

Programming InternshipSoftware Developer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 74%Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Most common majorPsychologyComputer Science
Most common collegeNorthwestern UniversityHarvard University

Programming internship vs software developer demographics

Here are the differences between programming interns' and software developers' demographics:

Programming InternshipSoftware Developer
Average age3939
Gender ratioMale, 36.8% Female, 63.2%Male, 79.3% Female, 20.7%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 4.6% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.3% Asian, 29.8% White, 52.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%Black or African American, 4.5% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 29.9% White, 52.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage8%8%

Differences between programming internship and software developer duties and responsibilities

Programming internship example responsibilities.

  • Develop PowerPoint presentation summarizing accomplishments and present to managers and team leads from both QinetiQ and NASA.
  • Recruit, manage and motivate volunteers in public education, professional education, service and rehabilitation and tobacco control programs.
  • Plan cultural group events for volunteers and creating and promoting events utilizing the Facebook page.
  • Monitor and update social media daily, provide compelling content, specifically Facebook.
  • Develop a PowerPoint presentation that would be used to solicit possible investors and stakeholders.
  • Investigate provider complaints to determine Medicaid contractor compliance with contracts, certification requirements, law, regulations, policies and procedures.
  • Show more

Software developer example responsibilities.

  • Restructure the project code in repository and use maven to manage project dependencies.
  • Used JIRA to manage and track the issues report by QA and prioritize and take action base on the severity.
  • Develop the front-end web page by using HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript, taking advantage of the frameworks Angular.JS.
  • Lead team and develop UNIX administrative and maintenance development tasks, supporting customer requirements.
  • Configure custom PL/SQL database to manage new database objects including triggers, user-define functions and store procedures.
  • Implement a centralize configuration system for managing application settings, consisting of a desktop application with a WCF backend.
  • Show more

Programming internship vs software developer skills

Common programming internship skills
  • Internship Program, 27%
  • Python, 9%
  • PowerPoint, 6%
  • C++, 6%
  • Data Analysis, 4%
  • Professional Development, 4%
Common software developer skills
  • Java, 11%
  • Python, 9%
  • C++, 7%
  • Software Development, 6%
  • JavaScript, 5%
  • Database, 5%

Browse computer and mathematical jobs