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Job outlook for systems programmers in the United States
Systems programmer job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected systems programmer job growth rate is -7% from 2018-2028.
About -17,900 new jobs for systems programmers are projected over the next decade.
Systems programmer salaries have increased 12% for systems programmers in the last 5 years.
There are over 9,503 systems programmers currently employed in the United States.
There are 257,681 active systems programmer job openings in the US.
The average systems programmer salary is $96,017.
Are systems programmer jobs in demand?
Systems programmer job and salary trends over time
Systems programmer jobs over time
Systems programmer job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 9,503 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 11,458 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 6,145 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 20,411 | 0.01% |
| 2017 | 21,521 | 0.01% |
Average systems programmer salary over time
Systems programmer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $96,017 | $46.16 | +3.4% |
| 2024 | $92,853 | $44.64 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $90,751 | $43.63 | +2.5% |
| 2022 | $88,554 | $42.57 | +3.0% |
| 2021 | $85,970 | $41.33 | +0.4% |
Systems programmer jobs by state
Most common states for systems programmers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 702 | 101% |
| 2 | Vermont | 623,657 | 272 | 44% |
| 3 | Delaware | 961,939 | 411 | 43% |
| 4 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 443 | 42% |
| 5 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 3,230 | 38% |
| 6 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 2,221 | 37% |
| 7 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 464 | 35% |
| 8 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 1,358 | 33% |
| 9 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 246 | 33% |
| 10 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 322 | 31% |
| 11 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 182 | 31% |
| 12 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 2,252 | 30% |
| 13 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 579 | 30% |
| 14 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 1,920 | 28% |
| 15 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 1,534 | 28% |
| 16 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 244 | 28% |
| 17 | Alaska | 739,795 | 207 | 28% |
| 18 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 459 | 27% |
| 19 | Alabama | 4,874,747 | 1,201 | 25% |
| 20 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 523 | 25% |
Most common cities for systems programmers
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tallahassee | 15 | 8% | $68,295 |
| 2 | Annapolis | 2 | 5% | $101,236 |
| 3 | Pensacola | 2 | 4% | $70,842 |
| 4 | Bethesda | 2 | 3% | $100,667 |
| 5 | Fairbanks | 1 | 3% | $89,621 |
| 6 | Carlsbad | 1 | 1% | $108,679 |
| 7 | Cary | 1 | 1% | $92,089 |
| 8 | Champaign | 1 | 1% | $83,111 |
| 9 | Fargo | 1 | 1% | $83,275 |
| 10 | Chicago | 2 | 0% | $85,167 |
| 11 | Atlanta | 1 | 0% | $72,044 |
| 12 | Baton Rouge | 1 | 0% | $82,395 |
| 13 | Boston | 1 | 0% | $99,780 |
| 14 | Denver | 1 | 0% | $87,196 |
| 15 | Des Moines | 1 | 0% | $80,853 |
Systems Programmer job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of systems programmer experts
University of South Alabama
Nova Southeastern University
Stevens Institute of Technology
University of Colorado at Colorado Springs
Massachusetts Maritime Academy
University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown
University of Guam
University of Hawaii at Hilo
Southeastern Louisiana University
Gannon University
University of Toledo
Keiser University Latin American Campus.
Eastern Washington University
Weber State University
Florida Atlantic University
Auburn University at Montgomery
Murray State University
University of South Alabama
Washington University in St. Louis
What Systems Programmer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Sepehr Mohammadian: 1. This is a pretty broad question. CS degree graduates can engage in different tasks and responsibilities based on the nature of their profession. Examples include 1) software engineering, in which the individual's efforts are toward leading or contributing to software development projects, 2) IT management, where the individual mainly oversees technology strategies and their implementation, 3) cybersecurity, where the individual's responsibilities are associated with the protection of systems and data from cyber threats, and 4) data and AI engineering, where the individual works on machine learning applications and analyze and derive insights from large datasets.
What general advice would you give to a Systems Programmer?
Sean Walker: Model Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are going to be incredibly important in Systems Engineering over the next 3-5 years. MBSE has already become quintessential to the practice of Systems Engineering, which is why it has become a staple of our Master's and Doctoral programs. AI, of course, is changing almost every technical field and will be important to Systems Engineers as well. For Systems Engineers, the challenge will be understanding how and when to apply AI to solve systemic problems. Of course, both of these elements must be applied with an understanding of sociotechnical systems concerns. An engineer with the skills to apply MBSE and AI without losing sight of the humans in the system will be highly sought after.
What Systems Programmer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Sean Walker: To maximize your salary, it is really essential to learn the tools and methods associated with Systems Engineering while also maintaining a sense of creativity. Employers are not only looking for engineers with the ability to apply specific tools but also the ability to think creatively to solve complex systems problems. I often encourage my students to maintain their creative hobbies so that they don't lose those skills. But, more immediately, gaining a graduate education in Systems Engineering can help any engineer increase their earning potential.
Junping Sun Ph.D.
ProfessorNova Southeastern University
Computer Software And Media Applications
What Systems Programmer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Junping Sun Ph.D.: Computer Science and its applications in various fields are very dynamic and constantly evolving, and anyone in the fields needs to prepare to be adaptive by lifelong learning.
What Systems Programmer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Anthony Barrese: There are many paths leading to increased salary potential. Rapidly developing a deep understanding of customer environments and needs can be one of those, but is often not sufficient on its own. Cultivating strong communication skills, building relationships across the business and distinguishing yourself as a leader will all position you for career advancement and the compensation increases that go along with that.
What will help Systems Programmers increase their earning potential?
Anthony Barrese: The ability to listen to the customer is the most critical skill. Deeply understanding the needs of the end user ensures business success. In addition, digital engineering environments and digital twin technology in particular, will become increasingly important. These tools enable gains in efficiency and promote enhanced quality.
Dr. Darshika Perera Ph.D.
Associate ProfessorUniversity of Colorado at Colorado Springs
Computer Engineering
What will help Systems Programmers increase their earning potential?
Dr. Darshika Perera Ph.D.: In the realm of computer engineering, embedded systems design and digital systems design will become more important and prevalent. Students have to learn the state-of-the-art techniques to design embedded systems, which includes programming the embedded microprocessor/microcontrollers using embedded programming such as embedded C, in order to interface with the associated hardware such as sensors and actuators, and also to design corresponding hardware circuits. It is also imperative for the students to learn the state-of-the-art techniques and skills to design digital circuits, using hardware-description languages (HDL) such as Verilog and VHDL. Digital circuit designs, including programmable logic such as FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Arrays), are becoming very popular among the industry for various applications.
What Systems Programmer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Mark Whalen P.E.: Many system engineers enjoy working across all technologies at a higher organizational level, and interacting with all types of technologists to manage and implement complex technical systems.
Many system engineers can feel challenged by their lack of depth of understanding of particular technologies compared to technical specialists.
Travis Stouffer
Assistant Professor of Information Systems, ChairUniversity of Pittsburgh at Johnstown
Department of Information Systems
What general advice would you give to a Systems Programmer?
Travis Stouffer: Operate with a high-level of attention to detail. Superiors always appreciate a new or old employee who is self-sufficient and doesn’t need their hand to be held. Secondly, do everything you can to support the development process. You want to be seen a key cog in the development process, even if you are not writing code. You want to be the person with answers. Research APIs to use as datasources, write detailed requirements, support those requirements with detailed wireframes and mockups which blueprint the end-state of the application, test coded features and lastly just volunteer to do anything that will lighten the burden on the programmers of the team. Doing these things will also position you with a well-rounded experience that will help you ascend to project management type roles.
James Sellmann Ph.D.
Dean, Professor of Philosophy and Micronesian StudiesUniversity of Guam
College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences
What general advice would you give to a Systems Programmer?
James Sellmann Ph.D.: 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.
Travis Mandel Ph.D.
Assistant ProfessorUniversity of Hawaii at Hilo
Department of Computer Science
What soft skills should all Systems Programmers possess?
Travis Mandel Ph.D.: Although computer science seems like a highly technical field, soft skills are really what differentiates software engineers. One of the most important qualities of any software engineer is explaining their code clearly at various levels of technical depth and explaining why certain design decisions were made. You could write code that does amazing things, but if that code consists of snippets you pasted from StackOverflow without really fully understanding them, it will be a huge headache for anyone who needs to come into the codebase later and maintain or update it.
Another one is asking the right questions. Imagine you are dropped into a huge codebase and asked to add a new feature (very common!). There's no time to understand everything that is going on, but on the other hand, you need to understand enough of the code to do your task effectively, which involves asking questions. A failure to ask questions will likely result in you wasting a huge amount of time working on something that is ultimately not useful, for instance, re-implementing a complex function that already exists somewhere in the codebase.
What skills stand out on Systems Programmer resumes?
Travis Mandel Ph.D.: The number one thing that employers typically look for is a project that demonstrates your ability to program something new and useful. The best projects are ones that someone undertakes independently or with a small group of others - if it is the latter, you need to clarify what you contributed. It's even better if you include a link to public code on Github so that employers can look around your Github page and get a sense of your coding style. A working demo is also very impressive. Ideally, this wouldn't be something you were forced to do for a class but rather something you took the independent initiative to do.
College GPA doesn't matter as much as people think it does - most companies care much more about what you can do than how well you did in class. Unless it is extremely low, it shouldn't be a problem. Listing courses can be useful, but even better would be listing skills you learned in classes. For instance, the class "Artificial Intelligence" means completely different things at institutions. So employers may not necessarily understand what skills you learned in that class unless you highlight them.
What skills will help Systems Programmers earn the most?
Travis Mandel Ph.D.: Solid foundational skills in data science, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. Even if you are not an AI researcher or machine learning engineer, with AI becoming so pervasive, chances are your code will have to interact with it at some point. Although listing many of the latest technologies (Tensorflow/Keras, Pytorch) looks great on a resume, what is even more valuable is a solid grasp of the fundamentals that transcend specific libraries. Employers will be impressed by someone who can analyze large data sets in languages like Python, communicate effectively with the machine learning teams, and identify new potential ways to integrate machine learning into the product. This is a highly in-demand skillset that can easily help unlock higher-paying positions.
Dr. Ghanssan Alkadi Ph.D.
Professor of Computer ScienceSoutheastern Louisiana University
Department of Computer Science
What hard/technical skills are most important for Systems Programmers?
Dr. Ghanssan Alkadi Ph.D.: Analytical and programming skills to solve problems at hand.
What type of skills will young Systems Programmers need?
Dr. Stephen Frezza Ph.D.: New computing graduates, more and more, need to understand the delivered value. Software is becoming ubiquitous: the breadth of industries and the depth of industry needs continue to expand. More than ever, the skills and competencies to reliably design, implement, and deploy software solutions are becoming paramount; it is not enough to be good with IT solutions or programming.
The need for computing graduates to be themselves adaptive, to work creatively to see and capitalize on opportunities, not just solve tech problems, is expanding. What is wanted are students who want to be computing professionals, women and men prepared to work together to deliver value to their organization, customers, and the world.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Systems Programmers to find work opportunities?
Dr. Stephen Frezza Ph.D.: Computing is ubiquitous, and with more industries moving to remote work, location is becoming less critical. If the internet reaches a place reliably, computing jobs can be located there.
How do you envision technology impacting Systems Programmers in the next 5 years?
Dr. Stephen Frezza Ph.D.: Breadth and depth: Computing is becoming more like engineering; where the value of the product, its lifetime risks, costs, and benefits are more critical than just it's roll-out. So the engineering competencies that have always been a part of computing will become more central. Computing is also expanding; the role of data and the shift of once-research technologies (like machine learning) into production applications will continue to require computing graduates to broaden their base and continue as learners. This will cause shifts in what is considered 'fundamental' and the need for professionals to continue to hone and redevelop their technical skill sets.
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Systems Programmers?
Jared Onyango Oluoch Ph.D.: In databases - various Oracle database certifications; in networking - Cisco CCNA; in cybersecurity CompTIA security. Engineering and engineering technology graduates will boost their earning potentially by getting the Professional Engineer (PE) license.
Elio Rivas
Department Chair – Software Engineering & MIS Keiser University Latin American CampusKeiser University Latin American Campus.
Software Engineering and Management Information Systems (MIS) Department
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Systems Programmers?
Elio Rivas: English is 95% percent required in most of the applications. The new graduates face the challenges to know and have experience in almost all the programming languages and companies ask to be certified in most of the cases.
Companies in Nicaragua don't have a culture for training their workforce. This means that neither new graduates have the budget to get certified nor experienced workforce.
Christian Hansen Ph.D.
Professor and Department ChairEastern Washington University
Department of Mathematics
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Systems Programmer job market given the pandemic?
Christian Hansen Ph.D.: Within the short-term, the biggest trend in the job market is currently an increased demand for workforce in the healthcare and technology disciplines. In the long-term, healthcare will remain in demand, but I predict the highest future increase will be in the areas of data science, software and computer engineering.
What's a day at work look like for a Systems Programmer?
Christian Hansen Ph.D.: In the post-pandemic era, a typical workday for a recent graduate will likely involve some form of remote work. I predict that many businesses will benefit from the reduced cost of remote infrastructure compared to the cost of maintaining brick and mortar office space. Many new graduates will continue to spend their day on a computer while collaborating in teams via Zoom and other teleconference tools. People working in disciplines that have traditionally been "on the ground" will move towards more hybrid modes of work, reducing the need for travel and participating in face-to-face meetings and training.
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Systems Programmers?
Dr. Kyle Feuz Ph.D.: Any time you have a certification, license or degree it's going to give you a leg up compared to your peers with similar skill sets but no certification. Often the certification or degree will help your resume make it through an initial screening process but then it's up to you to demonstrate that you have the knowledge and skills the certification is supposed to represent. It's also important to know what career you want to pursue. Certifications are usually targeted to a very limited skill set. If that skill set is a critical part of the job description then the certification will be a strong mark in your favor. Some fields even require certification before you will be considered for the position. However, if the skill set is only tangentially related to the job description then there is little benefit in having the certification.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Systems Programmers?
Dr. Kyle Feuz Ph.D.: Change is often a slow process. For years, we have been hearing about the potential benefits of having employees work remotely and many companies had even started moving in that direction prior to the pandemic. However, the pandemic forced rapid change in the workplace environment with remote work becoming a necessity if businesses wanted to stay open. As I talk with different employers I am hearing a consistent message: remote work is here to stay.
This should not be interpreted to mean that every company is suddenly committed to allowing their employees to work remotely on a full-time basis (although some are). Instead, many companies see this as an opportunity to allow increased flexibility with work schedules and remote work. I do not anticipate that these changes will be immediate. Remember, change is often a slow process. I cannot predict the ripple effect such changes will cause in the job market.
With that in mind, we can start to consider the broader effects such policies will have. This has the potential to open the job market up to a wider audience. Previously, a graduate would have to decide if they were willing to relocate before looking at an opening outside of their immediate geographic area. With full-time remote work, those geographic constraints no longer apply. Similarly, individuals with other commitments that may prevent them from working a traditional 9-5 job may find opportunities that would previously have been unavailable to them. This just barely scratches the surface of the enduring impacts the pandemic may cause but one thing is certain, the world will never be the same.
Maria Larrondo Petrie Ph.D.
ProfessorFlorida Atlantic University
Department of Computer and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Systems Programmers?
Maria Larrondo Petrie Ph.D.: Students graduating during the pandemic are missing career fair and career service events that the universities and professional association offer, which are very important to get an internship and an entry level position. So their entry-level position may be not in their major and not at the salary and responsibilities that they had hoped. This impacts subsequent offers.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Systems Programmers?
Dr. Semih Dinc: I personally think there may be a positive impact of this pandemic for CS graduates in medium/long term. Even if many companies have frozen or slowed down their hiring process now, I believe this is a temporary decision. There is still a big need for new CS graduates in the industry. And to me it is more clear that people realized they can work remotely for many CS related positions. This means that many companies can cut their physical office budgets and hire more remote people. One of the factors for our students is the challenges/expenses of the city they would work. Some of them do not want to move to big cities. I am assuming with more remote working opportunities graduates will have more options.
What experience really stands out on Systems Programmer resumes?
Dr. Semih Dinc: According to my experience, most companies are not looking for "straight A" students. Instead, they look for someone with real world experience in their field. A recent graduate will most likely stand out if he/she has somehow contributed real projects. This can be achieved through internships. For many students, who do not have this option, they can still stand out by sharing their "good" school projects to platforms like GitHub. This way they can show companies that they are aware of these tools, and they will be ready to adopt the new company environment.
Dr. Matthew Tennyson Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Computer ScienceMurray State University
Computer Science and Information Systems
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Systems Programmers?
Dr. Matthew Tennyson Ph.D.: A bachelor's degree in computer science is extremely valuable. It has been and continues to be one of the most valuable college degrees a student can pursue. I really think all areas of computing are in demand, but web and mobile computing might be one of the strongest. Some employers do like to see extra certifications in addition to the bachelor's degree. There are literally hundreds of certifications available in the computing industry. They all vary in the required amount of time, effort, and money. I think anything that can set a candidate apart from other candidates is valuable, and that includes any certification. I would not recommend investing thousands of dollars into additional certifications after completing a bachelor's degree, but I don't think it's a bad idea for students to pursue one of the free or lower-cost certifications that are available - especially those students who might not have strong internship experience, extracurricular activities, projects, etc. to put on their resumes. I think anything DevOps related or cloud-based like Amazon's AWS or Microsoft's Azure are especially valuable right now.
What's a good job out of college for Systems Programmers?
Bob Sweeney Ph.D.: Very likely there will be more remote workers at least for the near future. Many organizations are hiring and expecting workers in their facilities. Students have been getting more exposure to Zoom, Slack, Discourse, Discord, Git, and other remote collaboration tools during their last semesters which should ease their transition to a workplace using these applications.
What technical skills for a Systems Programmer stand out to employers?
Bob Sweeney Ph.D.: Strong database skills including big data and SQL are always valued by local employers hiring our IS majors. While not technical, written and verbal communications skills are always important.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Systems Programmer job market given the pandemic?
Dr. Tao Ju: History has proven that engineers have fared well in the most challenging job markets; the aftermath of this pandemic will be no different. If anything, we may see some industries pull back on hiring while other industries pick up (health care, technology, consumer products, etc.). As the global economy remains a bit turbulent, it's likely that we'll see more just-in-time hiring. Companies may be cautious to hire new grads 6-9 months prior to graduation like we've seen in recent years, but it will only be temporary. Until things stabilize a bit more, companies may turn to hiring more interns or contractors to fill gaps. However, the overall demand for engineers will not slow for a significant period of time. We'll see companies use more virtual recruiting strategies because they have seen the success they can have with multi-school virtual sessions, online job fairs and video interviewing. More and more companies will integrate artificial intelligence to standardize and simplify their recruiting process. We'll also see an upward trend in diversity, equity and inclusive (DEI) hiring practices as more candidates seek out diverse and inclusive employers and more attention is drawn to ongoing challenges.