How To Become A Systems Software Designer: What It Is and Career Path

What is a systems software designer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted expert

Abby Guido

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a systems software designer. For example, did you know that they make an average of $52.37 an hour? That's $108,934 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 21% and produce 284,100 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a systems software designer?

Abby Guido

Assistant Professor, Tyler School of Art and Architecture, Temple University

We've all heard the buzz about networking, and there is so much buzz because it works. Make sure your LinkedIn profile is both up to date and active. Connect with all of your past professors, classmates, and anyone and everyone you meet in a professional setting. I often tell students to get into the habit of searching for any classroom guests, or guest lecturers, to connect, thank them for their time, and build their network. Share content. Write articles, or reshare those you find interesting.

Every job I have ever received in my career has been through someone else I know. I share this with students to help them see the value in relationships. I always remember the students that took the time to write a handwritten thank-you note. And I think of them when I get an email asking if I know any students are looking for work.

ScoreSystems Software DesignerUS Average

Salary

7.8

Avg. Salary $108,934

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

4.7

Growth rate 21%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

4.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.17%

Asian 29.93%

Black or African American 4.44%

Hispanic or Latino 8.18%

Unknown 4.80%

White 52.48%

Gender

female 29.82%

male 70.18%

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

4.7

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.8

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

6.2

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a systems software designer

Explore systems software designer education requirements

Most common systems software designer degrees

Bachelor's

66.0 %

Master's

22.0 %

Associate

8.0 %

Start to develop specific systems software designer skills

Skills	Percentages
Linux	32.32%
Software Design	17.58%
C	17.06%
System Software	15.30%
UML	8.94%

Complete relevant systems software designer training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New systems software designers 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 systems software designer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real systems software designer resumes.

Research systems software designer duties and responsibilities

Manage OS security patching and intrusion detection systems.
Develop stored procedures to implement fast store/retrieve mechanisms for patient entry and to handle ETL of external data.
Perform all aspects of system management including system performance tuning, configuration design, troubleshooting and debugging of software programs.
Resolve architectural issues in the WAP architecture in addition to coordinate and collaborating with external standards organizations.

Prepare your systems software designer resume

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

Choose from 10+ customizable systems software designer resume templates

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