Post job

What is a vice president of software engineering and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted expert
Brian Glas

A vice president of software engineering is a management individual who oversees software and engineering teams and projects for a company or an organization. These individuals manage teams that design and develop software programs designed to perform specific tasks, and they create strategies to optimize operations and efficiency, set product milestones, and coordinate with other departments and clients. A vice president typically reports to the president of software engineering, and assists with the monitoring of projects, and prepares progress and efficiency reports for upper management and clients.

Most individuals who work as a vice president of software engineering have an advanced degree in computer science, engineering, information technology, or a related field. They also should be comfortable managing teams and working with customers and clients. A vice president of software engineering should possess strong communication, analytical, organizational, and technological skills. They should also be comfortable working with software engineering teams.

A vice president of software engineering can make up to $140,000 per year in the US, and the career field is expected to grow 3% in the next ten years.

What general advice would you give to a vice president of software engineering?

Brian GlasBrian Glas LinkedIn profile

Assistant Professor of Computer Science, Union University

Build relationships: Different technologies will interest and challenge you, but throughout your career, you'll find that it's the relationships that are the most important. This is harder to grasp earlier in your career, but much easier to understand after 15-20 years.
Gain different perspectives: Spend time with people in other roles that your job interacts with, and gain a solid understanding of how they view things; this is most valuable for career progression and understanding of how your work fits into the big picture.
ScoreVice President Of Software EngineeringUS Average
Salary
8.7

Avg. Salary $142,315

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
7.4

Growth rate 2%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
1.5
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.16%

Asian 18.61%

Black or African American 2.72%

Hispanic or Latino 7.46%

Unknown 4.45%

White 66.60%

Gender

female 7.47%

male 92.53%

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
7.4

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
10.0

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance
3.5

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Vice president of software engineering career paths

Key steps to become a vice president of software engineering

  1. Explore vice president of software engineering education requirements

    Most common vice president of software engineering degrees

    Bachelor's

    70.2 %

    Master's

    22.9 %

    Doctorate

    2.7 %
  2. Start to develop specific vice president of software engineering skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Java15.24%
    Cloud7.42%
    Software Development6.60%
    Infrastructure6.12%
    Software Engineering4.70%
  3. Complete relevant vice president of software engineering training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New vice presidents of software engineering 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 vice president of software engineering based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real vice president of software engineering resumes.
  4. Research vice president of software engineering duties and responsibilities

    • Manage the team through the transition to a new ERP system involving new workflows.
    • Manage development projects through the SDLC using waterfall methodology.
    • Configure and manage production and developer Linux networks, including firewalls and monitoring tools.
    • Manage and coordinate all hardware/software engineering, installation, and service of HVAC temperature control system projects.
  5. Get vice president of software engineering experience

    Generally, it takes more than 10 years to become a vice president of software engineering. The most common roles before becoming a vice president of software engineering include software engineer, senior software engineer team lead and director of software development.
  6. Prepare your vice president of software engineering resume

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

    Choose from 10+ customizable vice president of software engineering resume templates

    Build a professional vice president of software engineering 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 vice president of software engineering resume.
    Vice President Of Software Engineering Resume
    Vice President Of Software Engineering Resume
    Vice President Of Software Engineering Resume
    Vice President Of Software Engineering Resume
    Vice President Of Software Engineering Resume
    Vice President Of Software Engineering Resume
    Vice President Of Software Engineering Resume
    Vice President Of Software Engineering Resume
    Vice President Of Software Engineering Resume
  7. Apply for vice president of software engineering jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a vice president of software engineering 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 vice president of software engineering job

Zippi

Are you a vice president of software engineering?

Share your story for a free salary report.

Average vice president of software engineering salary

The average vice president of software engineering salary in the United States is $142,315 per year or $68 per hour. Vice president of software engineering salaries range between $100,000 and $202,000 per year.

Average vice president of software engineering salary
$142,315 Yearly
$68.42 hourly

What am I worth?

salary-calculator

How do vice presidents of software engineering rate their job?

5/5

Based on 1 ratings

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Vice president of software engineering reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Oct 2022
Pros

Able to see ideation to fruition and achieve success together as a team.

Cons

If company is not supportive of new technology advancement.


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2020
Pros

Being able to solve technical problems and manage staff for work


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2019
Pros

Solving problems with the utmost educated confidence


Working as a vice president of software engineering? Share your experience anonymously.
Overall rating*
Career growth
Work/Life balance
Pay/Salary

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.

Browse executive management jobs