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What is a windows software engineer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Quoted experts
Frank McCown Ph.D.,
John Russo
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a windows software engineer. For example, did you know that they make an average of $50.74 an hour? That's $105,545 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 windows software engineer?

Frank McCown Ph.D.Frank McCown Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Associate Professor, Harding University

The market is stable for software developers, despite the economic challenges created by the pandemic. Before accepting a job offer, talk to the company's employees through online meetings or email, and see what they think of the company. Do they enjoy their work? Are there opportunities to learn new technologies? How does the company treat their employees? There's a good chance you will be working remotely in your first job, so you will need to exercise a lot of self-discipline, be punctual for online meetings, do the work you've been assigned, and know when to ask questions when you get stuck. Expect a steeper-than-normal learning curve if you are working remotely instead of in an office.
ScoreWindows Software EngineerUS Average
Salary
7.7

Avg. Salary $105,545

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
4.0

Growth rate 21%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
4.1
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.16%

Asian 31.31%

Black or African American 2.85%

Hispanic or Latino 6.37%

Unknown 4.34%

White 54.97%

Gender

female 12.24%

male 87.76%

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
4.0

Stress level is moderate

7.1 - high

Complexity level
7.9

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance
6.6

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Windows software engineer career paths

Key steps to become a windows software engineer

  1. Explore windows software engineer education requirements

    Most common windows software engineer degrees

    Bachelor's

    79.5 %

    Master's

    12.8 %

    Associate

    7.7 %
  2. Start to develop specific windows software engineer skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Java9.19%
    Software Development9.07%
    Python8.63%
    PowerShell5.54%
    C5.07%
  3. Complete relevant windows software engineer training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New windows software engineers 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 windows software engineer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real windows software engineer resumes.
  4. Research windows software engineer duties and responsibilities

    • Deliver a fully functional customer facing J2EE application while managing a team of developers.
    • Programme in a variety of languages including, Java, C/C++ and Linux scripting.
    • Determine root cause of lines of code in error on assign bugs by debugging into crash dump and inside live debugger.
    • Participate in the design and development of a prototype relational database system; are responsible for SQL processor/optimizer and query parsing.
  5. Apply for windows software engineer jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a windows software engineer 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 windows software engineer job

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Average windows software engineer salary

The average windows software engineer salary in the United States is $105,545 per year or $51 per hour. Windows software engineer salaries range between $79,000 and $140,000 per year.

Average windows software engineer salary
$105,545 Yearly
$50.74 hourly

What am I worth?

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How do windows software engineers rate their job?

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Windows software engineer reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2023
Pros

Problem solving and cutting edge technology - always learning and evolving my skill set

Cons

Still have to deal with people :)


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A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2020
Pros

I enjoyed working on creative problems that dealt with the user interface

Cons

I didn't like how technical it could become


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A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2019
Pros

Designing a new system or making changes to an old one.

Cons

Compensation. Pay and Benefits do not match the time spent on a project. Alabama is the Worst state to live in for SOFTWARE ENGINEER Salaries. 40 to 50 percent less than our peer States.


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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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