Software development covers a wide variety of skills and careers, from programming to quality assurance to DevOps. With so many options and opportunities available, it can be tricky to know where to start. On Coursera, you'll find expert resources to support your goals, whether you're just starting out or are ready to take the next step in your career. Explore software development topics, including:
Software developers design specific computer systems and application software. Software engineers work on a larger scale to design, develop, and test entire computer systems and application software for a company or organization—software development is a subset of software engineering.
Many factors can affect individual earnings. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)*, the median pay in the US for software developers, quality assurance analysts, and testers was $124,200 per year as of 2022.
Here are a few things to consider when deciding which programming language to learn:
Current skill level. Some languages have a steeper learning curve than others. If you're brand new to programming, it's best to select a language that is beginner-friendly.
End goals. You may want to learn a programming language to accomplish a specific task, for example, creating a video game. Or, you might be interested in starting a career in programming. Either way, identifying your goals will help guide you in the right direction.
Popularity. Some programming languages are more widely used than others. Choosing a popular programming language can help you build in-demand skills and provide you with more resources and a larger community of programmers.
![[Featured image] A woman applying for a back-end developer job shakes hands with a hiring manager standing next to a desk in a brightly lit office.](https://images.ctfassets.net/wp1lcwdav1p1/1AtDagkSEjVj6NmGIOTUUS/47bbbf0ee4f1ee7e6e8d2aea9559bf47/iStock-1176251115.jpg?w=330&h=216&q=60&fit=fill&f=faces&fm=jpg&fl=progressive)
![[Featured image] A DevOps engineer is sitting on their desk in the office.](https://images.ctfassets.net/wp1lcwdav1p1/5PSM1ednx6xZRKvYR0pLBr/be5b4565928ed0b6b1a78c26488d440d/GettyImages-1271693999__1_.jpg?w=330&h=216&q=60&fit=fill&f=faces&fm=jpg&fl=progressive)
![[Featured image] A full-stack developer wearing a blue and red-striped sweater sits at a wooden desk in a home office working on a desktop computer.](https://images.ctfassets.net/wp1lcwdav1p1/6jlzejupy0wivgSFx7rgpA/f9110a109222f6a7e6f1f691f7d911f7/GettyImages-968890648.jpg?w=330&h=216&q=60&fit=fill&f=faces&fm=jpg&fl=progressive)
![[Featured image] A software developer is wearing headphones and working on her laptop from home.](https://images.ctfassets.net/wp1lcwdav1p1/4fVPQozOzE7xNGMgmsuaE/2d155d737ebef408444749a68b17fab7/Software_developer.png?w=330&h=216&q=60&fit=fill&f=faces&fm=jpg&fl=progressive)
![[Featured image] Three software engineers collaborate on a project at the office.](https://images.ctfassets.net/wp1lcwdav1p1/7JJknwy3BJe39LGvXgL2Ng/8da7dee7218a4e361180a5c3020374f4/Software_developer.png?w=330&h=216&q=60&fit=fill&f=faces&fm=jpg&fl=progressive)
![[Featured image] Two women practice writing Python code on their laptops in a classroom lab setting.](https://images.ctfassets.net/wp1lcwdav1p1/7pCROrvYRIv3FfDqvqSMsU/d074301cc9f9be966c8d85ee8585f521/iStock-543443692.jpeg?w=330&h=216&q=60&fit=fill&f=faces&fm=jpg&fl=progressive)
![[Featured image] A man in a blue shirt leads a DevOps meeting.](https://images.ctfassets.net/wp1lcwdav1p1/3qTVm5dGubaev0c8AktQxH/8f82e6d2cbe7ec35d44d5cea9a72cf74/Businessman-pointing-at-executive-during-meeting-641970902_7952x5304.jpeg?w=330&h=216&q=60&fit=fill&f=faces&fm=jpg&fl=progressive)
