How much is the Software Engineer salary in South Africa?
Profession Description
Software engineering is a field of computer science that involves the building and
development of computer programs we use every day. There are so many types of
software that a software engineer can build from, operating systems, games, mobile applications, web applications and computer software. Software engineering is an in-
demand profession due to the widespread of digitalization across the globe, as businesses now rely more heavily on technology.
In this guide, we take a look at what software engineering is, what education you need
to pursue the profession, expected salary and ranking software engineering to other
professions.
What is Software Engineering?
The Economic times defines software engineering as, “a detailed study of engineering
to the design, development and maintenance of software.” Software engineering
involves building high quality, innovative and fully functioning software that complies
with coding standards and technical design. Software engineers apply engineering
principles to the development of software.
Software engineers are virtually the same with software developers however the main
difference between the two is that software engineers not only deal with the
development and maintenance of software to meet user requirements but however they
also, deal with the hardware aspect of the software development process. They make
sure that the software they are developing runs smoothly on the hardware it is meant
to run on.
What does a software engineer do?
The core role of a software engineer is to build, maintain and manage software
applications. A software engineer combines software and hardware technologies to
build a fully functional software that meets the needs of the user. Other software
engineer roles include:
• Monitoring system performance and ensuring that it is in adherence to the required
specifications
• System testing to identify issues, errors and rectifying them
• Implement new technologies where necessary
• Identify opportunities for system improvements
Software Engineer job qualification and requirements
Software engineering is an intricate science which is challenging and always changing.
Commitment, hard work and a love for learning is needed even postgraduation. This
means that even if you have got the job you need to keep on learning and improving
your knowledge as technology evolves each day and you cannot afford to stay behind.
In this section, we are going to take a look at the courses you need to pursue to be a
software engineer.
If you want to be a software engineer you need to pursue a degree in computer
science, mathematics or any other essential related field. Expertise in some essential
programming languages like C#, C++ and Java is a prerequisite for other recruiting
companies.
Some people embark on the path of coding boot camps in order to reach their goal as a
software engineer. Coding boot camps let you learn practical implications of code in a
short time rather than you would at a university. It gives you real-world situations
which are specialized to help you learn to code in a short time.
Essential Skills Needed
Teamwork
As a software engineer, you are going to work as a team with other programmers. Most
software engineering projects require collaborations hence the need for teamwork skills
is essential. You must be able to work well with others, accept assistance and also you
should be willing to assist others as well.
Problem-solving skills
The core objective of software engineering is the ability to solve problems through the
use of code. A software engineer must be a good problem-solving. They must be able to
think critically and pay attention to details at the highest level and solve problems.
Computer programming and coding.
A software engineer must be able to code. Their various programming languages you
must get acquainted with in order to be a software engineer. These languages include
PHP, CSS, C++, JAVA, JavaScript and python.
Multitasking
Multitasking is an important virtue in software engineering. The ability to work at
multiple projects at once are required in software engineering.
Popular successful software engineers
In this section, we take a look at the most prominent software engineers in the world
and what they do. We look at their influence in the world and how they got there.
Larry Paige
I m sure you have used google before. If not, you have been living under a rock
somewhere. Larry Page is the co-founder of google alone with his partners’ surgery Brin
and Eric Schmidt. Larry Paige and his partners are Software engineers by trade and
they have become very successful, as they own one of the most powerful companies in
the world. Page holds a Bachelor of Science in computer engineering from
the University of Michigan,
Jack Dorsey
Famously known, as the founder of Twitter. Jack Dorsey is a software engineer by trade
and he runs one of the most successful tech companies in the world. Most people use
Twitter world-wide.
James Gosling
Known as Dr Java, James Gosling is one of the founders of the programming language
java. James Gosling is a guru in the software engineering field. James Gosling received
his PhD in computer science from Carnegie Mellon University in 1983.
How much does a Software Engineer Earn?
According to payscale.com the average salary for a Software Engineer is R366,532 per
year. The salary amount you can expect to earn as a software engineer varies between
companies and where you are from. The highest paying software engineer job in south
Africa is that from ABSA where they earn up to R800 000 per year making
software engineer jobs a lucrative job.
How the Software Engineer job holds up to other professionals
Software engineers can work in a diverse type of disciplines. Software engineers can
get jobs in fields like medicine, manufacturing, finance and government.
To conclude software engineers are well sought after in today`s job market. The world
is going digital and these types of jobs are the jobs that are going to be in demand in
the foreseeable future hence a career in software engineering is recommended.
However, the profession requires a lot of dedication to your craft and at times long
hours with strict deadlines.
How much is the Software Engineer salary in South Africa?