Who Has the Better Job: Software Developer or Architect?


Who Has the Better Job: Software Developer or Architect?

If you answered architect, you’d be flat wrong!

According to U.S. News and World Report’s list of 100 Best Jobs in 2014, software developer is the top job in America right now. Software developers are in great demand and make handsome salaries. The Bureau of Labor Statistics suggests that 140,000 new software developer jobs will be created by 2020.

Other jobs high on the list include computer systems analyst, dentist and physical therapist. Small business owners shouldn’t be too surprised by the ranking. Many of the jobs on the list can easily be filled by a small business person. These can either be self-employed people, or those working with a small support staff.

As for the position of architect, well, it sounds like an exciting career indeed. But, it’s way down the list at number 92, just above customer service rep and plumber. The field has suffered somewhat in overall earnings and demand since the building slump during the recession. The field is also highly stressful, U.S. News and World Report judges.

It’s not just demand and high salaries that caused some positions to be placed high on the list and others down near the bottom. And it may not be demand and earning potential alone that attracts small businesses to these fields. There are also factors like work-life balance and job security to consider.

For software developers, unemployment rates are at just 2.8 percent nationally, U.S. News and World Report explains. Getting started in the field only requires some basic computer programming knowledge. This can be gained at local community colleges or even through job experience.

Here are the top 25 jobs, according to the rankings:

1. Software developer
2. Computer systems analyst
3. Dentist
4. Nurse practitioner
5. Pharmacist
6. Registered nurse
7. Physical therapist
8. Physician
9. Web developer
10. Dental hygienist
11. Information security analyst
12. Database administrator
13. Physician assistant
14. Occupational therapist
15. Market research analyst
16. Phlebotomist
17. Physical therapist assistant
18. Civil Engineer
19. Mechanical engineer
20. Veterinarian
21. Occupational therapy assistant
22. Clinical laboratory technician
23. Operations research analyst
24. IT manager
25. Dietitian, nutritionist

Jobs Photo via Shutterstock


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Joshua Sophy Joshua Sophy is the Editor for Small Business Trends and the Head of Content Partnerships. A journalist with 20 years of experience in traditional and online media, he is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists. He founded his own local newspaper, the Pottsville Free Press, covering his hometown.

5 Reactions
  1. Lol here in India every other person is a software engineer 😛

  2. Software developer vs architect: I thought the ‘better job’ could be either one of them, but wasn’t surprised it was a software developer. The reasons as to why it’s the case for the former makes sense. I see a web developer isn’t terribly far behind either.

    What I was surprised by though is that a software developer comes up top out of 100 jobs.

  3. Wow…the software developer is even higher than the physician or other positions in the medical field. But I must admit. Being a software developer is no joke. I have tried taking a course on that and it nearly fried my brain. I guess it’s not for me.

    • I was a web developer for a while. It was enjoyable but challenging. I can’t imagine what being a software developer’s like except that it’s probably waaaay harder.

  4. I believe every field offers challenges to its takers, but to distinguish better from bad job is not an ideal way under the current market scenario, which is not only fluctuation but hard to analyze too. That is why it is important to acquire the knowledge in the specific field, where finds his or her interest. Basis on which foundation of a successful career needs to be made.