How Many Developers Are There? [Software Development Stats]
Have you ever wondered:
How many developers are there in the world?
Or perhaps:
What are the best countries for software developers?
These are just some of the questions you may have if you are interested in software development trends. Today, we are going to reveal the most fascinating software development statistics on the subject.
Read on to discover everything you need to know.
Amazing Software Development Industry Statistics (Editor’s Choice)
- There are 23 million software developers across the globe.
- There are currently around 4.2 million software developers in the United States.
- Washington, DC is home to the highest density of programmers.
- Ukraine is home to the biggest number of C++ programmers around the world.
- Polish programmers are the best in the world for Java.
- Java is the most popular programming language in the world.
- You will find the greatest number of programmers in the US in California.
- In 2018, the median salary for a software developer was $103,620.
Global Software Engineering Demographics
When it comes to today’s business world, there is no denying that technology has taken over.
With that in mind:
It makes sense to look for a career in this area if you want to maximize your earnings and secure a job that is always in demand. So, it is only right that we delve deeper into the realm of software development.
1. There are 23 million software developers across the globe.
(Daxx)
The Evans Data Corporation has revealed that, in 2018, there were 23 million software developers across the world. This shows that this is an industry growing at a rapid pace when you compare these figures with four years prior. In 2014, there were only 18,5 million programmers. We expect this number to increase to 27.7 million by 2023.
2. Ukraine is home to the biggest number of C++ programmers around the world.
(Daxx)
You may be shocked to learn that Ukraine is the country that has the largest number of C++ programmers on a global scale. In Ukraine, this is by far the most popular and advanced field of learning.
In 2017, the local software development community grew by a massive 27%. Not only does the country boast a large number of software developers, but they have a great reputation for quality as well.
SkillValue has ranked countries based on programmers, and Ukraine comes eighth in terms of best programmers, with a 91.26% average score index. This is certainly very impressive.
3. Almost 90% of the developer community in Romania speaks English.
(Tech Crunch)
If you are looking for software development stats and software development facts about the outsourcing community, Romania will certainly be of interest to you.
The thing is:
A lot of companies in North America and Western Europe outsource to Romania because the country features high up in terms of skilled software development communities and nine in ten developers speak English. They are also competent in a number of other foreign languages, including German and Russain.
4. Polish programmers are the best in the world for Java.
(Hacker Rank)
According to recent stats about software development, Poland boasts the third most skilled set of programmers across the globe. And in terms of Java assessments, Poland came out on top!
What’s more:
The country also found itself in the top five for a number of other key programming languages, including Ruby, Shell, and Python.
5. Egypt has one of the lowest average salaries for software development.
(Payscale)
Still on the subject of the outsourcing market:
When looking for a country that you want to outsource your software development work to, salary is always going to be one of the main considerations. And there is no denying that Egypt is one of the most affordable places for finding a software developer.
Check this out:
The average annual wage for a senior software developer in this country is EGP103,187, which converts to $6,041.22.
Of course, a lower salary often does come at the price of quality, so it would be advisable to only outsource simple tasks to Egypt. In fact, the country only ranked 42nd on the list of the top 50 software development countries put together by HackerRank.
Most Popular Programming Languages
6. Java is the most popular programming language in the world.
(Stackify)
This should come as no surprise. At the moment, Java just comes ahead of C in terms of the percentage of people that use the programming language on a worldwide scale.
According to Tiobe, Java has always featured in the number one or two spot since it was created back in the mid-1990s. A lot of the biggest businesses across the world use Java for building backend web systems and desktop apps.
US Software Engineering Demographics: States with the Highest Density of Programmers
Perhaps you’re wondering:
“How many developers are there in the US?”
Let’s find out.
7. There are currently around 4.2 million software developers in the United States.
(Daxx)
With there being so many software developers located around the world today, you probably expected that there would be a considerable number in the United States. It is estimated that there are over four million software developers based in the US across the different states.
8. California has the most software developers of any state.
(Don’t Quit Your Day Job)
In terms of states with the highest number of programmers, you may not be surprised to learn that California leads the way.
There are currently 628,414 software developers in the Golden State. Texas (324,717) and New York (218,041) come in second and third.
Next:
Virginia comes in fourth, 204,699 software programmers and developers.
9. Washington, DC is home to the highest density of programmers.
(Don’t Quit Your Day Job)
The most recent statistics indicate that 6.46% of workers in the nation’s capital are operating in a role defined as a software engineer. That may not seem like a big number on the surface. But when you consider all of the other jobs that people can have today, it is actually a pretty considerable amount!
After DC, you then have Virginia and Maryland.
10. In 2018, the median salary for a software developer in the US was $103,620.
(Money US News)
If you are thinking about going into the industry, you want to know how much software developers make in the US. The most recent statistics, for 2018, indicate that the average salary for this position was $103,620 per annum.
The top 25% made $130,460 that same year. At the other end of the spectrum, the lowest-paid 25% made $79,340.
Of course, there are a number of different factors that are going to impact the pay you receive as a software developer. This includes the level of experience you have, as well as the state that you are based in and the company you work for.
11. There is an 87% employment rate among developers, software development statistics reveal.
(Stack Overflow Business)
The vast majority of software programmers and developers are “passive candidates,” which indicates that they are not searching for jobs actively. This means some work is needed on the side of the recruiter and hiring manager, as they have to extend out of the usual hiring procedure in order to find and engage with these passive developers.
Sending a short and vague note is not going to be enough in an environment that is so competitive. Candidates need to learn about the role. They need to find out about your company and why they should think about working for you. So, employers have to consider different perks that would be likely to draw the individual to their company.
12. Complex tech positions have a longer time-to-hire.
(Stack Overflow Business)
The final stat we should keep in mind when it comes to the different software development statistics is that there is a longer time-to-hire when it comes to tech positions that are complex.
Here’s the deal:
The typical time-to-hire rate is 35 days for tech positions. And employers are selective in your search, this can be considerably longer.
Conclusion
Hopefully, you now have a better understanding of the software development industry after reading the latest software development statistics in this post.
Bottom line:
It is certainly an industry that is growing at a rapid pace. So, there are a lot of opportunities for talented people to succeed.
Sources: