Technology
Software Engineering
Design, build, and maintain the systems a product runs on, from the code itself to how it behaves in production.
What you'd actually do
- Break a feature into pieces you can ship and review one at a time.
- Write the code, then the tests that stop the next person breaking it.
- Debug real production behaviour using logs, traces, and reproduction steps.
- Argue feasibility and tradeoffs with product and design before the work starts.
Common job titles
Entry level
- Software Engineer I
- Associate Engineer
- Engineering Apprentice
Mid-level
- Software Engineer II
- Senior Software Engineer
Senior
- Staff Engineer
- Engineering Manager
- Principal Engineer
Broad U.S. compensation context
Entry level
$100K–$140K
Mid-career
$150K–$210K
Senior
$230K+
Varies by level, location, company, and date; use as directional context.
Common employers
StripeFigmaDatabricksGitLabCoinbaseAtlassianShopifySpotify
Core skills
One language deeplyData structures and algorithmsVersion control and code reviewTestingDebuggingAPIs and databasesReading unfamiliar code
Common backgrounds
- Computer science or related degree programs
- Bootcamp graduates with substantial project work
- Self-taught engineers with public code
- Adjacent technical roles: QA, support engineering, data, IT
What success looks like
- They ship steadily and leave the codebase easier to work in.
- They ask the clarifying question before writing 500 lines.
- They can debug a system they didn't build.
Career path
- Engineer I
- Engineer II
- Senior Engineer
- Staff / Manager
- Principal / Director
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