Everything future app builders, game creators, AI experts and problem-solvers need to know
Software engineering is the ultimate in innovation: you are literally creating something new just by translating your ideas into the keys you tap.
From building life-saving health tech to making the next viral app or helping fight climate change through smart systems, software engineers are writing their way to a better future.
If you want a job that’s high impact, high paying and high interest, coding careers could be for you.
And of course, software engineering is more than just coding. It’s about designing the digital tools, systems and experiences that shape our lives. Software engineers have helped create every app, every website, every computer game…
So, what’s the deal with software engineering?
Vibe coding
Big news: AI tools like GitHub Copilot and ChatGPT can now write code with you or for you. What does this mean?
YES! AI takes loads of the grunt work out of coding, freeing up time for tech engineers to dive deeper into creating new solutions and experimenting with new ideas.
NO! This doesn’t mean you don’t need tech skills. The real magic in software engineering is knowing what to build, and why it matters.
Jobs galore
Software engineers are in high demand, and your job options are almost endless! Here are just a few career pathways:
- App developer (iOS, Android)
- Software engineer
- Machine learning engineer
- UX/UI (user experience/interface) designer
- Web developer
- Data scientist
- Cloud architect
- Metaverse engineer
- Software developer
- Robotics and automation engineer
- Digital transformation specialist
- Internet of Things specialist
- Startup founder
A day in the life of an app developer
– By Alison Ratcliffe
Louise leapt straight from her degree in coding to innovative startup Spriggy. This pocket money and finance app for children, teens and parents boasts 1.3 million users.
As a kid, Louise loved playing with drag-and-drop websites on the family computer. At uni, she studied app development and “went from zero-to-one in learning how to code.”
She now uses front-end JavaScript, and is an expert in the React Native app-building framework.
Louise has seen Spriggy evolve – and had a hand in its journey. “If there is something I want to work on, I can just ask to do it, and I’m doing it next week,” Louise says.
Check out Louise’s day!
9am – Check in with Spriggy’s users
Louise scans user feedback on Spriggy’s newest features, which customers leave on its ‘Intercom’ chat. “You are working on something on a Thursday night, and it’s in customers’ hands by Friday. That’s really satisfying!”
9.30am – Banish the bugs
If something is broken or bugging Spriggy’s users, Louise traces the users’ steps to reproduce the problem and unearth the cause. “Shoot that out of the way before I continue with the work of the day.”
10.30am – Scoping and brain-picking
Louise nuts out the app features she needs to build. New components? New buttons? New screen sections? She bounces of f the engineers around her: “Constantly through the day, we’ll be chatting and touching base.”
12pm – Coding today’s new feature
React Native allows Louise to build native apps for both Android and iOS, rather than coding specially for each. “There can be a lot more problems you need to work between, but it keeps you on your toes. You learn a lot more about both platforms.”
3.30pm – Test time!
“I sit on my phone and go through every scenario, playing out what different users will do,” Louise says. “It is fun – as a kid, I got pocket money, and you’re constantly thinking, ‘How would I have reacted in this scenario?’”
Louise’s career journey
- Bachelor of Information Technology (Web and Mobile App Development), Macquarie University
- App developer, Spriggy
Love coding?
Consider working for tech giants like Google or Atlassian – or invent an app and be your own boss!
Start your career here
Technology+innovation+study
- Certificate IV in Information Technology (Programming), TAFE NSW
- Software Engineering Bootcamp, UNSW
- Bachelor of Computer Science, Adelaide University
- Bachelor of Information and Communication Technology, University of Tasmania
- Bachelor of Software Engineering (Honours), Charles Darwin University
Technology+innovation+jobs
- App developer $55K–$120K
- Video game designer $40K–$97K
- Software engineer $64K–$127K
- Machine learning engineer $50K–$120K
Salaries according to payscale.com
This originally appeared in Careers with STEM: Technology 2025.
