2024 Job Growth: Rising Demand for Entry-Level Software Developers

Report finds 47% growth in the past year for entry-level developer jobs

We’ve used Lightcast to track entry-level software engineer/developer job postings for the past year. Since October 2023, there has been a 47% increase in job listings for developers with 0-3 years of experience.

This is great news for our industry, as employers are re-establishing the important roles that entry-level developers play on development teams across industries. These developers bring fresh training, new ideas, and in-demand skills and knowledge, along with interpersonal skills like creativity, good communication, and empathy.

In this post, we’ll break down the data we’re seeing, put it into context, and demonstrate how our coding bootcamps can help people of all backgrounds launch new careers in software development.

What the Data Says: Companies Need Entry-Level Software Developers

As part of our mission to offer high-level software engineering training, we seek to deeply understand the labor market for software developers as it evolves. This includes monitoring tools and languages used on the job, the use of AI across the industry, and shifts and trends in hiring, salary, job satisfaction, and more.

When the COVID pandemic initially hit in 2020, the software development industry experienced a sharp increase in hiring for developers. The boom reached its peak relatively quickly, then experienced a decline as the industry shifted to a new normal. Combine that with emerging concerns about AI replacing the need for software developers, and it makes sense why some are apprehensive about the future of coding and development.

However, according to recent data, after that period of decline, companies are now again seeking entry-level software developers in growing numbers to join their teams and help them reach their goals. Here are a few highlights from the Lightcast report, which tracked data from October 2023 – November 2024:

• 47% growth rate in “software developer,” “software engineer,” and related job postings.
• 71,184 unique postings in the United States for entry-level developers and engineers (0-3 years of experience).

The report also found a median advertised annual salary of $118,100 for all posted jobs that included salary. This is a 32.5% increase compared to October of 2021.

Lightcast Data Aligns with BLS Job Growth Data

Software engineers make up the largest percentage of tech workers in the U.S. – and there’s a growing demand for more. The collected Lightcast data corroborates projections from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). According to BLS data, software developers are expected to grow 18% between 2023 and 2033, adding roughly 304,000 jobs in the ten years.

In-Demand Skills: How Tech Elevator Trains You to Meet the Hiring Moment

The growing number of developer job postings demonstrates that initial fears of AI replacing entry-level roles aren’t proving out. In fact, rather than replacing developers, AI tools are streamlining workflows and increasing demand for engineers skilled in integrating AI solutions into business applications. In our coding bootcamps, we provide an introduction to the popular AI development tool, GitHub Copilot, so graduates understand how to use it effectively on the job.

Using Lightcast, we tracked the most in-demand software development skills across three categories: Specialized Skills, Software Skills, and Common Skills.

In all Tech Elevator coding bootcamps, we teach a significant amount of these skills, including the most in-demand skills like computer science, Java, PostgreSQL, SQL, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, React, and GitHub Copilot, among others. We also teach the soft (common) skills that hiring managers are looking for, including a focus on the top three: communication, troubleshooting, and problem-solving.

All of this demonstrates how we prepare our graduates for the current job market through a mix of curriculum, expert instruction, and career-specific training from our career services team.

When asked about his job search preparation and overall experience, graduate Richard Vanderburgh, now a Computer Engineer at the University of Dayton Research Institute, said: “They helped us all understand what to expect when we got out of the program and what things to watch out for. They helped get students in front of companies to interview, prepare for the interview process, and go over resumes and LinkedIn profiles. That was all invaluable. You can learn the technical stuff, but the interpersonal stuff – and getting the business acumen – are very hard to develop on your own. Having that guidance really helps.”

Richard is not alone in feeling prepared. In our 2024 Alumni Survey Report, 80% of respondents indicated they felt “well prepared” or “very well prepared” for their initial role after graduating due to our built-in Career Services/Job Application Support system.

Importantly, the survey also indicates that 85% of respondents are satisfied with their current roles.

That means a lot to us and is an important metric to track. Our efforts combine to make it possible for our graduates to achieve career success and satisfaction for years to come. Data like the kind we’re seeing now from Lightcast and BLS confirm what we already know: software developers are needed across industries, and now is a great time to train for your new, exciting career.

Ready to become a software engineer?

With full-time and part-time bootcamps, we have a program to fit your schedule. Start your application today!