The Work of a Software Developer

Software developers obviously spend their days developing software programs. The job duties are pretty self-explanatory. No matter how transparent the work may be, there are other elements surrounding it that may not be so obvious. For instance, do you know where software developers work or how much money they make? Probably not. That is what this article is all about. Here we will assess some of the background factors that make up the career of a software developer so you can determine if this is the career for you. Let's explore software engineering jobs like never before.

Employers for Software Developers

Software developers can work for a wide variety of employers. They don't have to work directly with Apple or Kaspersky. They can find jobs anywhere that software development is needed, which is just about anywhere in the work force. Here is a look at just some of the many employers you may be able to work under in this profession:

• Colleges
• Companies
• Contracts
• Government Offices
• Foundations
• Franchises
• Hospitals
• Non-Profit Organizations
• Private Practices
• School Districts
• Teams

Industries for Software Developers

Because of the vast assortment of employers that software developers can work for, there is also a vast assortment of industries they can work in. If you are looking for an occupation that can truly take you anywhere, this may be a great opportunity for you. Here are some of the most popular industries you may consider working in:

• Aerospace and Defense
• Financial Services
• Insurance
• IT Consulting
• Software Applications

Degree Programs for Software Developers

If you want to become a software developer in the near future, you will need to obtain college degree. This is not saying that you cannot learn all of the information you need on your own. You will just have a hard time finding a job if you do that. The list below shows some of the degree programs you may want to keep in mind, and any one of them could land you a job as a software developer:

• Associate's Degree
• Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science
• Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering
• Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems
• Bachelor of Science in Computer Science
• Master of Science in Computer Science

Specialties for Software Developers

Sometimes it pays to specialize, especially in the world of technology. You need to be a Jack of all trades, but you also need to be really experienced in one or two areas. That will make you a more desirable employee in the long run. Possible specialties may include:

• ASP.NET
• C#
• C++
• HTML
• Java
• Microsoft SQL Server
• SQL
• UNIX
• VB.Net
• .NET

Certifications for Software Developers

In order to verify that you know what you are doing in software development, you may want to obtain a few certifications. That will show your employers that you are skilled enough to work with them. The list below shows some of the certifications you may pursue for this career.

• Cisco Certified Network Associate
• Microsoft Certified Database Administrator
• Microsoft Certified Professional
• Microsoft Certified Professional + Internet
• Microsoft Certified Solution Developer
• Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator
• Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer
• Oracle Certified Professional
• Sun Certified Java Programmer
• Comptia A+ Service Technician

Salary Rates for Software Developers

The salary range for software developers is pretty vast, and that is because there are a number of variables to keep in mind. Your experience, employer, and education will all impact the amount of money you earn in this vocation. Here are some charts to show you just how much money you can make as a software developer:

Salary by Years of Experience

• Less than 1 year of experience: $35,125 - $78,230 per year
• 1-4 years of experience: $38,883 - $79,596 per year
• 5-9 years of experience: $47,933 - $92,801 per year
• 10-19 years of experience: $52,402 - $104,261 per year
• 20 years or more of experience: $52,501 - $118,242 per year

Salary by Location

• California: $44,143 - $100,446 per year
• Florida: $39,709 - $83,316 per year
• Illinois: $43,959 - $86,502 per year
• New York: $40,581 - $101,957 per year
• Ohio: $40,741 - $79,946 per year
• Texas: $41,901 - $89,762 per year
• Washington: $41,672 - $100,378 per year

Now that you know what you need to know about the work of a software developer, you need to figure out whether or not this is the right career path for you. If it is, you should have an exciting life ahead of you.

Locking in a Good Price with Vonage

Vonage is a home phone service that allows you to use your internet connection to make phone calls, just like you would with a landline. My mother in law recently switched her service over to Vonage because her telephone provider upped its prices without any announcement. The service she got was good and cheap, but she ended up cancelling it a few months later because she moved. Nevertheless, I learned a lot about this company in the brief time she spent with them, and I figured I would share some pointers with the rest of you on how to save money with it. You may be surprised by just how easy it is to lock in a good price with Vonage. Here are some tips to help you get the lowest price possible on your VoIP phone service.

How Does Vonage Work?

Before you can find out how to save money with Vonage, you may want to find out if this is a good telephone solution for you. Vonage provides you with a box that you can connect to your internet modem just like you would a wireless router. This box converts some of your streaming internet connection info telephone service, just like you would expect to get. As long as you have a strong internet signal, you will be able to make phone calls directly through the signal coming out of the box.

In order to connect to Vonage, you will need to have a phone plugged into the box. You can then use satellite phones that feed off that one to get phone calls throughout the house. You won't be plugging anything into the phone line at that point. You will just be connecting the one phone to the box. All the other phones can then respond to that one accordingly.

How to Save Money on Vonage Services

One of the easiest ways to lock in a good price for Vonage is to look for promotions that they have going on. When my mother in law signed up for service, she was able to get her box for free and get her service without any cancellation fee should she decide to leave the company. She paid $9.99 a month for the first three months of service, and then her price went up to $24.99. That was less than what she was paying with her regular phone company, and it did not require her to commit to a contract. You should look for a similar program that you could get involved with to save your tattoo salary.

If you happen to find a promotion like this to work in, threaten to cancel it right before the price increase. This may sound odd, but it is a great tactic to help you save money. I was actually the one that cancelled my mother in law's service recently, and the lady told me that she would make the $9.99/month price last for life if my mother in law wanted to keep the services. I still ended up cancelling the order, but I realized that threats could allow other people to save money on Vonage services. Try this out and see if it works for you.

Vonage isn't for everyone, but it may be the perfect solution for you. Check out some of the different options you can have with Vonage and see if any of them suit your telephone needs. If so, you could use my suggestions to save as much money as possible on your services. Does that sound like a plan? Great! I knew it would ;)

I Am Overly Obsessed with World of Goo

I have already written articles on two other blogs about World of Goo, but I had to bring one to this blog as well because of my genuine love for the game. For those of you who have been living under a rock for the past few months, World of Goo is a game that you can play on your phone or computer. I have been playing it for a few months now, and I think I've gone through the full game close to three times. It's just so addicting, and I find myself getting drawn back in every time I think I'm "over it." I can't help it.

In the World of Goo, you basically have to connect chains of balls to create structures that reach out to a tube. The tube then sucks up any of the balls that are not in the structure. You have to get a certain number of balls per level, and you have to go through different obstacles to get through the tube. Sometimes the balls are floating in the sky. Other times they're splashing around in water. You never really know what to expect until you log into the level.

Why do I love this game so much? Good question. Part of it has to do with the unique storyline, but it also has to do with the strategy involved with the game. I don't like games that I can blitz through. I want to think when I play something. In this game, you have to figure out timing and a movement pattern that will allow you to reach your destination. If that is not enough for you, you can challenge yourself with OCD, where you have to complete the level with a specific number of balls, moves, or seconds. There is something in this game for everyone, and I really would encourage anyone to look into it. Your money will not go to waste, I promise.

Reviews of World of Goo

• "This isn't just the small matter of being one of the best games of the year, it's also the emergence of a stellar new talent in gaming... a game that constantly reinvents itself, reimagining the possibilities, evolving and throwing out surprise after surprise." - Rock Paper Shotgun
• "The comedy is implemented in bucket-loads, parodying the power of cynical marketing and the corrupt exploits of major corporations... and at this point I struggle to find a way to put into words how a puzzle game can explore so many themes. It's just incredible." - The Dead Pixel Post
• "I myself gasped at a few points at the sheer brilliance of what I saw in front of my eyes. Words cannot describe how good this game is." - Chris Evans
• "I honestly don't know where to begin on this one. This game is so startlingly brilliant on so many levels that it's difficult to say 'oh yeah that's the stand out thing' and then begin with that." - full review at Poisoned Sponge
• "easily the best WiiWare game to date and, perhaps, one of the best this generation" - NintendoWorldReport
• "brilliant, stunning, and ridiculously fun ... World of Goo is so good that it oftentimes feels like a title developed internally at Nintendo" - IGN
• "A game so utterly charming, so pregnant with charisma, and so simple in concept, that it belongs in another era." - Eurogamer

You heard them people. It's a badass game with badass characters and a badass storyline to follow. Download it, play it, and get on with your bad self. Mmm hmmm…

Is Microsoft Office Worth the Money?

If you are a student at one of the top universities online MS Office is a popular software program that includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Outlook, Groove, OneNote, Publisher, and InfoPath. These programs are designed to improve office efficiency, but they can be expensive to buy even in a full set. Before you spend part of your income on Microsoft Office, you may want to figure out if it is going to benefit you or not. Here is a quick guide to help you justify your investment.

The Universality of Microsoft Office

The thing that most people like about MS Office is the fact that they can use it in multiple languages. Users don't have to worry about misspelling words just because they don't have the characters too say something. They can get their points across with ease. You can use the program in any country, as long as you have a computer that is compatible with it. If you have workers in a foreign country that you have to buy the program for, you can feel confident that they will be able to use it as well.

The Convenience of Microsoft Office

I write for a living online, so MS Word has literally become the portal for my income over the years. It is incredibly convenient on a variety of levels, but mainly because of AutoCorrect. I'm not the best typist in the world, no matter how much I try to be. Thus I make a lot of typos whenever I do my work. With AutoCorrect, I don't have to worry about the typos because the program fixes most of my issues for me. It also highlights the grammar and spelling problems that I may not catch when I write so that I can quickly make my writing as perfect as possible. From a writing standpoint, there is simply no better option on the computer.

The Demand of Microsoft Office

If you are a college student, you will inevitably come across a time when you have to use MS Office. Your professor may ask for an assignment in a Word document, or he may ask for you to make a PowerPoint presentation. Whatever the case may be, you will eventually have to use this silly software for something. Of course, you can go to the library to use it. That just seems like a waste of time to me though. Rather than going out of your way to use the software, why not just get a copy of your own? I guarantee that you will be able to use it for a long time in the future.

So, Is Microsoft Office Worth the Money?

In my opinion, absolutely. There are so many cool features in MS Office, from the graphics to the editors and everything in between. Whether you are a simple student or a working professional, there will come a time when you can use this software program in your life. There are so many different programs within this larger program, so you are at least getting a lot of options for your money. If you price everything out individually, you will see that the spending is well worth it in the end. Save some money for MS Office and try it for yourself. I guarantee you will love it from the start.

Have You Tried LastPass?

If you are like me when it comes to computers, you have way too many passwords to remember on a day to day basis. I run 66 unique blogs on the web at the moment, and every one of those blogs has its own username and password that I am supposed to remember. Seeing that is almost impossible to do, I enlisted the help of LastPass to help me keep track of all those pesky passwords. Here is a look at my experiences with LastPass so you can determine whether or not you want to use it in the future.

What Is LastPass?

LastPass is a free password storage program that will hold all of your passwords for you on the web. All you have to do is create an account with the program, and the site will store your login information and form details per your request. If you choose to have the program automatically log you into certain sites, you won't even have to hit the "submit" button on the sites you use. If you have multiple websites to log into on a regular basis, LastPas can help you do so with ease.

My Opinion of LastPass

As a whole, I think LastPass is a great program to use. It saves me a ton of time on a day to day basis, and it stores all of my information safely and securely. Beyond all of that, it is free to use. I can't complain about that. If you are looking for a whole new form of convenience online, this is the program to fulfill your needs.

User Reviews for LastPass

You don't have to take my word about the awesomeness that is LastPass. There are plenty of other users that agree with me. Here are just a few of the positive reviews you can find about this program online:

• "It's been six months that I've been using LastPass and to tell you.....I'm in love with this add-in. Today my each and everyday starts with LastPass!!!!! From morning email to my multiple forms, orkut & facebook accounts. Without LastPass my life was never *so easy*. And your password generator is just a cherry on the cake. In my field, I need to create account for my customers and for that I need to create passwords that are unique to each individual. LastPass makes that task, piece of cake. Even when I'm on the move, I can be rest assured thanks to your web-interface that's so easy to manage and use. I can keep on and on and on praising about you guys.....Thanks a zilliionz for this wonderful add-on." – Mayank Raichura
• "You guys are great and your software is incredible. I just can't believe such a great sofwate is free for all to use, I love you guys for having a big heart. I am logged into my lastpass Vault and using it from a web page and access so many sites that i wouldn't normally remember their names. And I would like to tell you that I will support you guys and pay because I know you guys need support to carry on the great work and i would incourage others who can pay to do the same." – Romeo
• "I am pleased with this program... i use to use digital personal with my thumb scanner but it wont work on firefox and i hate internet explorer always freezes up so i am switching this software made it more easier to do so... thanks" – FlexDaddy

With comments like that, you have to trust in the user friendliness of this program. It is free to use, so you might as well give it a try. What's the worst that can happen? You end up liking it? Mmmhmmm…

The Trustworthiness of PayPal

PayPal is one of those websites that everyone talks about but no one really knows how to define. Simply put, PayPal is an online money management system that acts as a middleman between businesses and consumer bank accounts. If you want to make a purchase on the web or send money to someone, you will most likely look to PayPal to do that. I use this program to get paid from my online clients, and I have grown to trust it greatly over the years. If you have questions about the trustworthiness of PayPal, I plan to help you see the light in this article. Here are just a few of the many reasons you can trust PayPal with your money online.

Reputation

PayPal isn't anything new. It has been around for a long time now. The reason it has been around for so long is because it has proven its worth over the years. Millions of people around the world use PayPal to make payments, collect money, and order products online every single day. Take these stats into consideration, courtesy of TechCrunch.com:

• PayPal saw $3,650 in Total Payment Volume every second in the second quarter of 2011. That equates to $315.3 million in payments per day, and $115 billion per year.
• On average, PayPal sees over 5 million transactions a day.
• PayPal has over $10 million a day in mobile transactions alone.
• The company expected more than $3 billion in mobile TPV in 2011, compared to $750 million in 2010.
• PayPal’s Total Payment Volume in 2010 represented nearly 18 percent of global e-commerce.
• PayPal has over 350 million users (my husband and I are two of them).

If those statistics don't tell you something about the trustworthiness of PayPal, I don't know what will.

Fraud Prevention

If a bunch of weird transactions start showing up on your PayPal account, PayPal will actually contact you to make sure that someone hasn't stolen your identity. This is especially true for people who have a PayPal business debit card because the company will make sure that card-based transactions are accurate. I pay all of my bills with my PayPal card, and I have gotten several phone calls in the past just to make sure I am the one making all of those payments. It's nice to see a company care so much about fraud prevention, seeing that it is an increasingly growing problem on the internet.

Personal Experience

I realize that personal experience doesn't say much in the grand scheme of things, but I can tell you that I have been using PayPal for over three years now with no complaints. I work online, so my clients all pay me through PayPal. I can then use my PayPal card to instantly get my money, or I can transfer it to a bank account. I have transferred hundreds of thousands of dollars through PayPal throughout my career, and I have never had a problem with anything. Just take my word for it – this place is legit.

No Risk

Whether you're a project manager or a freelance writer, you could benefit from having a PayPal account. Setting up an account is absolutely free, and it is really easy to do. You will need to link a bank account or credit card to it in order to transfer money, but then you could do anything you want online without having to worry about getting your identity stolen. Trust PayPal to care for your money, and you will have no trouble making purchases on the web.

What Is the Average Software Developer Salary?

Software developers are responsible for making the technology we all know and use today. These professionals are always in demand, and they will continue to be for many years in the future. If you enjoy computer science and think you may do well in software development, you need to have a firm grasp on how much money you could make in this professions. That is one of the first questions people ask when they consider working in just about any career, and it is something you really do need to keep in mind. The charts below outline some of the most common salary levels you may experience in this profession, courtesy of PayScale.com.

Salary by Years of Experience

• Less than 1 year: $35,125 - $78,230 per year
• 1-4 years: $38,883 - $79,596 per year
• 5-9 years: $47,933 - $92,801 per year
• 10-19 years: $52,402 - $104,261 per year
• 20 years or more: $52,501 - $118,242 per year

Salary by Industry

• Aerospace and Defense: $47,821 - $92,456 per year
• Financial Services Software: $42,821 - $97,819 per year
• Financial Services: $45,327 - $102,367 per year
• Insurance: $48,426 - $86,928 per year
• IT Consulting: $45,917 - $86,890 per year
• Software Applications: $41,411 - $90,093 per year

Salary by Degree

• Associate's Degree: $34,729 - $78,170 per year
• Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science: $44,009 - $91,589 per year
• Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering: $44,651 - $91,045 per year
• Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems: $38,689 - $83,729 per year
• Bachelor of Science in Computer Science: $40,557 - $84,453 per year
• Master of Science in Computer Science: $46,719 - $90,773 per year

Salary by Employer Type

• College or University: $27,617 - $81,726
  
• Company: $41,288 - $91,651 per year


• Contract: $41,361 - $96,860 per year


• Federal Government: $39,578 - $100,457 per year


• Foundation: $30,000 - $80,000 per year


• Franchise: $45,000 - $80,000 per year


• Hospital: $39,732 - $87,137 per year


• Non-Profit Organization: $38,570 - $81,881 per year


• Private Practice: $42,156 - $92,832 per year


• School District: $28,000 - $90,000 per year


• Self-Employed: $14,813 - $118,066 per year


• State & Local Government: $44,854 - $88,915 per year


• Team: $39,305 - $52,903 per year

Salary by Gender

• Male: $49,606 - $75,023 per year
• Female: $51,544 - $76,758 per year

Salary by Specialty

• ASP.NET: $40,790 - $89,011 per year
• C#: $40,841 - $90,188 per year
• C++: $40,218 - $96,815 per year
• HTML: $39,781 - $88,567 per year
• Java: $41,034 - $91,693 per year
• Microsoft SQL Server: $40,405 - $89,030 per year
• SQL: $40,681 - $88,319 per year
• UNIX: $43,017 - $97,038 per year
• VB.Net: $40,097 - $86,016 per year
• .NET: $41,376 - $88,389 per year

Salary by Location

• California: $44,143 - $100,446 per year
• Florida: $39,709 - $83,316 per year
• Illinois: $43,959 - $86,502 per year
• New York: $40,581 - $101,957 per year
• Ohio: $40,741 - $79,946 per year
• Texas: $41,901 - $89,762 per year
• Washington: $41,672 - $100,378 per year

Salary by Certification

• Cisco Certified Network Associate: $34,919 - $119,219 per year
• Microsoft Certified Database Administrator: $42,400 - $120,064 per year
• Microsoft Certified Professional: $41,993 - $91,148 per year
• Microsoft Certified Professional + Internet: $43,273 - $121,269 per year
• Microsoft Certified Solution Developer: $49,726 - $105,148 per year
• Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator: $46,989 - $122,798 per year
• Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer: $48,079 - $101,367 per year
• Oracle Certified Professional: $38,783 - $103,693 per year
• Sun Certified Java Programmer: $40,166 - $93,119 per year
• Comptia A+ Service Technician: $40,695 - $85,976 per year

It is impossible to predict exactly how much money you could make in a software developer career, but the charts above should give you a rough idea to work with. Your location, experience, and overall expertise will determine how high your salary is in software development. For now, all you can do is get the education you need to make your salary as high as possible. If you have a passion for your job and a drive to succeed, you should have no trouble securing a high pay check in the future.