Developer Programmers

ANZSCO ID 261312

Overview

Snapshot

Employed
34,300
Future Growth
N/A
Weekly Earnings
N/A
Full-Time Share
88%
Female Share
15%
Average age
37

Summary

Developer Programmers interpret specifications, technical designs and flow charts, build, maintain and modify the code for software applications, construct technical specifications from a business functional model, and test and write technical documentation.

Also known as: Applications Developer, ICT Developer, or ICT Programmer.

Specialisations: Communications Programmer (Systems), Database Developer, Database Programmer (Systems), Network Programmer, Software Developer, Software Programmer.

A bachelor or postgraduate degree in a related information technology field (such as programming, software development or computer science) is usually needed to work as a Developer Programmer. Some workers have a Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualification.

Tasks

  • Writes and maintains programme code to meet system requirements, system designs and technical specifications in accordance with quality accredited standards.

  • Writes, updates and maintains technical programme, end user documentation and operational procedures.

Characteristics

Job Type
Professionals
Skill Level
Very high skill
ANZSCO Occupation group
Unemployment Rate
n/a
Industries
Pathway(s)
  • University
  • Vocational Education and Training (VET)
Interests
  • Analytical
  • Administrative
Physical Demand
  • Sedentary
  • Light

Outlook

Employment Outlook

JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. Employment projections data are only produced for occupations at the broad four digit Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) level. While data are not available for this occupation, projections data are available for the parent occupation, Software and Applications Programmers, under the outlook section.


Earnings and hours

Working arrangements

  • Around 88% of people employed as Developer Programmers work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 22 percentage points above the all jobs average (66%).

    Full-time workers work an average of 41 hours per week in their main job. This is similar to the all jobs average (44 hours per week).

    Sources:Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average.


Industries

Main industries

1
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
53.2%
2
Financial and Insurance Services
10.2%
3
Public Administration and Safety
8.0%
4
Information Media and Telecommunications
5.0%
5
Other industries
20.6%

Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

36.9% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

30.1% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

14.5% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

4.6% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

6.7% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

1.1% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

0.3% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

5.9% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Developer Programmers All Jobs Average
NSW 36.9 31.6
VIC 30.1 25.6
QLD 14.5 20.0
SA 4.6 7.0
WA 6.7 10.8
TAS 1.1 2.0
NT 0.3 1.0
ACT 5.9 1.9



Worker profile

Age and gender

Age In Years
37
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
15%
All Jobs Average is 48%
  • The median age of Developer Programmers is 37 years. This is similar to the all jobs average of 40 years.

    A large share of workers are aged 25 to 34 years.

    Females make up 15% of the workforce. This is 33 percentage points below the all jobs average of 48%.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.

Age Profile (% Share)

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Bracket Developer Programmers All Jobs Average
15-19 0.5 5.0
20-24 5.4 9.3
25-34 34.3 22.9
35-44 32.8 22.0
45-54 17.5 21.6
55-59 5.2 9.0
60-64 2.8 6.0
65 and Over 1.5 4.2
Median Age 37 40

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.


Employment Pathways

Education, training and experience

A bachelor or postgraduate degree in a related information technology field (such as programming, software development or computer science) is usually needed to work as a Developer Programmer. Some workers have a Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualification.

Visit

  • Course Seeker to search and compare higher education courses.
  • ComparED to compare undergraduate and postgraduate student experiences and outcomes.
  • My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
  • AAPathways website to explore Information and Communications Technology VET training pathways.

Highest Level of Education (% Share)

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Type of Qualification Developer Programmers All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 23.4 10.1
Bachelor degree 55.3 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 6.8 11.6
Certificate III/IV 2.9 21.1
Year 12 10.1 18.1
Year 11 0.7 4.8
Year 10 and below 0.9 12.5

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.


Skills and Knowledge

Employers look for Software and Applications Programmers who can communicate clearly, work well in a team and have strong computer skills.

Skills

Skills can be improved through training or experience.

  • 68%

    Programming

    Writing computer programs.

  • 59%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 55%

    Quality control analysis

    Doing tests and checking products, services, or processes to make sure they are working properly.

  • 54%

    Critical thinking

    Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

  • 52%

    Active listening

    Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

  • 50%

    Complex problem solving

    Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

  • 50%

    Operations analysis

    Understanding needs and product requirements to create a design.

  • 50%

    Systems evaluation

    Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.

  • 48%

    Judgment and decision making

    Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.

  • 48%

    Writing

    Writing things for co-workers or customers.

  • 46%

    Time management

    Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.

  • 46%

    Mathematics

    Using maths to solve problems.

  • 46%

    Monitoring

    Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.

  • 46%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 46%

    Systems analysis

    Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.

  • 45%

    Active learning

    Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.

  • 43%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 43%

    Social perceptiveness

    Understanding why people react the way they do.

  • 36%

    Management of personnel resources

    Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.

  • 32%

    Technology design

    Designing and improving equipment and technology.


Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 96%

    Computers and electronics

    Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

  • 67%

    Mathematics

    Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.

  • 58%

    English language

    English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

  • 53%

    Administration and management

    Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.

  • 46%

    Customer and personal service

    Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.

  • 42%

    Technical design

    Design techniques, tools, and principles used to make detailed technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

  • 37%

    Education and training

    Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

  • 36%

    Communications and media

    Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.

  • 34%

    Engineering and technology

    Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.

  • 33%

    Clerical

    Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.

  • 24%

    Telecommunications

    Transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

  • 23%

    Public safety and security

    Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.

  • 21%

    Transportation

    Moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.

  • 20%

    Economics and accounting

    Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.

  • 18%

    Personnel and human resources

    Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.

  • 13%

    Psychology

    Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.

  • 12%

    Geography

    Describing land, sea, and air, including their physical characteristics, locations, how they work together, and the location of plant, animal, and human life.

  • 12%

    Production and processing

    Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.

  • 9%

    Law and government

    How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.

  • 8%

    Physics

    The physical laws of matter, motion and energy, and how they interact through space and time.


Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 61%

    Written comprehension

    Read and understand written information.

  • 61%

    Oral comprehension

    Listen to and understand what people say.

  • 59%

    Deductive reasoning

    Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.

  • 57%

    Sorting or ordering

    Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

  • 55%

    Inductive reasoning

    Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.

  • 55%

    Oral expression

    Communicate by speaking.

  • 52%

    Near vision

    See details that are up-close (within a few feet).

  • 52%

    Problem spotting

    Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.

  • 52%

    Written expression

    Write in a way that people can understand.

  • 48%

    Mathematics

    Choose the right maths method or formula to solve a problem.

  • 48%

    Categorising

    Come up with different ways of grouping things.

  • 48%

    Originality

    Come up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.

  • 46%

    Working with numbers

    Add, subtract, multiply, or divide.

  • 45%

    Selective attention

    Pay attention to something without being distracted.

  • 45%

    Brainstorming

    Come up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.

  • 45%

    Speech clarity

    Speak clearly so others can understand you.

  • 43%

    Perceptual speed

    Use your eyes to quickly compare groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.

  • 43%

    Speech recognition

    Identify and understand the speech of another person.

  • 39%

    Flexibility of closure

    See a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.

  • 37%

    Visualization

    Imagine how something will look after it is moved around or changed.


Activities

These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.

  • 84%

    Working with computers

    Using computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.

  • 74%

    Keeping your knowledge up-to-date

    Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.

  • 71%

    Making sense of information and ideas

    Looking at, working with, and understanding data or information.

  • 69%

    Thinking creatively

    Using your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.

  • 69%

    Communicating within a team

    Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 68%

    Making decisions and solving problems

    Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.

  • 67%

    Looking for changes over time

    Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.

  • 65%

    Planning and prioritising work

    Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.

  • 65%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 65%

    Collecting and organising information

    Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.

  • 62%

    Building good relationships

    Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.

  • 58%

    Monitoring people, processes and things

    Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.

  • 55%

    Checking compliance with standards

    Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.

  • 52%

    Explaining things to people

    Helping people to understand and use information.

  • 51%

    Documenting or recording information

    Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.

  • 48%

    Coming up with systems and processes

    Deciding on goals and figuring out what you need to do to achieve them.

  • 47%

    Communicating with the public

    Giving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 43%

    Assessing and evaluating things

    Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.

  • 38%

    Leading and encouraging a team

    Encouraging and building trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.

  • 37%

    Estimating amounts, costs and resources

    Working out sizes, distances, amounts, time, costs, resources, or materials needed for a task.


Interests and demands

Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.

Interests

Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.

  • 100%

    Analytical

    Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.

  • 81%

    Administrative

    Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.

  • 48%

    Practical

    Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

  • 43%

    Creative

    Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.

  • 29%

    Enterprising

    Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.

  • 29%

    Helping

    Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.


Values

Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
  • 81%

    Achievement

    Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

  • 79%

    Working conditions

    Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.

  • 71%

    Independence

    Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.

  • 71%

    Support

    Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.

  • 62%

    Recognition

    Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.

  • 33%

    Relationships

    Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.


Demands

The physical and social demands that workers face most often are shown below:
  • 97%

    Electronic mail

    Use electronic mail.

  • 97%

    Spend time sitting

    Spend time sitting at work.

  • 95%

    Indoors, heat controlled

    Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.

  • 93%

    Being exact or accurate

    Be very exact or highly accurate.

  • 89%

    Telephone

    Talk on the telephone.

  • 85%

    Face-to-face discussions

    Talk with people face-to-face.

  • 82%

    Repeating same tasks

    Repeat the same tasks or activities (e.g., key entry) over and over, without stopping.

  • 80%

    Time pressure

    Work to strict deadlines.

  • 79%

    Teamwork

    Work with people in a group or team.

  • 76%

    Contact with people

    Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.

  • 72%

    Making repetitive motions

    Spend time making repetitive motions.

  • 71%

    Frequent decision making

    Frequently make decisions that impact other people.

  • 70%

    Unstructured work

    Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.

  • 66%

    Competition

    Compete with others, or be aware of competitive pressures.

  • 66%

    Lead or coordinate a team

    Lead others to do work activities.

  • 66%

    Impact of decisions

    Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.

  • 65%

    Freedom to make decisions

    Have freedom to make decision on your own.

  • 62%

    Using your hands to handle, control, or feel

    Spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.

  • 57%

    Physically close to people

    Work physically close to other people.

  • 56%

    Letters and memos

    Write letters and memos.

Occupational Information Network
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 15-1131.00 - Computer Programmers.


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