- Software Developers: Up 30 percent, adding 270,900 jobs (the strongest growth rate)
- Network and Computer Systems Admins: Up 28 percent, adding 96,600 jobs
- Systems Analysts: Up 22 percent, adding 120,800 jobs
- Security/Web Dev/Network Architects: Up 22 percent, adding 65,600 jobs
- Database Administrators: Up 31 percent, adding 33,900 this decade
- IT Managers: Up 18 percent, adding 55,800 jobs
- Help Desk and Tech Support: Up 18 percent, adding 110,000 jobs
- Programmers: Up 12 percent, adding 33,700 jobs (the weakest growth rate)
Expect 270,000 New Software Development Jobs by 2020
The continuing expansion of healthcare IT and mobile networks will continue to create demand for software developers, technical support, and system analysts, even though offshoring will hurt programming careers over the next several years. That’s the finding of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) biennial update of employment projections, which concludes that by 2020, employment in all computer occupations is expected to increase by 22 percent. Do you believe the BLS is accurate in predicting software development jobs over the next eight years? Share your thoughts in the comment section below. The report outlines which job titles will be in demand in the coming years: