Software developers are on track to see job growth that far outstrips the national average for all occupations going into 2020. Things are looking especially sweet if you're a software systems developer, though app  developers aren't too far behind. Check out these stats that size up  opportunities for software developers in a couple of categories, verses that of the overall employment outlook. Driving the increased demand for software systems developers is exploding growth in the healthcare industry, notes the report, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. It's easy to see why, as hospitals, medical groups and the like race to meet various deadlines for implementing the federal mandate for electronic medical records over the next couple of years. And with consumers going gaga over mobile devices, or more so the bevvy of cool apps they can load onto them, it's not surprising to see the nearly 30 percent growth in app developer jobs over the next eight years.

Other Factoids To Chew On

The BLS offers up other interesting facts regarding software developers:

• 2010 Median Pay: $90,530 per year, $43.52 per hour
• Entry-Level Education: Bachelor’s degree
• Work Experience in a Related Occupation: None
• On-the-job Training: None
• Number of Jobs, 2010: 913,100
• Job Outlook, 2010-20: 30 percent (Much faster than average)
• Employment Change, 2010-20: 270,900

That looks pretty darn good! Related Links

• Occupational Outlook Handbook [BLS]
• The National Digital Medical Records Mandate: ARRA [Medical Records.com]