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Information Technology | Computer Programmer

Computer Programmer

What Does a Professional in this Career Do?

A Computer Programmer writes code, or instructions that a computer can follow, to create software programs. Follows program designs created by software developers and assists with software program design work. Updates and expands programs, tests for errors and fix errors. Uses different computer languages as needed to write programs.

Job Outlook

There were 302 Computer Programmer job postings in North Carolina in the past year and 8466 in the United States.

In combination with other careers in the Computer Programmer industry, which includes the Computer Programmer career, the following graph shows the number of people employed for each year since 2015:

Salary

Many new Computer Programmer jobs have salaries estimated to be in the following ranges, based on the requirements and responsibilities listed in job postings from the past year.

National

The average estimated salary in the United States for this career, based on job postings in the past year, is $99,248.

State

The average estimated salary in North Carolina for this career, based on job postings in the past year, is $113,925.

Percentiles represent the percentage that is lower than the value. For example, 25% of estimated salaries for Computer Programmer postings in the United States in the past year were lower than $69,393.

Education and Experience

Posted Computer Programmer jobs typically require the following level of education. The numbers below are based on job postings in the United States from the past year. Not all job postings list education requirements.

Education LevelPercentage
Associate's Degree0%
Bachelor's Degree54.68%
Master's Degree11.04%
Doctoral Degree2.29%
Other6.44%

Posted Computer Programmer jobs typically require the following number of years of experience. The numbers below are based on job postings in the United States from the past year. Not all job postings list experience requirements.

Years of ExperiencePercentage
0 to 2 years36.92%
3 to 5 years35.64%
6 to 8 years17.55%
9+ years9.89%

Skills

Below are listings of the most common general and specialized skills Computer Programmer positions expect applicants to have as well as the most common skills that distinguish individuals from their peers. The percentage of job postings that specifically mention each skill is also listed.

Baseline Skills

A skill that is required across a broad range of occupations, including this one.

  • English Language (39.74%)
  • Mathematics (31.04%)
  • Innovation (20.27%)
  • Communication (17.97%)
  • Detail Oriented (11.62%)
  • Management (9.78%)
  • Troubleshooting (Problem Solving) (9.65%)
  • Problem Solving (9.1%)
  • Research (7.43%)
  • Writing (7.36%)

Defining Skills

A core skill for this occupation, it occurs frequently in job postings.

  • Artificial Intelligence (65.66%)
  • Generative Artificial Intelligence (36.54%)

Necessary Skills

A skill that is requested frequently in this occupation but isn’t specific to it.

  • Advanced Mathematics (42.35%)
  • JavaScript (Programming Language) (10.8%)
  • HyperText Markup Language (HTML) (4.74%)
  • Debugging (8.89%)
  • Computer Science (23.1%)
  • Automation (8.49%)
  • Java (Programming Language) (12.42%)
  • C++ (Programming Language) (13.07%)
  • Python (Programming Language) (17.86%)
  • Project Management (9.84%)
  • Punctuation and Capitalization (6.7%)
  • SQL (Programming Language) (14.89%)
  • Programming Languages (4.59%)

Alternative Job Titles

Sometimes employers post jobs with Computer Programmer skills but a different job title. Some common alternative job titles include:

  • Artificial Intelligence Manager
  • Mathematics Specialist
  • Mathematics Editor
  • Cobol Developer
  • Evaluator
  • Mathematics Teacher
  • Programmer
  • Contract Coder
  • Artificial Intelligence Engineer
  • Statistical Programming Manager

Similar Occupations

If you are interested in exploring occupations with similar skills, you may want to research the following job titles. Note that we only list occupations that have at least one corresponding NC State Online and Distance Education program.

Common Employers

Here are the employers that have posted the most Computer Programmer jobs in the past year along with how many they have posted.

United States

  • Outlier (1610)
  • Outlier Ai (1480)
  • Beacon Hill Staffing Group (116)
  • Encompass Health (74)
  • Epic Games (54)
  • Meta (40)
  • Marriott International (37)
  • Allegis Group (36)
  • University of California (35)
  • Rpo Pte Ltd (31)

North Carolina

  • Outlier (59)
  • Outlier Ai (59)
  • Epic Games (37)
  • Rpo Pte Ltd (9)
  • 84 Lumber (8)
  • First Citizens Bank (5)
  • Smart Physician Recruiting (4)
  • Genesis10 (4)
  • Graphic Trade Printers (3)
  • Atrium Health Floyd (2)

NC State Programs Relevant to this Career

If you are interested in preparing for a career in this field, the following NC State Online and Distance Education programs offer a great place to start!