Software Engineering Managers: How to Become One
If you were to ask a group of software engineering managers about how they arrived at their current job, there's a good chance you would get several different answers about the paths and steps that each person took.
That said, there are still ways that you can develop a baseline understanding of the preparation that is necessary to become one.
The Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has gathered data to provide you with insight into the type of education that's commonly required for software engineering managers to land a job. This page contains information, sourced from real job postings, that describes the experience levels and specific skills that employers of software engineering managers expect candidates to have. In the end, this information will help you create an education or professional development plan that aligns with your career aspirations.
Keep reading to learn more about career steps for software engineering managers.
What Education & Experience is Needed for Software Engineering Managers?
Do software engineering managers need a degree? What kind of experience do software engineering managers typically need? Thanks to data sourced from Lightcast™ from real job postings, we can get some clarity on those questions, as well as the level of education that is commonly required for software engineering managers to secure jobs.
Education Level Required in Job Postings for Software Engineering Managers
Jobs Postings for Software Engineering Managers By Education
- Bachelor's degree: 828,432 (49%)
- No Education Listed: 518,902 (31%)
- Master's degree: 235,775 (14%)
- Ph.D. or professional degree: 52,195 (3%)
- High School or GED: 38,890 (2%)
A bachelor's degree is the level of education sought the most by employers of software engineering managers. According to job data, a bachelor's degree was required for 49% of positions. In 31% of job listings no education level was listed and in 14% of postings a master's degree was required.
Experience Level Required in Job Postings for Software Engineering Managers
Jobs Postings for Software Engineering Managers By Experience
- 0-1 Years: 66,963 (7%)
- 2-3 Years: 246,746 (25%)
- 4-6 Years: 388,987 (40%)
- 7-9 Years: 169,951 (18%)
- 10+ Years: 98,346 (10%)
While the amount of required experience will vary based on the responsibility and seniority of the position, an aggregate view of job posting data can help paint a picture of the experience level sought for most job openings for software engineering managers. In 40% of job postings for Software Engineering Managers, employers were looking for candidates with 4-6 years of experience. In 25% of listings employers were looking for candidates with 2-3 years of experience, while 7-9 years of experience was sought in 18% of job postings for software engineering managers.
What Kind of Degree Do Software Engineering Managers Need?
So far this page has provided detail into the level of education and the amount of experience required in job openings for software engineering managers, but what type of education or degree will help prepare you for a career in the field?
According to occupational data obtained through Lightcast,™ there are 32 key academic programs that can help prepare prospective software engineering managers, and in 2021 a total of 217,487 of those programs were completed at institutions in the United States.
Check out the information below to learn more about the specific programs that should be considered by prospective software engineering managers.
Top Degree Programs for Software Engineering Managers
Top 5 Degree Programs for Software Engineering Managers (2021)
| Program | Completions |
|---|---|
| Computer Science. | 59,346 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General. | 51,511 |
| Information Technology. | 31,478 |
| Information Science/Studies. | 18,279 |
| Computer Engineering, General. | 13,416 |
| Program | Completions |
|---|---|
| Computer Science. | 59,346 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General. | 51,511 |
| Information Technology. | 31,478 |
| Information Science/Studies. | 18,279 |
| Computer Engineering, General. | 13,416 |
| Computer Programming/Programmer, General. | 8,719 |
| Computer Software Engineering. | 4,226 |
| Computer/Information Technology Services Administration and Management, Other. | 4,000 |
| Systems Engineering. | 3,904 |
| Informatics. | 2,726 |
| Game and Interactive Media Design. | 2,639 |
| Computer Programming, Specific Applications. | 2,399 |
| Computer Systems Analysis/Analyst. | 2,305 |
| Medical Informatics. | 2,004 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, Other. | 1,880 |
| Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services, Other. | 1,755 |
| Computer Software and Media Applications, Other. | 1,437 |
| Bioinformatics. | 1,156 |
| Systems Science and Theory. | 884 |
| Modeling, Virtual Environments and Simulation. | 854 |
| Data Science, General. | 526 |
| Artificial Intelligence. | 518 |
| Cloud Computing. | 386 |
| E-Commerce/Electronic Commerce. | 293 |
| Computer Software Technology/Technician. | 248 |
| Computer Programming, Specific Platforms. | 173 |
| Computer Game Programming. | 169 |
| Computer Programming, Other. | 152 |
| Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians, Other. | 91 |
| Linguistics and Computer Science. | 6 |
| Medical Illustration and Informatics, Other. | 5 |
| Economics and Computer Science. | 2 |
What Skills Do Software Engineering Managers Need?
Education and experience have been covered, so what are the specific skills and traits needed by software engineering managers to secure a job?
A good way to understand this is to examine actual job postings for skills commonly sought by employers. Continue reading for a breakdown of specialized skills found in job postings for software engineering managers, as well as common skills that can help you thrive in the workplace.
In-Demand Skills for Today's Software Engineering Managers
Based on 1,397,591 job postings
Top 5 Specialized Skills for Software Engineering Managers
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | 531,780 | 38% |
| Software Engineering | 498,883 | 36% |
| Agile Methodology | 452,224 | 32% |
| Java (Programming Language) | 443,305 | 32% |
| Software Development | 415,452 | 30% |
Top 5 Common Skills for Software Engineering Managers
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Communications | 493,857 | 35% |
| Management | 284,394 | 20% |
| Problem Solving | 276,973 | 20% |
| Troubleshooting (Problem Solving) | 247,317 | 18% |
| Leadership | 208,186 | 15% |
Based on 1,397,591 job postings related to software engineering managers, computer science was the top specialized skill sought by employers, with 38% of all postings looking for that skillset. Skills for software engineering, agile methodology, java (programming language), software development and sql (programming language) were also highly sought.
As for common skills, communications was the most desired skill found in job postings for software engineering managers, followed by management, problem solving, troubleshooting (problem solving), leadership and operations.
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | 531,780 | 38% |
| Software Engineering | 498,883 | 36% |
| Agile Methodology | 452,224 | 32% |
| Java (Programming Language) | 443,305 | 32% |
| Software Development | 415,452 | 30% |
| SQL (Programming Language) | 359,517 | 26% |
| Python (Programming Language) | 340,621 | 24% |
| JavaScript (Programming Language) | 337,441 | 24% |
| Amazon Web Services | 318,373 | 23% |
| Application Programming Interface (API) | 288,272 | 21% |
| Automation | 238,067 | 17% |
| C# (Programming Language) | 219,748 | 16% |
| Scalability | 212,350 | 15% |
| Debugging | 209,475 | 15% |
| Microsoft Azure | 206,986 | 15% |
| Git (Version Control System) | 204,438 | 15% |
| DevOps | 200,003 | 14% |
| CI/CD | 195,282 | 14% |
| RESTful API | 188,836 | 14% |
| Angular (Web Framework) | 187,565 | 13% |
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Communications | 493,857 | 35% |
| Management | 284,394 | 20% |
| Problem Solving | 276,973 | 20% |
| Troubleshooting (Problem Solving) | 247,317 | 18% |
| Leadership | 208,186 | 15% |
| Operations | 195,780 | 14% |
| Writing | 175,924 | 13% |
| Planning | 157,877 | 11% |
| Innovation | 154,782 | 11% |
| Customer Service | 141,130 | 10% |
| Research | 136,743 | 10% |
| Self-Motivation | 128,534 | 9% |
| Mentorship | 127,268 | 9% |
| Information Technology | 124,844 | 9% |
| Detail Oriented | 112,492 | 8% |
| Verbal Communication Skills | 110,443 | 8% |
| Mathematics | 106,387 | 8% |
| Interpersonal Communications | 100,688 | 7% |
| Sales | 89,235 | 6% |
| Presentations | 80,936 | 6% |
Additional Links
Ready to dig deeper into career information about software engineering managers? Visit our other pages focused on salary and education for software engineering managers.
What do software engineering managers do?
How much do software engineering managers make?
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