Programmers and software development professionals: pay and what the work involves

Occupation 2134 · Professional occupations

Programmers and software development professionals

Programmers and software development professionals design, develop, test, implement and maintain software systems on a range of platforms in order to meet the specifications and business objectives of the information system; they also design and develop specialist software e.g. for computer games.

How people enter it

Entrants usually possess a degree or equivalent qualification, although entry with other academic qualifications and/or significant relevant experience is possible. There is a variety of vocational, professional and postgraduate qualifications available.

What the work involves

examines existing software and determines requirements for new/modified systems in the light of business needs
undertakes feasibility study to design software solutions
writes and codes individual programs according to specifications
develops user interfaces
tests and corrects software programs
writes code for specialist programming for computer games, (for example, artificial intelligence, 3D engine development)
implements and evaluates the software
plans and maintains database structures
writes operational documentation and provides subsequent support and training for users
develops website and website interfaces and establishes methods to ensure appropriate website security and recovery

Also called

Analyst-programmer · Database developer · Games designer · Interactive designer · Mobile app developer · Programmer · Software engineer · Website builder

What it pays

Measure	Hours	Basis	Period	Value	Source
2134 : Programmers and software development professionals	None	None	2026-03	472,700.00	ONS, Annual Population Survey - employment by occupation (SOC 2020)
2134 : Programmers and software development professionals	None	None	2026-03	490,600.00	ONS, Annual Population Survey - employment by occupation (SOC 2020)
2134 : Programmers and software development professionals	None	None	2026-03	530,000.00	ONS, Annual Population Survey - employment by occupation (SOC 2020)
2134 : Programmers and software development professionals	None	None	2026-03	13,400.00	ONS, Annual Population Survey - employment by occupation (SOC 2020)
2134 : Programmers and software development professionals	None	None	2026-03	39,400.00	ONS, Annual Population Survey - employment by occupation (SOC 2020)
2134 : Programmers and software development professionals	None	None	2026-03	543,400.00	ONS, Annual Population Survey - employment by occupation (SOC 2020)
2134 : Programmers and software development professionals	None	None	2026-03	17,900.00	ONS, Annual Population Survey - employment by occupation (SOC 2020)

Every regional figure

ONS does not publish occupational pay below region. Cells the survey could not support are shown as withheld, with its reason — adding a region split to a specific occupation leaves roughly a tenth of cells publishable.

Region	Measure	Hours	Value	Period
East	2134 : Programmers and software development professionals	None	48,900.00	2026-03
East Midlands	2134 : Programmers and software development professionals	None	28,900.00	2026-03
London	2134 : Programmers and software development professionals	None	120,400.00	2026-03
North East	2134 : Programmers and software development professionals	None	16,700.00	2026-03
North West	2134 : Programmers and software development professionals	None	54,600.00	2026-03
Northern Ireland	2134 : Programmers and software development professionals	None	13,400.00	2026-03
Scotland	2134 : Programmers and software development professionals	None	39,400.00	2026-03
South East	2134 : Programmers and software development professionals	None	83,700.00	2026-03
South West	2134 : Programmers and software development professionals	None	41,400.00	2026-03
Wales	2134 : Programmers and software development professionals	None	17,900.00	2026-03
West Midlands	2134 : Programmers and software development professionals	None	37,800.00	2026-03
Yorkshire and The Humber	2134 : Programmers and software development professionals	None	40,200.00	2026-03

Common questions

Does pay for programmers and software development professionals vary by region?

ONS publishes regional pay for this occupation where the survey sample supports it — 12 of 12 cells on this page. The rest are withheld by ONS, and are shown as withheld with the reason, rather than left out.

Where do these pay figures come from?

The Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, published by the Office for National Statistics. Figures are shown exactly as ONS publishes them — we do not adjust, model or fill them in, and every number on this page carries the series and period it came from.

Classified alongside this

Cyber security professionals · IT business analysts, architects and systems designers · IT managers · IT network professionals · IT project managers · IT quality and testing professionals · Information technology professionals n.e.c.