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Computer Software Technology

Types of Degrees Computer Software Technology Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Computer Software Technology have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	44
Bachelor’s Degree	135
Master’s Degree	92

What Computer Software Technology Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Computer Software Technology emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Computer Software Technology graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Computer Software Technology emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Computers and Electronics — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5.5 / 7.
• Engineering and Technology — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills built by a Computer Software Technology program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Quality Control Analysis — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Complex Problem Solving — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Computer Software Technology careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Near Vision — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Computer Software Technology graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Working with Computers	4.6 / 7
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Processing Information	4.3 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.2 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.1 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.1 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.1 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.0 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Computer Software Technology professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
National Instruments LabVIEW	Development environment software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
The MathWorks MATLAB	Analytical or scientific software	—
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
IBM Notes	Electronic mail software	—
Operating system software	Operating system software	✓
Dassault Systemes CATIA	Computer aided design CAD software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Computer Software Technology graduates include:

• Beta Tester
• Bug Bounty Hunter
• Malware Analyst
• Application Programmer
• Computer Programmer Analyst
• Graphic Engineer
• Scientific Programmer
• Engineering and Scientific Programmer
• Web Applications Programmer
• Computer Language Coder
• Applications Programmer
• Client Server Programmer
• Engineering Programmer
• Object-Oriented Programmer
• Mainframe Programmer

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Computer Software Technology graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	52.0%
High school diploma or equivalent	18.2%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	17.8%
Some college courses	5.0%
Postsecondary certificate	4.2%
Master’s degree	1.9%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.9%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Computer Software Technology?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 77.3% of Computer Software Technology degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	63	22.7%
Men	215	77.3%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Computer Software Technology graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	161	57.9%
Asian	16	5.8%
Hispanic or Latino	30	10.8%
Black or African American	18	6.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native	5	1.8%
Two or More Races	15	5.4%
Race Unknown	11	4.0%
International Students	22	7.9%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Computer Software Technology Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Computer Software Technology graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$33,769
4 years	$47,945
5 years	$55,101

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $55,101 — roughly 63% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Computer Software Technology Programs

Fully online options is reported by IPEDS for Computer Software Technology. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	4	1
Bachelor’s	2	1

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Computer Software Technology Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Computer Software Technology graduates earn a median of $47,945 four years after completion — roughly 26% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians	3,275
Computer/Computer Systems Technology/Technician	1,272
Computer Engineering Technology/Technician	1,215
Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians, Other	492
Computer Hardware Technology/Technician	18

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.