Software engineering is expanding fast, with U.S. software developers projected to grow 25% from 2022 to 2032 while global cybersecurity spending is expected to rise 3.4% in 2024 to about $245.6 billion. At the same time, elite performers in 2024 reported a change failure rate of just 0.05%, yet the average time to contain a breach is 22 days. The contrast between accelerating delivery and still-stubborn security outcomes is exactly what makes these software engineer statistics worth unpacking.
Key Takeaways
- Software developers are expected to be the largest IT occupation in OECD countries by 2030 with 16.4 million jobs
- In the U.S., employment for software developers is projected to grow 25% from 2022 to 2032
- In the U.S., employment for software QA analysts and testers is projected to grow 6% from 2022 to 2032
- In the U.S., software developers’ hourly mean wage was $63.91 in May 2023
- In the U.S., software QA analysts and testers’ hourly mean wage was $45.67 in May 2023
- In the U.S., information security analysts’ hourly mean wage was $57.89 in May 2023
- 3.4% global cybersecurity spending growth expected in 2024, reaching about $245.6 billion
- $237.8 billion worldwide information security spending projected for 2023
- 41% of organizations reported using infrastructure as code (IaC) across their environments, indicating increasing automation of environments for software delivery.
- In 2024, the average time to contain a breach was 22 days
- $0.005: typical email sending cost per email for certain bulk tiers can be about half a cent (as reported by vendor pricing)
- $0.0000005 per token for embeddings input tokens (pricing tier converted from $0.10 per 200M tokens)
- In 2024, 52% of organizations reported using DAST (dynamic application security testing) (Snyk 2024 report)
- 19% of developers reported using Google Cloud Platform, reflecting ongoing usage of GCP in development workflows.
- 2024: elite performers experience change failure rate of 0.05% (State of DevOps 2024/DORA)
Software careers are booming, with cybersecurity spending rising and rapid automation pushing higher wages through 2030.
Related reading
01 · Category
Workforce4 stats
01
Software developers are expected to be the largest IT occupation in OECD countries by 2030 with 16.4 million jobs
02
In the U.S., employment for software developers is projected to grow 25% from 2022 to 2032
03
In the U.S., employment for software QA analysts and testers is projected to grow 6% from 2022 to 2032
04
In the U.S., employment for information security analysts is projected to grow 32% from 2022 to 2032
Interpretation
Workforce Interpretation
From a workforce perspective, software developers are set to become the largest IT occupation in OECD countries by 2030 with 16.4 million jobs, while in the U.S. demand is projected to rise sharply with software development growing 25% by 2032 and information security analyst roles surging 32%.
02 · Category
Compensation3 stats
01
In the U.S., software developers’ hourly mean wage was $63.91in May 2023
02
In the U.S., software QA analysts and testers’ hourly mean wage was $45.67in May 2023
03
In the U.S., information security analysts’ hourly mean wage was $57.89in May 2023
Interpretation
Compensation Interpretation
In the U.S., compensation for software roles varies by specialty, with hourly mean wages ranging from $45.67 for QA analysts and testers to $63.91 for software developers in May 2023, while information security analysts sit in between at $57.89.
03 · Category
Industry Trends3 stats
01
3.4% global cybersecurity spending growth expected in 2024, reaching about $245.6 billion
02
$237.8 billion worldwide information security spending projected for 2023
03
41% of organizations reported using infrastructure as code (IaC) across their environments, indicating increasing automation of environments for software delivery.
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
For industry trends, cybersecurity budgets are still climbing with 3.4% global growth expected in 2024 to about $245.6 billion, and with $237.8 billion projected for 2023 alongside 41% of organizations using infrastructure as code, software engineers are clearly being pushed toward stronger security spending and more automated environment delivery.
04 · Category
Cost Analysis9 stats
01
In 2024, the average time to contain a breach was 22 days
02
$0.005: typical email sending cost per email for certain bulk tiers can be about half a cent (as reported by vendor pricing)
03
$0.0000005per token for embeddings input tokens (pricing tier converted from $0.10 per 200M tokens)
04
In 2023, software quality assurance analysts and testers had a median hourly wage of $26.00in the U.S., indicating a measurable compensation benchmark for software quality roles.
05
In 2023, computer and information research scientists had a median hourly wage of $45.76in the U.S., providing a comparable compensation reference for adjacent software R&D roles.
06
In 2023, software developers (excluding web) had a median hourly wage of $45.10in the U.S., providing a wage anchor for software engineering compensation.
07
In 2023, information security analysts had a median hourly wage of $38.11in the U.S., reflecting compensation for security roles closely tied to secure engineering practices.
08
In 2023, database administrators and architects had a median hourly wage of $43.46in the U.S., providing a compensation reference for data-platform engineering adjacent to software engineering.
09
In 2023, penetration testers and vulnerability assessment professionals had a median hourly wage of $41.04in the U.S., indicating compensation levels for hands-on application and systems security work.
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
For Cost Analysis, the clearest signal is that breach containment in 2024 averaged 22 days, so even relatively small downstream costs from tools and labor, like $0.005 per bulk email and $0.0000005 per embedding token, can quickly compound over the timeline of security incident response.
More related reading
05 · Category
User Adoption2 stats
01
In 2024, 52% of organizations reported using DAST (dynamic application security testing) (Snyk 2024 report)
02
19% of developers reported using Google Cloud Platform, reflecting ongoing usage of GCP in development workflows.
Interpretation
User Adoption Interpretation
In the User Adoption category, 52% of organizations are already using DAST as of 2024, while 19% of developers report using Google Cloud Platform, showing that security testing adoption is outpacing broader cloud tool usage among developers.
06 · Category
Performance Metrics2 stats
01
2024: elite performers experience change failure rate of 0.05% (State of DevOps 2024/DORA)
02
99.9%: target availability for many managed Kubernetes and cloud-native deployments (industry SLA benchmarks)
Interpretation
Performance Metrics Interpretation
Under the Performance Metrics lens, the shift failure rate of just 0.05% for elite performers in 2024 and the 99.9% target availability common in managed Kubernetes and cloud-native SLAs show that reliability is becoming both increasingly achievable and a central benchmark for high-performing engineering teams.
07 · Category
Market Size7 stats
01
$2.21 billion expected global market size for automated software testing tools in 2024
02
$9.3 billion expected global market size for test management software in 2024
03
$15.8 billion expected global market size for DevOps tools in 2024
04
$1.8 billion expected global market size for application security software in 2024
05
$11.0 billion expected global market size for code review software in 2024
06
$15.7 billion expected global market size for vulnerability management in 2024
07
$40.0 billion: estimated U.S. software publishing industry revenue in 2023 (IBISWorld-style estimate from a public summary)
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
In the Market Size category, the standout trend is that DevOps tools are projected at $15.8 billion and vulnerability management at $15.7 billion globally in 2024, indicating that large, fast-growing spend is shifting toward operational and security-focused software engineering tooling.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Karl Becker. (2026, February 13). Software Engineer Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/software-engineer-statistics
MLA
Karl Becker. "Software Engineer Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/software-engineer-statistics.
Chicago
Karl Becker. 2026. "Software Engineer Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/software-engineer-statistics.
Sources & references
30 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+17 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)