Even if you understand very little about computers, you probably know the term “software.” Those in the IT world use it all the time, and it’s a part of the mainstream as well.

 

What exactly is software, though? How does it work? We will tackle those questions in the following article.

 

What Exactly is Software?

If you talk to someone on the street, they might have at least some idea about what the word “software” means. It is not like asking someone about the LDAP protocol or something equally obscure if they don’t work in IT.

 

Software is programs and other operating information that a computer uses. Another way to describe it might be to say that software consists of an instrument collection that tells a computer how to operate in the most fundamental way.

 

You can contrast software and hardware. Hardware refers to what you physically use to build a computer. Your laptop or desktop are hardware, while software is the programs they run.

 

How Does Software Work?

Software needs someone to write it before you can install it on a computer and implement it. That is where programmers come into the picture. A software program is code, and someone needs to write that code. This is a meticulous process that some individuals in the IT world choose to learn how to do.

 

Some people find coding tedious, but others love it. If you become a coder or software developer, you can certainly make a lot of money doing it.

 

Coders sometimes describe how satisfying it is to write a software program. They are telling a computer how to operate. In a sense, they are communicating with a machine. It’s a concept that’s very much out of a science fiction novel.

 

When a coder writes computer software, they must load it into the computer’s storage. There are different ways to do this. The code’s writer might load the software into the computer’s memory, RAM, or even directly into the hard drive.

 

Once it is in there, that is where it will stay unless someone removes it, which is not the easiest thing in the world to do. The computer will acknowledge the newly-loaded software and run it according to the program’s parameters.

 

Someone in the IT world would say that a computer running software is executing it. Any programmer or coder can write simple software programs. If you have more complex software that’s intended for a business to use, hundreds of coders might have a hand in creating it.

 

How Can You Learn How to Create Software?

If you’re interested in the IT field, you will soon learn how large it is. IT, meaning information technology, might involve using computers to exchange, retrieve, store, create, or process information and electronic data.

 

This is such an enormous concept that it is perfectly understandable that software creation should have its own category. You might be in a completely different part of the IT landscape and decide never to do any actual software creation. Alternatively, maybe you make your living in this area alone.

 

Certain people seem to love coding and software creation. If you are unsure whether doing it appeals to

you, you can always try it out and see what you think of it.

 

If software creation interests you, you will need to learn how to use a programming language. Python is definitely one of the more popular ones, but there are many more.

 

You’ll probably want to start by learning some of the more common programming languages. If you know one of the more obscure ones, you will not be as marketable. Most individuals who learn programming languages and want to create software will end up working for companies, or they can remain freelancers and hire themselves out to various business entities.

 

Learning Programming Languages

If you decide to learn a programming language or several of them because you want to make software creation your career, you will need to take some time to do that. Some will pick it up faster than others. At a minimum, you will need some computer-related familiarity.

 

You’ll need to know or learn how to type very quickly. Tapping away at a keyboard is most of software creation. You should be ready to spend countless hours sitting in front of a laptop or desktop.

 

We mentioned Python. You’ll probably want to learn that one, but if you want to try something a bit more advanced, Java should be next on your list. JavaScript will likely be next.

 

If you can approach a company and say you know how to code using Python and Java, they might be willing to give you a trial run. You can prove your worth if you can code using those languages, and you might have employment for the remainder of your life with this skill alone.

 

Still, those who learn programming languages seldom rest on their laurels. Most software developers are always trying to hone their craft. Learning new programming languages and staying current with any other new industry technology which hits the mainstream is a huge part of that.

 

Collaboration

When many people think about software creation, they picture a lone coder sitting in a room, working away on some new program. It is true that sort of thing happens, but many programmers enjoy working with other people, and they do it very often.

 

A new coder might feel proud when they write their first simple program. To truly become a master programmer, though, most coders think they have to create more complex software. That usually means working as part of a team.

 

You might have a company that wants programmers to create their own proprietary software. There are some advantages to doing this. Probably the biggest one is that the business can better protect its proprietary secrets this way. If they have their own source code, it’s almost impossible for a hacker to crack it.

 

A large company with a lot of money may hire many programmers to write their own software. A programmer might regard that sort of enormous project as their profession’s holy grail.

 

They might have a chance to write and develop software alongside their niche’s brightest minds. The coding world has its rock stars, even though anyone outside the industry will probably not know anything about them.

 

Software Developer Salaries

If some of this seems interesting to you, you might wonder how much a software developer makes. That depends on a lot of factors, like whether you’re working exclusively for one company or you’re strictly freelance. If you work for a single company, they will probably pay you pretty well, but they might also offer healthcare, a 401K, stock options, and other perks.

 

If you remain a freelancer, that will give you more flexibility. You might live anywhere in the country if you can work remotely, as so many developers do.

 

The short answer to how much a software dev can make is that you’re probably looking at $60-70K per year on the low end. You might make that your first year in the industry, depending on your talents.

 

If you can work your way up the ranks and get your name out there, you can easily make six figures.

Some developers earn as much as $140K per year or even more. You can often live pretty comfortably if you stay with software development and keep getting better at it as the years pass.

 

Software Development is a Reputable Field

In schools in 2022, teachers often emphasize STEM. STEM means science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Coding or software development is part of that.

 

Most teachers try to get their kids to learn these skills if they show any interest or aptitude for it. From what we’ve already mentioned, it’s easy to understand why.

 

Anyone who learns how to code can instantly market themselves when they get out of school. They might go to college to learn how to get better at their craft, or else they can learn to code on their own if they’re good enough.

 

If you have coding skills, you’re probably set for life since software development is something that humanity is going to need for the foreseeable future. As long as you have that skill and keep up with technological advancements in this area, you should have a lengthy and profitable career.

 

Many people take software for granted, but they use it every day. They use it every time they pull their smartphone out of their pocket. They interact with software programs when they get cash out of an ATM or if they use a self-checkout machine to scan their groceries or at the hardware store.

 

If you decide to learn more about software and even how to create it, there is no better time than the present. This can be a career change if you’re looking for one. The vast software development field is a place that some people learn to call home.   @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;}@font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536859905 -1073697537 9 0 511 0;}@font-face {font-family:"Calibri Light"; panose-1:2 15 3 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536859905 -1073732485 9 0 511 0;}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin-top:0cm; margin-right:0cm; margin-bottom:8.0pt; margin-left:0cm; line-height:107%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;}h2 {mso-style-priority:9; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-link:"Heading 2 Char"; mso-style-next:Normal; margin-top:2.0pt; margin-right:0cm; margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:0cm; margin-bottom:.0001pt; line-height:107%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan lines-together; page-break-after:avoid; mso-outline-level:2; font-size:13.0pt; font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family:"Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:major-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:"Calibri Light"; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:major-bidi; color:#2F5496; mso-themecolor:accent1; mso-themeshade:191; mso-fareast-language:EN-US; font-weight:normal;}a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {mso-style-priority:99; color:#0563C1; mso-themecolor:hyperlink; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;}a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; color:#954F72; mso-themecolor:followedhyperlink; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;}p {mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-margin-top-alt:auto; margin-right:0cm; mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; margin-left:0cm; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;}span.Heading2Char {mso-style-name:"Heading 2 Char"; mso-style-priority:9; mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-locked:yes; mso-style-link:"Heading 2"; mso-ansi-font-size:13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:13.0pt; font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family:"Calibri Light"; mso-ascii-theme-font:major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:major-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:"Calibri Light"; mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:major-bidi; color:#2F5496; mso-themecolor:accent1; mso-themeshade:191;}.MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-size:11.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;}.MsoPapDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; margin-bottom:8.0pt; line-height:107%;}div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;}