The news that it’s better to be a software programmer than a doctor in 2014, according to the recent U.S. News 100 Best Jobs of 2014 list, has inspired this week’s career memes.
One reason why software programmer tops the U.S. News 100 Best Jobs of 2014 list is because software programmers are in demand all over the US (at least), with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicting the creation of nearly 140,000 new software development jobs before 2022.
In Ireland, Paul Downey, technical manager at AOL, echoes that sentiment, having told Siliconrepublic.com that it’s a great time to be an engineer. AOL itself is on the lookout for programmers who are effective in producing ‘clean code’ for projects.
Besides requiring a knowledge of programming languages in order to create, modify and debug code, programmers need solid skills in communication, information analysis, problem solving, and in paying attention to detail.
In Ireland, a computer programmer can expect to earn an average annual salary of €34,382, according to PayScale.com.