Computer Programmers

Employers

There are approximately 139,400 computer programmers employed in the United States, and programmers work in locations across the country, but 39 percent work in California, New York, Texas, New Jersey, and Florida.

Computer programmers work in almost every type of business and organization, including Internet service providers, manufacturing companies, telecommunications companies, data processing service firms, hardware and software companies, banks, insurance companies, credit companies, publishing houses, government agencies, and colleges and universities throughout the country. Many programmers are employed by businesses as consultants on a temporary or contractual basis.

Starting Out

You can look for an entry-level programming position in the same way as most other jobs; there is no special or standard point of entry into the field. Individuals with the necessary qualifications should apply directly to companies, agencies, or industries that have announced job openings through a school career services office, an employment agency, or classified ads.

College students should work closely with their schools' career services offices, since major local employers often list job openings exclusively with such offices.

If the market for programmers is particularly tight, you may want to obtain an entry-level job with a large corporation or software firm, even if the job does not include programming. As jobs in the programming department open up, current employees in other departments are often the first to know, and they are favored over nonemployees during the interviewing process. Getting a foot in the door in this way has proven to be successful for many programmers.