NextChapter

Entry-level software developer jobs: what the job is, skills and open roles

A junior developer writes and fixes code in a team, under the guidance of senior developers. Entry roles value projects, internships, degrees or bootcamps; competition is high and tests are common.

What a software developer does

In the technology and it family of jobs. Roles that build, test, secure and support software and systems.

A typical day

  1. 1. Fix bugs and write small features
  2. 2. Write tests
  3. 3. Review others' code
  4. 4. Learn the team's codebase
  5. 5. Join stand-ups and planning

Do you need experience?

Entry-level software developer jobs exist, but none are open on the career sites we track at this moment, so we cannot say how many ask for experience. Each posting states its own requirements, so read the requirements section before you decide a job is out of reach.

Open entry-level software developer jobs

Taken from employers’ own career sites and checked to still be open within the last week.

No entry-level software developer jobs are open on the career sites we track right now. Save a search above and we will email you when one is posted, or search all software developer jobs, including ones that do not say entry level.

Skills for software developer jobs

The skills this job uses, most important first. Most can be learned or shown before the first day.

Skills to build or show

  1. 1. One main language (Python, JavaScript, Java or C#)
  2. 2. Git
  3. 3. Data structures basics
  4. 4. Testing
  5. 5. Debugging
  6. 6. Clear communication

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The market for software developer work

Every figure names its source.

Open entry-level software developer jobs
0

Source: NextChapter, checked against employer career sites, last 7 days.

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Employment outlook, the closest government category
Projected to grow 10% from 2025 to 2035 (much faster than average).

Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035.

AI use at work, the closest government category
Among software developers, AI is already used for some of the tasks.

Source: Anthropic Economic Index.

Outlook and AI-use figures are for the government category “Software developers”, the closest match to this job.

More jobs like software developer

Roles that use the same skills, and where this job commonly leads.

Where it can lead

Similar entry-level jobs

All entry-level technology and it jobs · Software Developer jobs at every level

Questions about software developer jobs

What does a software developer do?
A junior developer writes and fixes code in a team, under the guidance of senior developers. Entry roles value projects, internships, degrees or bootcamps; competition is high and tests are common. A typical day includes: fix bugs and write small features; write tests; review others' code; learn the team's codebase; join stand-ups and planning.
Can I get an entry-level software developer job with no experience?
Entry-level software developer jobs exist, but none are open on the career sites we track at this moment, so we cannot say how many ask for experience. Each posting states its own requirements, so read the requirements section before you decide a job is out of reach.
What skills do you need to be a software developer?
The skills this job uses most are one main language (python, javascript, java or c#), git, data structures basics, testing, debugging, clear communication. Most can be learned before the first day through coursework, short courses, practice or a related job.
Where can a software developer job lead?
People in this job commonly move to web developer, QA tester, DevOps or cloud engineer, data analyst. The link between jobs is the shared skills; the path is not guaranteed and depends on the employer.

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