Computer Programming

Types of Degrees Computer Programming Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many computer programming graduations there were in 2018-2019 for each degree level.

What Computer Programming Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to programming were asked what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. They weighted these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.

Knowledge Areas for Programming Majors

Programming majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:

• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Engineering and Technology - Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

Skills for Programming Majors

The following list of skills has been highlighted as some of the most essential for careers related to programming:

• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
• Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Abilities for Programming Majors

As you progress with your programming degree, there are several abilities you should pick up that will help you in whatever related career you choose. These abilities include:

• Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
• Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.

What Can You Do With a Computer Programming Major?

People with a programming degree often go into the following careers:

Who Is Getting a Master’s Degree in Computer Programming?

This major attracts more men than women. About 70% of the graduates in this field are male.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of programming majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	14
Black or African American	7
Hispanic or Latino	8
White	56
International Students	46
Other Races/Ethnicities	14

Geographic Diversity

Students from other countries are interested in Programming, too. About 31.7% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

• India
• China
• Singapore
• South Korea
• Saudi Arabia

How Much Do Computer Programming Majors Make?

Master’s Degree Starting Salary

Data from the U.S. Department of Education shows that computer programming students who graduated in 2015-2017 with a master’s degree made a median starting salary of $82,400 per year. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $82,400 (25th percentile) and $82,400 (75th percentile).

We don’t know for sure if all of these people took jobs related to programming so take that into consideration.

Salaries According to BLS

Average salaries range from $75,580 to $108,080 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to programming. This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Median Salary for a Computer Programming Major  ( 75580 to 108080 )

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Median Salary for a High School Graduate  ( 30000 to 57900 )

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Median Salary for a Bachelor's Degree Holder  ( 45600 to 99000 )

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Median Salary for an Advanced Degree Holder  ( 55600 to 125400 )

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Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Computer Programming

Some careers associated with programming require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.

Find out what the typical degree level is for programming careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	0.6%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	2.0%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	4.9%
Some College Courses	3.8%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	9.3%
Bachelor’s Degree	58.0%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	1.3%
Master’s Degree	13.6%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.	0.3%
Doctoral Degree	6.6%

Online Computer Programming Programs

In the 2018-2019 academic year, 614 schools offered some type of computer programming program. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	352	67
Certificate (1-2 years)	211	28
Certificate (2-4 Years)	14	3
Associate’s Degree	398	83
Bachelor’s Degree	12	4
Post-Baccalaureate	352	67
Master’s Degree	14	8
Post-Master’s	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Computer Programming Worth It?

The median salary for a programming grad is $89,580 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 125% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $993,600 after 20 years!

Majors Related to Computer Programming

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to programming.

Major	Number of Grads
Computer Information Systems	76,482
Computer Science	47,906
Information Technology	33,399
Information Science	17,779
Computer Systems Networking	14,055
Computer Software & Applications	12,793
Computer Systems Analysis	2,472
Data Processing	2,138
Data Entry	1,382
Other Computer & Information Sciences	1,243

References

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By luis gomes under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.