Information technology

How to become a software developer

Official title: Software developer

Also called: Computer programmer, Web and app developer, Software engineer, Website developer, Full stack developer, Front-end developer, Back-end developer

Software developers create and maintain computer programs and software.

Main tasks

Write code for computer software and applications
Maintain computer software and applications
Discuss clients' computer program needs
Develop program specifications
Run tests to check systems work
Fix problems found in programs
Upgrade existing software
Manage program updates and releases

How to become one

You usually need a qualification to become a software developer and experience may be useful. You usually need NCEA Level 3 to do the study or training for this job. Other requirements: to complete a training course with an IT organisation like Dev Academy; an advanced certificate or diploma in software engineering and computer science; experience in similar work.

See the full Tahatū profile

Ways in

Certificates and diplomas: Advanced certificates and diplomas in software engineering and computer science. TEC links this job to study in computer science. Qualifications: NZ Cert in Applied Software Development, NZ Dip in Software Development, Dip in Cloud Engineering. Usually 1 year. Graduates of these qualifications earn a median $51,000 a year one year after study and $65,000 five years after; 50% are employed one year after (TEC, from Stats NZ IDI data).

Pay · Past change · AI and this job

Most common pay: $90,000 to $154,000 a year (median $122,000), a TEC estimate before tax.
Lower: $65,000 a year · Upper: $193,000 a year
TEC's pay figures are estimates only. TEC says they must not be used to set pay, in pay negotiations or in visa applications.
Change in the number of people doing this job between the 2018 and 2023 Censuses: Strong increase (TEC). This is past change, not a forecast.
People employed in the group Software and Applications Programmers: 27,834 at the 2018 Census and 38,946 at the 2023 Census (+39.9%). Past change, not a forecast.
Generative AI could change many tasks in this job, which usually reshapes the work more than it replaces it, by the ILO's global estimate.

Who does this work

About 18,000 people did this job at the 2023 Census (TEC).
In the group Software and Applications Programmers, 19% of workers are female (sex at birth, 2023 Census).
Where people in the group Software and Applications Programmers work (2023 Census): Auckland 45.8%, Wellington 21.9%, and Canterbury 12.2%.

Questions people ask

How do I become a software developer?

How much does a software developer earn in New Zealand?

The Tertiary Education Commission estimates median pay at $122,000 a year, before tax. Most common pay is $90,000 to $154,000 a year.

Has the number of people working as a software developer grown in New Zealand?

It has grown strongly: TEC records a strong increase in the number of people doing this job between the 2018 and 2023 Censuses. This is past change, not a forecast.

Will AI change the work of a software developer?

Generative AI could change many tasks in this job, which usually reshapes the work more than it replaces it, by the ILO's global estimate.

Sources

Tertiary Education Commission (Tahatu Career Navigator): Tahatu career ideas: descriptions, tasks, pay estimates, people employed, employment change 2018 to 2023, entry requirements, registration, interest scores (Site scrape 2026-10 (816 career ideas, sitemap lastmod 2026-10-01)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
Stats NZ (via Figure.NZ): Census totals by topic for individuals 2013, 2018, 2023 (CEN23_TBT_004): employed by occupation, ANZSCO V1.3, summed to unit group (2023 Census (CEN23_TBT_004)), CC BY 4.0 (Stats NZ), CC BY 3.0 NZ (Figure.NZ), retrieved 4 October 2026
Stats NZ (via Figure.NZ): Census 2023: employed by regional council, occupation (ANZSCO V1.3 unit group) and sex at birth (2023 Census), CC BY 4.0 (Stats NZ), CC BY 3.0 NZ (Figure.NZ), retrieved 4 October 2026
International Labour Organization, Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure (ILO Working Paper 140, Gmyrek et al.) (ILO Working Paper 140, May 2025, Annex Table A1), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026

This content is sourced from the Tertiary Education Commission through the Tahatū Career Navigator website (www.tahatu.govt.nz) and used under the CC BY 4.0 licence. All or some of the information has been modified by Peernovo. TEC has not approved, endorsed or tested these modifications. TEC will not be held accountable for any errors within this content.

Qualification information from NZQA, used under CC BY 3.0 NZ.

This work is based on/includes Stats NZ's data which are licensed by Stats NZ for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence. Census data via Figure.NZ.

Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.

Sources: Tertiary Education Commission, Tahatū Career Navigator (career ideas, pay estimates, entry requirements and study options, CC BY 4.0, modified by Peernovo); Stats NZ, 2023 Census (via Figure.NZ) and the National Occupation List (CC BY 4.0); NZQA qualification information (CC BY 3.0 NZ); O*NET interest scores (CC BY 4.0); ILO global generative AI exposure index (CC BY 4.0). Links between career ideas and ANZSCO groups, degree fields and broad job groups are Peernovo's.

These results are not official statistics. They have been created for research purposes from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), which is carefully managed by Stats NZ.

Graduate outcomes: these results are not official statistics. They have been created for research purposes from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), which is carefully managed by Stats NZ.

Updated 4 October 2026