Software Engineer
Build the products people use every day, from the code that runs a checkout to the systems behind a hospital record.
Save this career to see your personalized pathway in My Senda.
- Typical pay
- €40k–€98k
- Usual education
- Degree or apprenticeship
- Outlook
- Still one of the widest-open fields, with strong demand for people who can work alongside AI tools rather than compete with them.
A day in the life
Standup, a few hours of focused building, code review, debugging something that only breaks on Tuesdays, and pairing with a teammate on a tricky problem.
Ways in
- Computer science degree
- Software apprenticeship
- Self-taught plus portfolio
What to study at 16
The subjects you choose for the final years of secondary school can shape which degrees, exams and careers are easiest to reach. This is about choosing courses, not choosing a school.
Spain
Bachillerato de Ciencias y Tecnología
Austria
HTL – Technical college
A common destination for students on this track.
Denmark
HTX – Technical gymnasium
A common destination for students on this track.
Portugal
Ciências e Tecnologias
France
Bac général — spécialités
Germany
Oberstufe — Leistungskurse
Skills that matter
Best courses to take
The study routes that lead most directly into this career.
Software Developer Apprenticeship
Paid on-the-job training as a developer, no degree required.
Paid alternative if you would rather learn on the job.
Helpful school subjects: Maths, Computer science
BSc Computer Science
Programming, algorithms, systems and theory — the widest door into tech.
The standard route — take it if you want the widest choice later.
Helpful school subjects: Maths, Computer science, Physics
Mobile Development Bootcamp
Intensive 3–6 month training building iOS and Android apps.
Fast top-up if you already code a little.
Helpful school subjects: Programming
Web Application Development (Grado Superior)
Two-year higher ciclo in front-end, back-end and database development, with a company placement.
A two-year route into junior developer roles without a degree.
Helpful school subjects: Programming, Databases, Web development
EFZ Apprenticeship in IT (Informatiker/in)
Four-year paid Swiss apprenticeship in platform, application or systems IT.
Swiss apprenticeship that pays while you learn to code professionally.
Helpful school subjects: IT systems, Programming, Networks
Places that hire for this
Adyen
Backend engineering with a high technical bar
Dynatrace
Platform engineering in Linz, Vienna and Graz.
Ericsson
Graduate software roles in mobile networks
Frequentis
Safety-critical software for air traffic and emergency services.
Revolut
Fast-moving product teams across Europe
SAP
Dual-study and apprenticeship routes into product engineering
Spotify
Internships and a graduate programme in Stockholm
Storyblok
Remote-first frontend and backend roles.
Tractive
Embedded and mobile development for GPS trackers.