Despite holding the global record for the highest number of active software engineers, the United States supremacy is shifting due to changes in the worldwide labour landscape. 

The IT sector is blowing up globally, bringing in many top-notch experts worldwide. Recent reports show a total global software engineer count of approximately 26.9 million, projected to rise to 28.7 million by 2024. 

Yet, here's the burning question: How many software engineers currently operate within the United States? Let's take a look at the statistics!

How many US software engineers are there?

In the global developer demographic study, the US ranks top with the highest number of software developers, at over 4.4 million. Around 680,000 specialise as software engineers, adept in design, development, maintenance, testing, and computer science assessment.

The Washington DC region leads with the highest concentration of engineers (6.46%), followed by Virginia (4.43%) and Maryland (4.41%). While specific engineering roles, such as computer programmers, have decreased by 60% since 2000, wages have risen significantly by 47%. 

What’s driving demand for software engineers?

The growing need for software engineers is caused by various factors, such as fast-paced technological advancements and the requirement to refresh code because it doesn't last forever. But let’s take a closer look at some of the key reasons why the demand for developers is at an all-time high:

• The Covid-19 pandemic sped up digital transformation across industries.
• The pandemic's impact led to increased adoption of software-centric approaches.
• Online work shift boosted tool implementation and demand for creative software.
• Complex projects are on the rise due to intensifying demand.
• New platforms requiring more skilled engineers.
• Demand amplified by search engines, e-commerce, messaging apps, and other innovations.

The question is: How many software engineers in the US can fulfil this growing need?

Challenges in the US software development

The software engineering scene is experiencing a diversity drought, particularly in the US and the broader Western context. The tech industry is having trouble attracting Generation Z, yet it is striking a chord more with 30 to 34-year-olds.

Plus, here's the scoop on gender in software: it's not quite level. A massive 78% of those software professionals are men, while the women? They're holding it down at 22%.

This whole inconsistency situation gets even more complicated when fewer than 30,000 students complete their Computer Science degrees each year. We're looking at a solid eight years of work just to start catching up with the current job demand.

Read more at (Source):https://www.articlesfactory.com/articles/business/delving-into-development-the-number-of-us-software-engineers.html