SALARY AND GROWTH 

This program is designed for individuals with a technical orientation and/or a college graduate in another field.  Graduates in the CIT–Software development Certificate program can find entry-level employment in the public and private sectors as programmers, programming analysts, web development or e-commerce specialists. In the Allegheny County area, entry-level salaries for programmers average $43,760 and overall salaries range from $ 65,080 (average) to $75,740 (experienced) for 2012 (1).    In Pennsylvania, entry-level salaries for computer programmers average $44,070 and overall salaries range from average $71,290.  23,830 are employed in Pennsylvania as support specialists and 744 openings are expected annually (3). 

National Level: On a national level, in 2012 there were 363,000 computer programmers nationwide. In 2010, the median annual wages of computer support specialists were $71,380 ($34.32 per hour). (2).

Employment Growth: Employment of computer programmers is expected to grow 12 percent from 2010 to 2020, about is slightly below average (14%) as for all occupations. Most computer programmers have a bachelor’s degree; however, some employers hire workers with an associate’s degree. Most programmers specialize in a few programming languages (2)

(1)  2012 Pa CareerLink  
(2)  Occupational Handbook   
(3)  Pennsylvania Career Guide 2011

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