5 Alternative Career Options For Software Engineers
Tags: career
Published: 2022-09-12 07:48:46

Are you a software engineer considering alternative career options?

This article is for you. In one of my previous blog posts, I wrote about [jobs in tech that require no coding](https://techwithmaddy.com/jobs-in-tech-that-dont-require-coding).

This article will be similar, but it will explore different roles available in tech. 

Let's start. 

### 1. Solutions Engineer

A solutions engineer is someone who creates and designs solutions for clients. 

A solution engineer is often known as a "sales engineer" because they provide and sell software solutions to clients. 

[Indeed](https://www.indeed.com/career/solutions-engineer) defines the role as a:

>**[...]Salesperson who uses extensive technical knowledge to sell software solutions to clients. Solutions engineers work alongside other sales team members to present products to clients and answer any technical questions they may have. They also maintain a professional relationship with clients to learn the challenges they're facing and implement updates according to those needs.**

According to [Payscale](https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Solutions_Engineer/Salary), the average US salary for a Solutions Engineer is **$86,535**.


![solutions-engineer-us-salary](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/y2dqdndqf3fq0q4fmbrm.jpg)

### 2. Salesforce Developer

First of all: what is Salesforce?

Salesforce is a customer relationship management (CRM) solution many major companies use to manage and leverage customer data.

>**Salesforce services allow businesses to use cloud technology to better connect with partners, customers, and potential customers. Companies can use the Salesforce CRM to track customer activity, market to customers, and many more services.**[[What is Salesforce? The Ultimate Guide [2022 Edition]](https://www.simplilearn.com/what-is-salesforce-article#what_is_salesforce).

A Salesforce Developer, in short, is simply someone who works on this specific technology.

This doesn't mean they work for Salesforce (the company itself). Salesforce is a technology adopted by many companies. Someone can be a Salesforce Developer for a company outside of Salesforce. 

According to [Payscale](https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Salesforce_Developer/Salary), the average US salary for a Salesforce Developer is **$87,355** per year.


![salesforce-developer-us-salary](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/311l0yffjjkd5u2jrar1.jpg)

### 3. Quality Assurance Engineer

A Quality Assurance Engineer ensures that the software product meets specific standards before it's released to the public market.

What is quality assurance?

> **Software quality assurance (SQA) is a process that assures that all software engineering processes, methods, activities, and work items are monitored and comply with the defined standards.**[[Software Testing Help]](https://www.softwaretestinghelp.com/software-quality-assurance/)

According to Payscale, the average US salary for a Quality Assurance  Engineer is **$62,635**.


![quality-assurance-us-salary](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/p1kazb7pquxwwwn6z7if.jpg)

### 4. Data Engineer

A Data Engineer prepares data that the data scientists will use.

> **The role of a data engineer is to prepare the infrastructure like algorithms that data scientists and data analysts to analyze in order to enable the business to make the best decisions based on their findings.**[[Le Wagon]](https://www.lewagon.com/tech-jobs/data-science/data-engineer)

According to [Payscale](https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Data_Engineer/Salary), the average US salary for a Data Engineer is **$93,637**.


![data-engineer-us-salary](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/k0cjf8lkfx37y7yi3okt.jpg)

[TechRepublic](https://www.techrepublic.com/article/hottest-tech-jobs/) has put Data Engineering as one of the fastest growing tech roles in 2022.


### 5. Business Analyst

A Business Analyst is responsible for assessing how a company performs and improving business processes and performance.

> **They conduct research and analysis in order to come up with solutions to business problems and help to introduce these solutions to businesses and their clients.** [[TargetJobs]](https://targetjobs.co.uk/careers-advice/job-descriptions/business-analyst-job-description)

According to [Payscale](https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Business_Analyst%2C_IT/Salary), the average US salary for a Business Analyst is **$71,178**.

![business-analyst-us-salary](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/8qlh413df8u72u8in5xa.jpg)

### CONCLUSION

In this article, you've learned about five alternative career options for software engineers.

Working in tech doesn't necessarily mean working as a software engineer. There are plenty of highly paid roles suitable for different personalities, skill sets, etc.

Are you considering a change as a software engineer? Let me know in the comments.

Until next time!

🙋🏾‍♀️

**ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:**

- [23 Alternative Career Paths that Software Developers Can Grow Into](https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/alternative-career-paths/)

- [Alternative Jobs for Software Engineers Wanting a Career Change](https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/change-career-from-software-engineer)