How to hire software developers
A job description you can copy, interview questions tied to the real work, and what to pay. Free.
Job description template
Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.
[Job title] at [Company name] [City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range] About the role [Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.] What you will do • Analyze information to determine, recommend, and plan installation of a new system or modification of an existing system. • Analyze user needs and software requirements to determine feasibility of design within time and cost constraints. • Confer with systems analysts, engineers, programmers and others to design systems and to obtain information on project limitations and capabilities, performance requirements and interfaces. • Design, develop and modify software systems, using scientific analysis and mathematical models to predict and measure outcomes and consequences of design. • Develop or direct software system testing or validation procedures, programming, or documentation. • Modify existing software to correct errors, adapt it to new hardware, or upgrade interfaces and improve performance. • Prepare reports or correspondence concerning project specifications, activities, or status. • Store, retrieve, and manipulate data for analysis of system capabilities and requirements. What you bring • [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any] • [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: Bachelor's degree] • Strong critical thinking, active learning, reading comprehension, active listening, writing and speaking skills • Working knowledge of computers and electronics, mathematics and customer and personal service • [Anything else you would really turn someone away for] Pay and benefits [Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $65.38 an hour ($135,980 a year). [Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.] How to apply [Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]
Interview questions for software developers
Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.
- Tell me about a time you had to analyze information to determine, recommend, and plan installation of a new system or modification of an existing system. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to analyze user needs and software requirements to determine feasibility of design within time and cost constraints. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to confer with systems analysts, engineers, programmers and others to design systems and to obtain information on project limitations and capabilities, performance requirements and interfaces. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to design, develop and modify software systems, using scientific analysis and mathematical models to predict and measure outcomes and consequences of design. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Describe a decision at work where the obvious answer was wrong. How did you work out the better choice?
- Tell me about something new you had to learn quickly for work. How did you learn it?
- Tell me about written instructions, a policy or a manual you had to follow closely. How did you make sure you followed it correctly?
- Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?
Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.
What software developers do
- Analyze information to determine, recommend, and plan installation of a new system or modification of an existing system.
- Analyze user needs and software requirements to determine feasibility of design within time and cost constraints.
- Confer with systems analysts, engineers, programmers and others to design systems and to obtain information on project limitations and capabilities, performance requirements and interfaces.
- Design, develop and modify software systems, using scientific analysis and mathematical models to predict and measure outcomes and consequences of design.
- Develop or direct software system testing or validation procedures, programming, or documentation.
- Modify existing software to correct errors, adapt it to new hardware, or upgrade interfaces and improve performance.
- Prepare reports or correspondence concerning project specifications, activities, or status.
- Store, retrieve, and manipulate data for analysis of system capabilities and requirements.
Skills that matter most
Education, experience and outlook for software developers
- Typical education to start: Bachelor's degree (BLS)
- Job outlook: +10.2% over ten years, much faster than average · about 95,300 openings a year (BLS)
What to pay software developers
Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:
| State | Median yearly pay |
|---|---|
| California | $174,410 |
| Washington | $166,540 |
| New York | $166,180 |
| Massachusetts | $165,210 |
| Oregon | $142,720 |
| Louisiana | $102,800 |
| South Dakota | $96,310 |
| Mississippi | $95,330 |
See software developers pay in every state
Related hiring guides
- Computer Systems Analysts
- Information Security Analysts
- Computer and Information Research Scientists
- Computer Network Support Specialists
- Computer User Support Specialists
- Computer Network Architects
- Database Administrators
- Database Architects
- Network and Computer Systems Administrators
- Computer Programmers
Post this job on JAI Bot. Free to start: JAI Bot reads every applicant against your must-haves, shows the resume evidence behind each one, and helps you reply to everyone. People make every decision.
Post a job freePay by areaJob duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database 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. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.