The Covid-19 pandemic brought so many changes to the world that impacted all industry sectors. The World Health Organization advised individuals to maintain social distancing. Therefore, many companies directed their employees to work remotely to reduce the number of infections.
Software engineers can work from home, and many already do. However, the Agile principles developers use require frequent collaboration, so meetings with other developers are often necessary. However, the technical, i.e., coding, aspects of the job can be done remotely.
Statistics say that the number of Americans working from home has increased to 115% in just a decade. And that makes up about 3% of the total workforce. Now, if you are a software engineer or thinking of becoming one, you may be wondering whether you can work from home. And the short answer is yes.
Software engineers can also enjoy the perks that come with working remotely, including reclaiming the commute time and saving transportation and lunch money. A majority of software developers desire to work 100% remotely. And thankfully, most companies have designed permanent work-from-home policies to facilitate this.
But, there are some repercussions for software developers doing so. For instance, companies are still deciding whether to adjust employee salaries based on their location and what unique benefits to offer their remote workers.
A study conducted on technology professionals revealed that 73% of them viewed remote work as a crucial perk. The argument is that programming requires one to focus and solve complex algorithms and mathematical software. But since open offices can be quite noisy, most find the home set up peaceful and quiet to work in.
How Many Hours Do Software Engineers Work from Home?
Many people think that software engineers spend almost all their time working. If you ask most of them, their average working time is between 60 to 80 hours a week. This idea is from both developers and non-developers. And even the software engineers themselves think that they can only be great developers if they spend this much time working.
However, we are living in different times and companies, as well as employees, have designed more realistic work hours that leave enough time for personal life. Companies now know that working overtime doesn’t necessarily make a developer more productive. And with the rise of remote working, software engineers can be more productive without overworking themselves.
Well, the exact time software engineers work from home is hard to say. That’s because people are different and some still prefer to work for many hours a week. That could be due to various reasons. Some may be working these extra hours to make their company successful. Some could be hoping for a raise or promotion or other benefits. And some could only want to beat a deadline. So the extra hours are temporary.
But according to research by 2020 StackOverflow, more than 75% of software developers globally work for less than 45 hours per week. And when they looked per country, the numbers ranged between 39.2 to 41.8 hours. So, there’s no big difference with other professionals and industries.
Now, the time difference is brought about by various things like;
- Countries- some countries have more working hours than others. We found out that the difference between the two extremes was approximately 10 hours per week.
- Company and industry differences- other than where one lives, an employee’s working time is also affected by the company and industry. A software engineer working for a private company will likely work more hours than those who work in a government agency. Not that civil servants aren’t motivated, but these industries are more regulated and have a strong representation of workers’ rights. As such, this has reduced the working hours of employees in some organizations.
- Individual differences- we are different people who have different passion levels. Most times, individuals view the 9 am to 5 pm software engineer as someone who’s not passionate or motivated about their job. However, this narrative is false and unappealing. Every developer doesn’t have the same time and commitment. It could be that one has children to care for or they are volunteering for a charity project or they have another job to do. So it’s quite wrong to assume that since someone isn’t spending as much time on their software development job that they are not passionate.
- Overtime- if a company has to meet a certain deadline, it’ll ask its employers to work overtime. Since software engineering isn’t any different, these professionals may be asked to work overtime. That’s okay as long as it’s not weekly or monthly. A study conducted in 2012 revealed that more than 35% of software engineers code over time. But the survey doesn’t explain whether the code is work-related or not. It could be that the developers were working on other things they love to improve their skills.
So as we can see, the working time for software developers differs, depending on various things. What to bear in mind, however, is that software engineers who work for fewer hours aren’t lazy or unmotivated than those who work for many hours.
How long one works depends on their motivation, company, individuals, and country. For someone who loves programming and doesn’t mind spending all their free time doing it, they’ll work for more hours. But it doesn’t mean that a software developer who spends 60 hours working will be better than one who works half of this time. Other than time, several other factors make one a good software engineer.
These include;
• Technical knowledge
• Work efficiency
• Domain knowledge
• People skills
• How fast they are at learning new skills
What Percent of Software Engineers Work from Home?
Working from home may sound like a new concept, but it is not. Many software engineers have been working remotely since long ago. Thanks to technological advancements, it enables these engineers to track anyone regardless of where they are and run processes online without going to the office.
Technology workers are today embracing remote working more than ever. According to a survey by Terminal, a company building great engineering times for high tech companies, at least 86% of software engineers are working remotely, unlike 19% that was before the Covid-19 pandemic.
And more engineers want remote working to be made an option for them even after the pandemic ends. Many agree that remote working has made them consider relocating from the cities they are currently living in. And from those surveyed, more than 83% want hybrid working (remote and office working) to be an option in the future.
Although the rise of software engineers working remotely was motivated by the Covid-19 pandemic, it isn’t an entirely new situation. But, these engineers seem to love and enjoy the flexibility offered by remote working. And businesses that don’t adopt working from home policies risk having a tech talent shortage.
Statistics say that the number of software developers worldwide stands at 18-21 million. And about only 5% are in the United States. Therefore, it is important for companies, especially those based in the U.S. to spread their recruiting wings.
Tech-oriented employers should be open to hiring individuals globally. Several companies are already doing that. A survey by Stack Overflow found out that 45% of software developers work remotely part of the time, and 10% are full-time remote workers. An interesting fact noted was that those who worked remotely earned more money than their onside counterparts.
Can Software Engineers become Millionaires?
Software engineering is one of the most well-paying professions. The average salary of software engineers is $73000 per year in the United States. It’s why most of these developers are contented in their work and are confident of making millions soon. These professionals have a high level of job satisfaction and they’re likely to stay happier than their colleagues in different industries.
However, while the pay is good, it doesn’t mean that they are stress-free. Most seem to suffer from imposter syndrome, where one has a hard time accepting credit for their work. Those with this condition feel like people around them are more talented than they are.
All in all, computer programming is one of the best industries to be part of. And if you are going for the money, your head should be all in.
Are Software Engineers in Demand?
Yes. The demand for software engineers is quite high. Note that the world is constantly in demand for new software and mobile applications. As such, it will always need more software engineers to handle these. Here are some reasons why these engineers are in high demand;
- Rapid advancement in technology- the rapid growth of technology increases the demand for software engineers that can design, develop, and maintain it. For instance, new smartphones, Iot devices, cryptocurrencies are supported by new software that needs people with the know-how to run them.
- A massive shift to online- everything, from shopping to meetings, is done online. It thus requires software engineers to ensure that things are running smoothly online.
- Limited code’s lifespan- code applications are constantly updated and changed, and each code only has a few years. Plus, occasionally, a company can decide to discard its old software and seek a new one. Thus, this needs a software engineer to do so.
Conclusion
As we have seen, software engineers can comfortably work from home. Many companies are these days hiring remote software engineers to improve their operations and efficiency. Doing so allows them to hire talents across the globe, and the employees save on the cost of running an office. For software engineers thinking of working from home, they must keep several aspects in mind;
• Have a controlled workflow to remain productive at home-work scenario
• Communicate more with the supervisor or team members via zoom or email
• Limit phone time as social media can be a distraction
What is clear is that remote working is not ending anytime soon. And it’s an excellent career part for those who want workflow flexibility and reliability.