Job prospects Software Developer in Ontario

Explore current and future job prospects for people working as a "software developer" in Ontario or Canada.

Job opportunities in Ontario

The employment outlook will be good for Computer programmers and interactive media developers (NOC 2174) in Ontario for the 2022-2024 period.

The following factors contributed to this outlook:

• Employment growth will lead to several new positions.
• Not many positions will become available due to retirements.
• There are a small number of unemployed workers with recent experience in this occupation.

What Types of Employers Are Out There?

• Various industries, but leading share employed in computer systems design and related services, which include video game design and development
• Finance and insurance companies
• Public administration, largely federal government departments
• Software publishers

What are the Main Trends Affecting Employment?

• Technological changes occurring in many business operations and investments in new software and related products and systems, including in the automotive, finance and insurance, and health care sectors
• Remote work structures resulting from COVID-19 accelerated information technology (IT) transformation
• Key technology trends related to artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), 3D printing, and virtual and augmented reality
• Significant presence in the number of video game companies in Ontario, which may especially benefit interactive media developers
• The potential off-shoring of some lower value programming work may moderate some job prospects for these professionals

What Skills Do I Need to Succeed?

• Knowledge of programming languages such as C#/C++, SQL, Java, and Visual Basic, and operating systems UNIX or Linux
  • Possibility of specializing in additional programming languages and tools for technological clusters
  • Experience or knowledge developing both front-end and back-end software (full stack) is an asset
• Some positions will seek individuals with skills developing cloud technologies
• Given the changing nature of digital technology, frequent upskilling is an asset
• Experience working under various software project management techniques such as Waterfall and Agile, and familiarity with tools such as JIRA are useful for securing employment

What Other Information Will I Find Helpful?

• Beyond the forecast period, a growing share of Ontario’s workforce is expected to have basic coding and other digital skills due to public sector investments, and popularity of coding boot camps
• In general:
  • Micro-credentials or short-term training courses and certification are being offered by post-secondary institutions to help job seekers upskill; courses may also be offered by industry stakeholders
  • Bridging Programs are also available to assist internationally trained professionals in various fields enter the labour market more quickly in the province

Here are some key facts about Computer programmers and interactive media developers in Ontario:

• Approximately 92,550 people work in this occupation.
• Computer programmers and interactive media developers mainly work in the following sectors:
  • Computer systems design services (NAICS 5415): 47%
  • Monetary Authorities - central bank and securities, commodity contracts and other intermediation and related activities (NAICS 521, 522, 523): 8%
  • Information and cultural industries (NAICS 51): 8%
  • Federal government public administration (NAICS 911): 6%
• The distribution of full-time and part-time workers in this occupation is:
  • Full-time workers: 95% compared to 79% for all occupations
  • Part-time workers: 5% compared to 21% for all occupations
• 72% of computer programmers and interactive media developers work all year, while 28% work only part of the year, compared to 63% and 37% respectively among all occupations. Those who worked only part of the year did so for an average of 32 weeks compared to 31 weeks for all occupations.
• 10% of computer programmers and interactive media developers are self-employed compared to an average of 12% for all occupations.
• The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
  • Men: 81% compared to 52% for all occupations
  • Women: 19% compared to 48% for all occupations
• The educational attainment of workers in this occupation is:
  • no high school diploma: less than 5% compared to 10% for all occupations
  • high school diploma or equivalent: 12% compared to 27% for all occupations
  • apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma: less than 5% compared to 6% for all occupations
  • college certificate or diploma or university certificate below bachelor's: 20% compared to 26% for all occupations
  • bachelor's degree: 45% compared to 21% for all occupations
  • university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: 22% compared to 10% for all occupations

Breakdown by region

Explore job prospects in Ontario by economic region.

Source Labour Market Information | Prospects Methodology

Labour market conditions over the next 10 years

Explore current and future job prospects for people working as a "software developer" in Ontario or Canada.

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