15 Countries that Produce the Best Software Engineers

In this article, we will look at the 15 countries that produce the best software
engineers. We will also discuss the growing apprehension regarding job security for
software engineers. If you want to skip our detailed analysis, head straight to the
5 Countries that Produce the Best Software Engineers.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, USA, Software Developers, Quality
Assurance Analysts, and Testers earned a median pay of $124,200 per year in 2022.
The field had 1,795,300 jobs in 2022, with a projected 25% job outlook from 2022 to
2032. This increase is expected to result in 451,200 new job opportunities.
However, despite an excellent growth rate for the field, a recent survey conducted
by Blind, an online anonymous platform, revealed that 90% of 9,338 polled software
engineers believe it's now more challenging to secure a job compared to pre-
pandemic times, with 66% stating it is "much harder." The competitive environment
is evident as 80% of respondents claim the job market has become more intense over
the past year. Shockingly, only 6% of software engineers express confidence in
finding a new job with equivalent compensation, while 32% are "not at all
confident." In 2022 and 2023, the tech sector saw over 400,000 layoffs, challenging
the perception that software engineers were relatively immune.
The report suggests a huge shift in the perception of job security within the
software engineering field, traditionally considered a haven. The increase in
competition is attributed to a combination of industry-wide downturn and the
growing influence of artificial intelligence. The emergence of AI-powered coding
tools and their potential to streamline processes has fueled concerns about job
security in the tech sector. Despite 28% expressing concerns about AI in their own
roles, over 60% believe their companies will hire fewer people due to AI in the
future, signaling a growing apprehension within the software engineering community.
Following the continuous lay off trends in the tech industry, Microsoft Corp
(NASDAQ:MSFT) has announced layoffs affecting 1,900 employees at Activision
Blizzard and Xbox, marking approximately 8% of the overall Microsoft Corp
(NASDAQ:MSFT) Gaming division, which employs around 22,000 people. The internal
memo from Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ:MSFT) Gaming CEO Phil Spencer confirmed the
decision who highlighted that there is a need for a sustainable cost structure to
support the growing business.
The layoffs come just three months after Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ:MSFT) ‘s $68.7
billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Alongside the job cuts, Blizzard
president Mike Ybarra is leaving the company, and Blizzard's chief design officer,
Allen Adham, is also departing. The memo reveals the cancellation of Blizzard's
previously announced survival game, with affected employees being shifted to other
early-stage projects.
Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ:MSFT)’s last major layoffs occurred a year ago, impacting
10,000 employees. The company is set to report its fiscal Q2 2024 earnings, which
will include the first results after the Activision Blizzard acquisition, next
week.
On the other hand, Datadog, Inc (NASDAQ:DDOG) has emerged as a pivotal player in
the tech and software industry, providing a comprehensive observability service for
cloud-scale applications. Originally conceived as a solution to bridge the gap
between developer and systems administration teams, Datadog, Inc (NASDAQ:DDOG)
swiftly evolved into a cloud infrastructure monitoring service and now offers
dashboards, alerting, and metric visualizations. Its growth parallels the increase
in cloud adoption, with the platform expanding to cover major service providers
like AWS, Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ:MSFT) Azure, and Google Cloud Platform.
Datadog, Inc (NASDAQ:DDOG)‘s technology features a Go-based agent and support for
over 600 integrations across various cloud service providers and has become
instrumental in optimizing system performance and troubleshooting. Recognized in
Forbes' Cloud 100 and Deloitte's Fast 500 List, Datadog, Inc (NASDAQ:DDOG) is one
of the fastest-growing and influential companies, playing a pertinent role in
advancing the efficiency and reliability of modern software ecosystems.
15 Countries that Produce the Best Software Engineers.
An experienced software engineer working on a complex line of code in a programming
suite.
Our Methodology
To compile a list of countries that produce the best software engineers, we
utilized the QS World University Rankings for 2023 in Computer Science and
Information Systems. Our approach involved identifying the top 100 art universities
in the world and then selecting countries with the highest number of these top
institutions. As a result, we have narrowed our selection to the top countries that
consistently host leading software engineering and computer sciences universities.
Moreover, we tried to focus on the average salaries of software engineers around
the world, and countries with the highest average salaries were shortlisted. The
idea is that high-paying countries for software engineers, by default, would
attract the top quality software engineers to their industries.
First, we ranked countries on these two metrics separataly and then averaged the
rankings for both metrics to obtain our final rankings. The list is presented in
descending order of average rank.
By the way, Insider Monkey is an investing website that uses a consensus approach
to identify the best stock picks of more than 900 hedge funds investing in US
stocks. The website tracks the movement of corporate insiders and hedge funds. Our
top 10 consensus stock picks of hedge funds outperformed the S&P 500 stock index by
more than 140 percentage points over the last 10 years (see the details here). So,
if you are looking for the best stock picks to buy, you can benefit from the wisdom
of hedge funds and corporate insiders.
Here is a list of the countries that produce the best software engineers in the
world.
15. Japan
Average Rank: 16.5
The University of Tokyo, often referred to as "Todai," is one of Japan's most
prestigious universities and is known for its strong emphasis on research and
academic excellence in Computer Science. The average salary of a software engineer
in Japan is $69,946.
14. Hong Kong
Average Rank: 15
Two companies in Hong Kong actively hiring software engineers are Tencent and
Alibaba Group. Tencent is a multinational conglomerate and is renowned for its
diverse portfolio of internet-related services and products, including social
media, online gaming, and fintech. Alibaba Holding Group Limited (NYSE:BABA), on
the other hand, is a global e-commerce giant, that operates various platforms like
Alibaba.com and Taobao, and has expanded its influence into cloud computing and
digital entertainment. The average salary of a software engineer in Hong Kong is
$95,338
13. France
Average Rank: 14
France has a blooming tech ecosystem with 26 unicorns, 20 headquartered in Paris
which highlights how robust the tech industry is there. Moreover, the French Tech
visa attracts global talent, while AI and fintech sectors continue to dominate the
markets, exemplified by companies like PayFit, Swile, and Shift Technology. The
average salary of a software engineer in France is $78,607. It is one of the top 10
highest paying countries for software engineers.
12. South Korea
Average Rank: 13.5
A survey by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups in Korea reveals that over 75% of
small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) struggle to hire and retain local
software engineers due to a talent shortage. The pay gap between SMEs and larger
companies is cited as a major cause. More than half of the surveyed companies
express a willingness to hire offshore software engineers, with 27.3% already
having done so. India, Vietnam, China, and Indonesia are the preferred
nationalities for offshore hires.
The average salary of a software engineer in South Korea is $63493. It is one of
the countries with the highest salaries for IT professionals.
11. Italy
Average Rank: 13
Politecnico di Milano and University of Bologna are two of the top-ranked
universities in Italy for software engineering. Politecnico di Milano is
consistently recognized for its excellence in engineering and technology. The
average salary of a software engineer in Italy is $71044.
Italy is one of the most advanced countries in space exploration.
10. China
Average Rank: 12.5
Three important technology companies in China actively hiring software engineers
are Alibaba Holding Group Limited (NYSE:BABA), Tencent, and Baidu. The average
annual salary of a software engineer in China is $56430. China is the country with
the highest number of software engineers.
9. Denmark
Average Rank: 12
The country has a favorable attitude towards tech innovation with initiatives like
Copenhagen's Techfestival and Aarhus' focus on Smart Cities. Moreover, Denmark is
the second highest-paying county for software engineers with an annual average
salary of $178,362. It is also one of the places with the best programmers in the
world by country. Denmark is also one of the highest paying countries for
engineers.
8. Belgium
Average Rank: 11.5
Becoming a software engineer in Belgium offers access to renowned companies like
Barco, Proximus, and Umicore. The country promotes tech innovation with initiatives
like Ghent's Tech Lane and Brussels' Co.Station. Cities like Brussels and Ghent
have vibrant tech environment, while the central European location provides easy
access to major European hubs.
KU leuven is the most renowned university in Belgium, especially for engineering
and computer science programs. The average salary of software engineer in Beligum
is $125,866. It is one of the countries that produce the best software engineers in
Europe.
7. Singapore
Average Rank: 10
Singapore is the hub for software engineering with remarkable salary growth in
recent years. In 2022, software engineers saw a 7.6% increase in salaries with a
median of $5,000 for junior, $8,000 for senior, and $13,750 for engineering
managers. The tech workforce demand is further fueled by AI. Singapore is one of
the countries that produce the best engineers.
Singapore has an annual average salary of $15779. Owing to the high salaries in the
country, it is one of the best countries for software engineer salary.
6. Canada
Average Rank: 9.5
The country thrives on tech innovation, notably in Vancouver's AI sector and
Toronto's tech community. Cities like Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal provide a
high quality of life, and rich cultural experiences, both of which contribute to an
excellent environment for software engineers to grow.
The University of Toronto and the University of British Columbia are the best
software engineering universities in Canada. It is one of the countries with the
best software engineers. Canada is also one of the highest paying countries for
data scientists.
Click to continue reading and see the 5 Countries That Produce the Best Software
Engineers. Suggested Articles:
12 Countries That Produce the Best Fashion Designers in the World
16 Countries That Produce the Best Architects in the World
Number of Engineers by Country: Top 20
Disclosure: None. 15 Countries that Produce the Best Software Engineers is
originally published on Insider Monkey.