Hiring a software developer: job description template and interview questions
Everything you need to post a software developer job and interview candidates: a template you can copy and edit, interview questions with what a good answer shows, and pay benchmarks from federal data.
Pay data: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Job content: O*NET 31.0. Updated 2026-10-26.
Software Developer job description template
Copy this template and replace the parts in [brackets]. Keep only the responsibilities and requirements that are true for your job.
Software Developer
Location: [City, State or remote] · Schedule: [Full-time, part-time, shifts] · Pay: [$X to $Y per year]
We are hiring a software developer to design, build and maintain features in our product, write tested and readable code, review teammates' work and help improve how we ship. We value clear communication as much as technical skill.
Responsibilities
- Analyze user needs and software requirements to determine feasibility of design within time and cost constraints.
- Develop or direct software system testing or validation procedures, programming, or documentation.
- Confer with systems analysts, engineers, programmers and others to design systems and to obtain information on project limitations and capabilities, performance requirements and interfaces.
- 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.
- Analyze information to determine, recommend, and plan installation of a new system or modification of an existing system.
- Store, retrieve, and manipulate data for analysis of system capabilities and requirements.
Requirements
- Bachelor's Degree or equivalent experience
- Critical Thinking skills
- Reading Comprehension skills
- Active Learning skills
- Programming
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Systems Analysis
- Reliable attendance and availability for the scheduled shifts
What we offer
- [Pay range and how often you pay]
- [Benefits, such as health insurance, paid time off or an employee discount]
- [Training and growth, such as promotion paths]
How much to pay a software developer
The U.S. median annual wage for software developers was $135,980 in May 2025 ($65.38 an hour). Pay differs a lot from state to state.
| Percentile | Hourly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $39.64 | $82,460 |
| 25th | $50.58 | $105,210 |
| Median (50th) | $65.38 | $135,980 |
| 75th | $82.68 | $171,980 |
| 90th | $103.21 | $214,670 |
| Mean | $71.20 | $148,100 |
Software Developer salary in every state
Software Developer interview questions
- Walk me through a project you are proud of. What would you change now?
What to listen for: Depth of understanding and honest reflection. - How do you approach a bug you cannot reproduce?
What to listen for: Gathering evidence, logging, narrowing the problem down. - Tell me about a code review comment that changed your mind.
What to listen for: Openness to feedback. - How do you decide what to test?
What to listen for: Risk-based thinking, not just coverage numbers. - Explain a technical concept you know well to someone without a technical background.
What to listen for: Clear, simple communication. - Tell me about a time you disagreed with a technical decision.
What to listen for: Making a case with evidence and committing once decided. - How do you keep a large change safe to release?
What to listen for: Small steps, feature flags, monitoring, rollback plans. - What do you do when you are stuck?
What to listen for: Trying on their own first, then asking for help with context.
Skills to look for
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Learning
- Active Listening
- Programming
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Systems Analysis
- Complex Problem Solving
Source: O*NET importance ratings for this occupation.
Hiring software developers?
Post the job on Jobder, add an optional video of up to 45 seconds, and review applications one at a time with a yes or a pass. Free signup is open for job seekers and employers.
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Software Developer career guide · Software Developer salary by state
Sources and methodology
Wage and employment estimates: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025, cross-industry estimates for all ownerships. Figures are as published; BLS does not publish some estimates for some states. As defined by BLS, wages include tips, commissions and production bonuses, and exclude overtime pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and other premium pay. BLS OEWS
This page includes information from the 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. Jobder has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET Database
Written and maintained by the Jobder team. Last updated 2026-10-26. Questions or corrections: support@jobder.pro.
Frequently asked questions
What should a software developer job description include?
A short summary of the role, the main responsibilities, the qualifications you actually require, the schedule, the location and the pay range. Listing pay helps candidates decide quickly, and some states and cities require pay ranges in job postings.
How much should I pay a software developer?
The U.S. median annual wage for software developers was $135,980 in May 2025 ($65.38 an hour), and the middle half of workers earned between $105,210 and $171,980. Pay varies a lot by state, so check the state table before you set a range.
What are good interview questions for a software developer?
Ask about real situations the person will face on the job, and listen for how they think, not only for the right answer. The questions on this page each come with what a strong answer shows.