How to Become a Computer Programmer: a Complete Guide

Do you know anyone who wants to become a computer programmer ?️? Or are you the one who is interested in this field?

I wouldn’t be surprised if the answer to any of these questions is yes. Becoming a computer programmer is very beneficial, with a paycheck of about $71,995 per year ?. It is very much in demand right now.

So, if you are interested in this field, feel free to read the article till the very end because I have talked ?️ about all of the steps required to become a computer programmer below.

Who is a Computer Programmer?

A computer programmer is someone who learns a lot of programming languages to write ⌨️ codes that are going to be used to create programs and software. They also test and maintain these codes to make sure that they can be used by millions of people every day ?.

Now you will understand why they are so in demand nowadays. As soon as the internet and technology were born, computer programmers and designers became one of the most important people in the world.

This is because they are the ones who create and take care of one of the most basic things in the world right now, which is our computers. Even the phone ? in your hand is a computer.

The basic difference between a computer programmer and a computer engineer is that programmers only write computer codes and maintain them, while engineers are involved in all aspects.

So, if you want to become a programmer, your primary job will be to learn how to code ?.

How much can a Computer Programmer earn?

Computer programmers can earn a lot. This is due to the demand and the work that they put in. You would find very good computer programming opportunities in places like Los Angeles, Morrisville, and Seattle. All of these pay up to $98,000 per year to computer programmers ?.

We have tried compiling more statistics to find out the average salary in the United States as of now. We found that the average salary for a computer programmer is $71,995 per year in the United States as of August 2023 ?.

We also look into the hourly ⌛ rates. You earn at least $40.12 per hour as a computer programmer in the United States. In the places we spoke of above, which included Los Angeles, you earn up to 55 dollars per hour.

All of these salary trends ?are up to date and tested to make sure that you get the most accurate information ever.

How to Become a Computer Programmer? (More Tips)

The most important question in the article is – how to become a computer programmer, and we will answer this in this section. There are a few steps that will help ensure that you will build a successful computer programming career for yourself.

Note down ?️and follow the steps properly if you want to get the best results.

Learn how to do programming

The foremost step to becoming a computer programmer is to get used to programming. Look up all of the programming languages, their uses, and how difficult they are to learn. After this, make a plan for yourself and start learning how to program.

You can start by learning HTML, then CSS, and then easier languages such as Python ? and JavaScript.

This is an important step because the earlier the start, the better you are going to be able to code. If you keep practicing every day from an early period in time, you will become an expert programmer by the time you graduate and start looking for jobs ?.

Get a degree

The first step after starting programming on your own is to finish your educational requirements. An aspiring computer programmer is advised to get a bachelor’s degree ? in computer science or software Engineering at least.

Along with a major, you can try to do a minor in any programming language if you find a school that helps you do so. A proper graduate degree will have a duration of about four years at the least.

You are also advised to get a master’s if you can. It would just help improve your skill set. This would just make you a better candidate ?‍? when job opportunities arise.

Choose a specialization

There are more areas of specialization under the umbrella term – Computer Programmer. Try to find the best specialization for yourself after looking at your skill set and your preferences.

The only major difference between the specializations is going to be the type of programming language and the work that you are going to do. So, the rest of the process is not going to be that different.

You can neither try to become a hardware programmer ?, a software developer, a front-end developer, or a network system administrator.

Get some experience

After all of this, it is time to get some experience.

Before actually stepping out into the working world, you can try to look for some internships and work under some mentors so that they can help you get some experience.

These mentors can offer you valuable insight into this work ?and help you understand your lacking areas.

There are a lot of platforms where you will find such opportunities. Try to get involved in smaller projects in your colleges well because these are also going to help you a lot.

Keep practicing and get a network

One thing that you need to keep in mind is that you should never stop practicing programming. Even after you have learned how to program and get a job, you will have to keep on practicing so that you don’t forget.

You might think that you want and then stop, but this is not going to help you at all. Programming takes a ton worth of effort, and if you stop practicing, you are going to forget most of this.

Also, remember to build a network ? of fellow computer programmers and mentors in this field. This always helps with visibility in case of employment and higher opportunities.

Top Computer Programmer Courses in the United States

Now, it is time to look into some online resources ? that will help you find courses that are going to help you better grasp concepts related to this job.

Online educational platforms are a boon for students worldwide because, through these, you’re able to access educational content while sitting in the comfort of your home ?.

CS50’s Introduction to Computer Science

It can be considered the most well-known course ⭐ for learning computer science programming provided by Harvard among all the courses available in the world.

This course is taken not only by those who have a background in programming but also by people who haven’t attended a single lecture on computer science. This course starts with basic knowledge of bits and computer language and goes to complex programming languages such as C++, Python, HTML, and CSS.

All the data structures and algorithms are discussed here, which are easily understood by the people who take this course.

Python for Data Science and Machine Learning

This course is available on Udemy. It is a self-paced course that takes, on average, 20-25 hours to go through all the important key concepts required for learning Python in detail.

The course focuses on Python basics, data analysis with Panda library, data visualization by Matplotlib, and Machine learning by Scikit Learn.

This course is a very good option for those who are beginners in learning Python ? for data science and machine learning and also for professionals who want to broaden their skill set in data analysis and machine learning.

Web Developer Bootcamp

This Course is available on Udemy, which has around 50 to 60 hours of video ? content and is aimed at teaching front-end and back-end web development skills and understanding how to build interactive websites from scratch using various tools described in the course.

This course covers the topics of HTML5 and CSS3, Javascript and jQuery, Node.js and Express.js, DBMS, Version control by Git and RESTful APIs, and asynchronous programming.

This course not only teaches theory but also emphasizes hands-on training by developing projects of building interactive websites, and due to its comprehensive curriculum, most of the full-stack developers suggest this course to both beginners and professionals.

Machine Learning by Stanford

This Course is available on Coursera and, on average, runs for almost 11-12 weeks ? taught by Andrew Ng, who is a well-known educator for online machine learning courses.

This course focuses on developing machine learning techniques and algorithms, which consist of Linear and Logistic regression with the understanding of neural networks, clustering algorithms, anomaly detection, deep learning, and various machine learning projects.

This course is not only for aspiring data scientists and machine learning engineers but also for professionals who want to implement these machine learning techniques in their respective fields to benefit from this course.

w3schools: Programming courses

This website has resources for almost all the essential programming courses that are required for an individual to become a full-stack programmer ?.

This website offers courses on HTML and CSS, where you can learn about the structure and styling of web pages, Python and PHP, where you can learn about simple topics such as variables, data types, loops functions, and modules to intricate topics such as machine learning and neural networks.

This website also offers resources for Javascript, SQL, jQuery, Bootstrap, and many more Programming languages so that the individual can learn the language they want to use according to their field and interest.

Top Computer Programmer Schools in the World

A lot of schools offer computer programming courses nowadays. This is because of the recent advent of the IT and technology sector. Schools realize that a lot of students are interested in making a profession in these fields.

Given below are the top schools ? right now which offer very good computer programming courses.

Massachusetts Institute Of Technology

Massachusetts Institute Of Technology is, without a doubt, the best institute for engineering and research courses in the world. Despite not being in the Ivy League, it ranks better than most of the colleges that are already in the league.

MIT consists of a faculty that are experts in the field of computer science ?️and are continuously developing new technologies

. This institute is the hub of groundbreaking research and applications in artificial intelligence, machine learning, cryptography, and much more.

Students here get many internships and research projects where they can develop the fundamental skills needed in programming, which leads to fruitful opportunities in the future.

Stanford University

Stanford University is located in Silicon Valley, which is close to numerous tech giant companies and startups, which helps the students get the necessary exposure in the field where they can work and collaborate with the pioneers of programming and computer science.

Stanford’s computer science curriculum provides a solid foundation ? in theoretical and application-based programming, whether it be back-end or front-end, the student gets world-class teaching over there.

Stanford emphasizes hands-on learning so that the student not only gains knowledge of the field but also knows how to use it to solve problems related to real life.

Harvard University

Whenever we think about any computer science and programming-related course, the first name that comes across our mind is Harvard University’s CS50. This course showed us the interdisciplinary approach that Harvard follows, which lets the students of different fields explore connections with one another, which leads to broadening their understanding and problem-solving skills.

Harvard’s campus consists of students from all around the world ? which provides a global perspective to every student studying there.

Students interested in programming are urged to collaborate with the faculties, which consist of computer scientists, to innovate new algorithms for the betterment of the field.

University of California, Berkeley

UC Berkeley is known all over the world for their standard programming and computer science programs and their contribution to the field.

This university has opportunities for indulging in cutting-edge research technologies ? on data science, cybersecurity, and Machine-learning where students can challenge themselves to solve real-world problems and lead advancements in the field.

UC Berkeley not only has the best courses available for students, but it also has a great alumni network who have made their mark in academia, industry, and even entrepreneurship, due to which students can learn networking and take guidance advice that’ll help them in their career.

Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich

Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich, situated in Zurich, Switzerland, also referred to by the locals as the polytechnic institute, is a place that emphasizes providing students with a deep understanding of the theoretical knowledge in programming as well as hardcore problem-solving skills.

Here, students can learn about programming with machine learning, generative AI, computer vision, and much more, along with leading experts with innovative research projects.

It has extensive resources, including state-of-the-art laboratories and libraries ? along with experienced faculty with which the student can develop his programming skills to the fullest.

Where to find Computer Programmer job opportunities online?

Now, it’s time to look at platforms where you will be able to find the computer programming job of your dreams. Online job platforms and their advent have been such a benefit for job seekers all over the world. It has also made work for employers easier because now they can find anyone of their choice from any place on the globe.

The best sites on the internet right now have been listed below, so make sure that you remember them or note them down ?️ if you want.

Indeed

Indeed ✔️ is the first site that will pop up when you look for job opportunities online. This is because of the immense employment network present on this site. Job seekers and employers – both are active on this platform to a great extent.

Indeed commands a variety of resources on its user-friendly website, which are very helpful for people looking for a job and people looking for other people to do the job. The site is very easy to use and can be accessed by anyone.

You get a handful of resources, such as filters, that help you pinpoint the type of job you want and not waste any time. You just need to build an account for yourself, and then you are ready to go.

In comparison to sites like Facebook and Twitter, LinkedIn was made for the more professional end of social media users. This site allows you to make an account and then feed it all of your achievements and degrees. This is so that people can make connections and then look for jobs.

Professionals love it, and it has proven to help a lot when it comes to job hunting.

This is the one aspect that makes it so different from any other job-hunting site on the net right now. You get to make connections ?, build great networks ?, and then find a job based on these and the accolades on the profiles ?‍?.

Freelancing options

You can always freelance as well. Freelancing is when you get a project from your client and a deadline. But that’s it. The rest of the process is all up to you and your comfort.

You can set up your very own schedule and work peacefully. This is the reason why so many people turn to freelancing nowadays.

Sites like Upwork and Fiverr encourage this activity and are the biggest hubs when it comes to freelancing. Make an account on them as soon as you start job-hunting.

People make more than enough through freelancing ? which makes it a very good option for employment.

Turing

Turing is another site on the net ? that is dedicated to helping find remote jobs related to programming and computer/software development.

You can find a plethora of remote programming jobs on Turing, and this is a great site because it is dedicated to jobs like these only.

The procedure is the same as the other side, which is to create an account and then start applying. You can also join the site as an employer and then look for developers and programmers.

Conclusion

We have already discussed the difficulties on the road to becoming a Computer Programmer. You have to keep on learning and advancing your skill set. You have to maintain a network so that you can understand what it’s like in the market right now.

And you would have to advertise and talk about your skills so that people know what you’re doing.

Even after all of this, a lot of people still choose to become computer Programmers. This is because of the salary, yes. But it’s also about the return rate of the comfort and ease that compels them.

It seems like a good bargain, does it not? ?