Career comparison
Computer Science Professor vs. Software Developer
Side-by-side pay, training, growth and day-to-day duties to help you choose between two related careers.
Software developers earn more at the median ($135,980 vs. $96,980), while software developers usually get to work faster (4 years or bootcamp plus portfolio of training). Computer science professors teach programming, algorithms and computing at the college level. Software developers design, build and improve the apps and systems people use every day.
Pay data: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Outlook: BLS 2025–35 · Checked October 15, 2026
| Computer Science Professor | Software Developer | |
|---|---|---|
| Median pay | $96,980 | $135,980 ($65.38/hr) |
| Pay range (10th–90th) | $49,460 – $170,200 | $82,460 – $214,670 |
| Job growth, 2025–35 | +4.9% (about as fast as average) | +10.2% (much faster than average) |
| Openings per year | 3,200 | 95,300 |
| Typical entry education | Doctoral or professional degree | Bachelor's degree |
| Training time | 5–7 years after a bachelor’s | 4 years or bootcamp plus portfolio |
| Key credential | Ph.D. in computer science | AWS Certified Developer – Associate |
| Work setting | CS faculty work in classrooms, labs and offices at colleges and universities.. | Developers work in offices or remotely, mostly at computers, collaborating through chat, video and code review tools.. |
What each job does
Computer Science Professor
- Teach computing courses
- Design programming assignments
- Run labs and recitations
- Mentor student projects
- Conduct research
Software Developer
- Gather requirements and design software features
- Write clean, maintainable code
- Write and run automated tests
- Debug and fix defects
- Review code and collaborate in version control
How they’re similar
Both careers involve working with information, working independently, desk work, and problem-solving. They sit in different fields, education & childcare and technology, but share transferable skills such as clear explanation and problem solving.
Which should you choose?
Choose computer science professor if…
- I love computing
- I enjoy explaining code
- I want to do research
Choose software developer if…
- I love solving puzzles
- I enjoy building things with code
- I can focus for long periods
Still torn? Take the Computer Science Professor fit quiz and the Software Developer fit quiz, or the full Career Match Quiz.
Quick comparisons
Which pays more, computer science professor or software developer?
Software Developers earn more at the median: $135,980 versus $96,980 for computer science professors, based on BLS May 2025 data.
Which takes less time to train for?
Software Developers typically train faster (4 years or bootcamp plus portfolio) than computer science professors (5–7 years after a bachelor’s).
Which career has better job growth?
BLS projects software developers to grow +10.2% from 2025–35, compared with +4.9% for computer science professors.