The need for software engineers extends far beyond Silicon Beach, as businesses of all kinds work to bolster their online presence, according to a new report.
Glassdoor, a Mill Valley-based job and recruiting website, last week released a list of the 15 highest-paid jobs in Los Angeles County based on the median incomes of users on its website from July 2015 to July 2016. However, the most staggering statistic might be the number of openings for one of those top positions – software engineers.
As of Aug. 1, the website listed 1,966 openings in that field, compared with anywhere from a few dozen to a few hundred for the other highest-paid jobs.
“Companies of all shapes and sizes are looking to hire software engineers,” said Allison Berry, who helped compile the report at Glassdoor. “Even though Los Angeles does have a growing tech industry, companies across all industries are hiring for these positions.”
Software engineers also ranked No. 4 in terms of pay, with a median salary of $95,000. Topping the salary list are solutions architects, who earn a median salary of $130,000. Attorneys came in second with a median salary of $125,000, while professors, with a $99,000 median salary, ranked third.
Glassdoor’s study was based on more than 20,000 salary reports provided by users, who can anonymously list their salaries and review companies for which they’ve worked, Berry said, noting that this is the first report of its kind published by Glassdoor. Information on more than 580,000 companies is available on the website, she added.
“L.A.’s ripe with innovation today,” said Jonathan Eppers, chief executive of Venice housing rental website Radpad Inc., who said he isn’t surprised about the abundance of software engineer openings. His company even offers its employees $10,000 if they refer a developer that winds up being hired by the company.
Zach Rosner, head of people operations at Culver City online underwear retailer MeUndies, said Web development is an essential need for the e-commerce firm, even though it’s not a software company. That’s why the e-commerce business added a second developer to its staff and is looking to hire a third.
“It’s a tool, and like any tool, you can use it well or use it poorly,” Rosner said.
Data divergence
Because Glassdoor’s report isn’t comprehensive, its results were a bit different from data compiled by the California Employment Development Department, which lists professions in the medical field among the bulk of the state’s top-paid jobs. And while the agency projects the software development field will grow at a 2 percent annual rate in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale area until 2022, that job isn’t near the top of the state’s list of projected growth by occupation.
That honor goes to personal care aides, who are expected to see job growth of 6.1 percent annually, adding more than 90,000 jobs to the economy between 2012 and 2022, according to the EDD.
Rosner said that while software developers are in demand, Glassdoor’s numbers might be a little inflated by tech companies that overhire expecting rapid growth and later have to scale back.
“It’s not necessarily a long-term representation of that kind of job,” Rosner said. “It’s probably reflecting a little of that early excitement.”
