Also called: Server-Side Engineer, API Engineer
Builds the behind-the-scenes servers, databases, and APIs that apps talk to.
You design how data flows when a million people tap 'buy' at once. Your day is spent writing server code, tuning a slow database query, and watching dashboards after a release to make sure nothing is on fire.
Tracks the software developer category; senior backend roles at large firms pay more.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Bachelor's in CS or equivalent experience; strong knowledge of databases and distributed systems.
Ways in: 4-year college, Self-taught. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Computer Science, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering.
Growing much faster than average (about 10% over 10 years). Counted within BLS software developers.
Medium risk for 10 years. AI writes APIs and database code quickly; scaling, reliability and data design across real systems stay human calls.
Classes: AP Computer Science A, AP Calculus, AP Statistics.
Official data: O*NET occupation 15-1252.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.