{"id":"career/software-engineer","kind":"career","v":1,"title":"Software engineer","line":"Build the apps and systems millions of people use","about":"Write and review code with a team Fix what broke in production Turn a fuzzy idea into a feature","aliases":[],"tags":["stream:pcm","stream:pcmb","stream:commercemaths","interest:code","interest:build","interest:games","interest:science","interest:numbers","value:money","value:freedom","value:creativity"],"facts":[{"label":"Starting pay","value":"₹6–18 L/yr","trust":"estimate","source":0},{"label":"Later","value":"₹25–60 L/yr after 6–8 years","trust":"estimate","source":0},{"label":"Years to get there","value":"4 years of B.Tech, or 3 + 2 via BCA–MCA","trust":"estimate","source":0},{"label":"Cost","value":"₹1–6 L/yr depending on college","trust":"estimate","source":0},{"label":"Streams","value":"PCM, PCMB, CommerceMaths","trust":"estimate","source":0},{"label":"Subjects","value":"Maths, Computer Science, Physics","trust":"estimate","source":0},{"label":"Routes","value":"sde-jee · sde-state · sde-bca","trust":"estimate","source":0}],"data":{"id":"software-engineer","title":"Software engineer","icon":"code","line":"Build the apps and systems millions of people use","dayInLife":["Write and review code with a team","Fix what broke in production","Turn a fuzzy idea into a feature"],"interests":{"code":3,"build":2,"games":1,"science":1,"numbers":1},"subjects":["Maths","Computer Science","Physics"],"values":["money","freedom","creativity"],"streams":["PCM","PCMB","CommerceMaths"],"salary":{"start":"₹6–18 L/yr","later":"₹25–60 L/yr after 6–8 years"},"years":"4 years of B.Tech, or 3 + 2 via BCA–MCA","cost":"₹1–6 L/yr depending on college","related":["data-scientist","game-developer","entrepreneur"],"realPaths":["bhavish-aggarwal","satya-nadella","sundar-pichai","riya-nitj"],"routes":[{"id":"sde-jee","careerId":"software-engineer","title":"JEE Main → B.Tech CSE","line":"The most common road: a rank, a seat, four years, then placements.","streams":["PCM","PCMB"],"years":4,"tags":["prestige"],"stages":[{"id":"crack","label":"Crack JEE Main","window":"now","steps":[{"t":"mock","examId":"jee-main","target":180,"by":"2026-12-15"},{"t":"exam","examId":"jee-main"},{"t":"block","typeId":"class-12","title":"Boards 75%+","kind":"exam","subtitle":"Feb 2027 · needed for NITs","when":"2027-02-15","needs":["Class 12 syllabus"],"gives":["NIT eligibility"],"proof":"Marksheet"}]},{"id":"seat","label":"Get a seat","window":"Jun–Jul 2027","steps":[{"t":"seat","examId":"jee-main"}]},{"id":"degree","label":"Get job-ready","window":"2027–31","steps":[{"t":"block","typeId":"ug-degree","title":"B.Tech CSE","subtitle":"2027–31"},{"t":"block","typeId":"skill","title":"DSA + 2 projects","subtitle":"Year 1–2 · an hour a day","kind":"skill","needs":["A laptop","An hour a day"],"gives":["Internship shortlists"],"proof":"Public repos","people":"312 seniors on this block (demo count)"},{"t":"block","typeId":"internship","title":"Summer internship","subtitle":"Year 3 · apply Dec–Feb","needs":["DSA","2 projects"],"gives":["A pre-placement offer, maybe"],"proof":"Completion letter"}]},{"id":"land","label":"Land the job","window":"2031","steps":[{"t":"goal","title":"Software engineer","subtitle":"Placements, Aug–Dec 2030"}]}]},{"id":"sde-state","careerId":"software-engineer","title":"State quota → B.Tech CSE near home","line":"Same degree, same goal, a college in your state for less.","streams":["PCM","PCMB"],"years":4,"tags":["near-home","budget"],"stages":[{"id":"crack","label":"Crack JEE Main","window":"now","steps":[{"t":"mock","examId":"jee-main","target":160,"by":"2026-12-15"},{"t":"exam","examId":"jee-main"},{"t":"block","typeId":"class-12","title":"Boards 75%+","kind":"exam","subtitle":"Feb 2027","when":"2027-02-15"}]},{"id":"seat","label":"Get a seat","window":"Jul 2027","steps":[{"t":"seat","examId":"jee-main","title":"State counselling"}]},{"id":"degree","label":"Get job-ready","window":"2027–31","steps":[{"t":"block","typeId":"ug-degree","title":"B.Tech CSE","subtitle":"2027–31"},{"t":"block","typeId":"skill","title":"DSA + 2 projects","subtitle":"Year 1–2 · an hour a day","kind":"skill","needs":["A laptop","An hour a day"],"gives":["Internship shortlists"],"proof":"Public repos","people":"312 seniors on this block (demo count)"},{"t":"block","typeId":"internship","title":"Summer internship","subtitle":"Year 3 · apply Dec–Feb","needs":["DSA","2 projects"],"gives":["A pre-placement offer, maybe"],"proof":"Completion letter"}]},{"id":"land","label":"Land the job","window":"2031","steps":[{"t":"goal","title":"Software engineer","subtitle":"Campus or off-campus"}]}]},{"id":"sde-bca","careerId":"software-engineer","title":"BCA → skills → SDE, no JEE","line":"Skip the entrance race. Three years of BCA, real projects, then a job or an MCA.","streams":["PCM","PCMB","CommerceMaths","Commerce"],"years":3,"tags":["no-jee","budget","fast"],"stages":[{"id":"school","label":"Finish school","window":"now","steps":[{"t":"block","typeId":"class-12","title":"Boards 60%+","kind":"exam","subtitle":"Feb 2027","when":"2027-02-15"},{"t":"exam","examId":"cuet-ug","subtitle":"For BCA at central universities"}]},{"id":"seat","label":"Get a seat","window":"Jun–Aug 2027","steps":[{"t":"block","typeId":"college-seat","title":"BCA seat","subtitle":"Your city · ₹0.5–2 L/yr","needs":["Class 12 with maths"],"gives":["A CS degree in 3 years"],"proof":"Admission letter"}]},{"id":"build","label":"Build proof","window":"2027–30","steps":[{"t":"block","typeId":"ug-degree","title":"BCA","subtitle":"2027–30"},{"t":"block","typeId":"project","title":"3 shipped projects","kind":"skill","subtitle":"The thing that gets you hired"},{"t":"block","typeId":"internship","title":"Internship","subtitle":"Year 2 or 3"}]},{"id":"land","label":"Land the job","window":"2030","steps":[{"t":"goal","title":"Software engineer","subtitle":"Off-campus, or MCA first"}]}]}]},"links":[{"rel":"related","id":"career/data-scientist"},{"rel":"related","id":"career/game-developer"},{"rel":"related","id":"career/entrepreneur"},{"rel":"path","id":"path/narayana-murthy"},{"rel":"path","id":"path/vijay-shekhar-sharma"},{"rel":"path","id":"path/bhavish-aggarwal"},{"rel":"path","id":"path/sundar-pichai"},{"rel":"path","id":"path/satya-nadella"},{"rel":"path","id":"path/harshit-khemani"},{"rel":"path","id":"path/riya-nitj"},{"rel":"path","id":"path/kabir-nitt"},{"rel":"signal","id":"signal/wef-future-of-jobs-2025"},{"rel":"signal","id":"signal/microsoft-ai-applicability-2025"},{"rel":"signal","id":"signal/stanford-canaries-2026"},{"rel":"signal","id":"signal/anthropic-economic-index-2026"},{"rel":"signal","id":"signal/openai-gdpval-2025"},{"rel":"signal","id":"signal/stanford-ai-index-2026"},{"rel":"signal","id":"signal/tcs-layoffs-2025"},{"rel":"signal","id":"signal/nasscom-fy26"},{"rel":"signal","id":"signal/india-gcc-landscape-2024"},{"rel":"signal","id":"signal/h1b-fee-2025"},{"rel":"signal","id":"signal/h1b-weighted-lottery-2025"},{"rel":"signal","id":"signal/h1b-fee-court-2026"},{"rel":"signal","id":"signal/us-f1-visa-drop-2025"}],"map":{"kind":"work","typeId":"goal","when":[],"needs":[],"gives":[],"steps":[]},"sources":[{"label":"Bingy's career notes (hand-written for the prototype; salaries are rough ranges)","asOf":"2026-10-15","trust":"estimate","method":"hand"}],"trust":"estimate","origin":"dataset","asOf":"2026-10-15","digest":"sha256:b185667ce4459b222e4aeaa76cdc56e18b62c48f3bf40bb22cb7cb84ca7c05e8"}