Computing & Data
How to become a Software Engineer
Also known as Software Developer, Backend Engineer, Full-Stack Developer. Everything below comes from the same database our assessment scores against.
The route in
1. Undergraduate
3 years- Qualifications:
- B.Tech Computer Science, BCA, B.Sc. Computer Science, MCA
- Entrance exams:
- JEE Main, State CET, University merit, IPU CET
- Typical cost:
- ₹1.2 lakh to ₹25 lakh
What it pays
Entry level
₹3.5 lakh – ₹16 lakh
per year
Mid career
₹14 lakh – ₹50 lakh
per year
Indicative. These bands are an editorial estimate assembled from public reporting, and have not yet been reconciled against a named dataset. Treat them as a shape, not a promise — the same title pays very differently across a service company, a product company and a start-up.
Outlook
Hiring demand
High growth — one of the faster-expanding areas in the country.
Exposure to automation
High. A substantial part of what this role does today can already be done by software. It is not a reason to rule it out, but it is a reason to aim at the judgement-heavy end of it.
What the work is actually like
- Typical hours
- 9 hours, occasional release nights
- Remote possible
- Yes, at least partly
- Travel
- low travel
- Physical demand
- low physical demand
Streams this is reachable from
Exams worth knowing about
JEE Main · State CET · University merit · IPU CET
Where you can study for this
Institutions in our database with a course that is a recognised route into this work. Fees shown on each page are indicative until checked against the institution's own published structure.
- Indian Institute of Technology BombayMumbai, Maharashtra
- Indian Institute of Technology DelhiNew Delhi, Delhi
- Indian Institute of Technology GuwahatiGuwahati, Assam
- Indian Institute of Technology HyderabadHyderabad, Telangana
- Indian Institute of Technology IndoreIndore, Madhya Pradesh
- Indian Institute of Technology KanpurKanpur, Uttar Pradesh
- Indian Institute of Technology KharagpurKharagpur, West Bengal
- Indian Institute of Technology MadrasChennai, Tamil Nadu
Who tends to be happy here
People who rate these highly tend to stay in this work. If none of them sound like you, that is worth taking seriously.
- Achievement
- Independence
- Working conditions
Is this actually a fit for you?
This page describes the job. It cannot tell you whether it suits you — that depends on your interests, your reasoning and what you want from work. The assessment scores you against this career and 196 others, and shows the arithmetic behind every match.
Other Computing & Data careers
Last verified 2026-08-01. This is a career-guidance instrument. It is not a clinical or diagnostic tool. It does not measure intelligence, IQ, or a person’s worth. Its results are one input among several, and are intended to be interpreted with a trained counsellor.