Huntsville, Alabama has the #5 highest concentration of software developers in the US

The Huntsville metro has the #5 highest concentration of software developers nationwide.

There are 6,540 software developers in the Huntsville metro, comprising 28.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Huntsville-area software developers earn a median $102,600 annually.

Tech has long been known as a lucrative field. There were about 1.4 million software developers nationwide in 2021, earning a median annual salary of $120,730. Though the industry is currently facing a wave of layoffs, BLS predicts job growth in the field to be much faster than average, with an estimated 25% growth between 2021 and 2031, compared to only 5% for the average job.

Numbers like these might make you want to hit the books and change careers—but what does a software developer actually do? It's a bit more than just writing the code that helps run the software you use every day—from your takeout app to your favorite social media site.

Software developers must predict consumers' needs and design solutions for them. They'll need to see every piece of the puzzle in the development process, including meeting with stakeholders to brainstorm ideas and testing final products. Software developers should have hard skills like coding languages and data structures under their belt, according to Indeed. But soft skills like communication and creativity are just as important.

Once you have the necessary skills and education to land a software development job, there are plenty of great places to do so. You might immediately think of Silicon Valley or San Francisco when you picture a tech hub, but the truth is there are many lesser-known cities that now boast plenty of opportunities for software developers. 

Another great growing tech hub for those seeking a low cost of living, Huntsville has ranked among the top affordable cities for tech careers, as reported in the Huntsville Business Journal. Payscale ranks the metro's cost 9% below the national average.

The city is a particular hub for the aerospace industry, hosting companies including Boeing and The Aerospace Corporation. You'll also find plenty of jobs in the information technology sector thanks to giants like IBM setting up offices there.

See how other metros compare in the national story, where Feats used 2021 BLS employment data to rank the 15 U.S. metropolitan areas with the highest concentrations of software developers.