Software Developers are the engine of the digital economy. Here’s how our next President can help them thrive in 2021.
Developers power innovation, create jobs, help keep our nation secure, and are at the heart of breakthroughs and advancements in every industry from healthcare to banking to quantum computing. They are the foundation of a digital export economy that is the envy of the world. And if it wasn’t apparent before, 2020 has taught us that software developers are a resilient, responsive, and critically important workforce when life is disrupted by radical change such as a global pandemic.
By best estimates, there are over 25 million software developers in the world, with the U.S. home to over 4 million of these (the EU can boast over 5 million). These are the working-class jobs of the digital economy, with the median developer wage sitting at a little over $100k a year. Developers come from all walks of life, every demographic, and they ply their trade from home offices, campuses, incubators, and office hotels in every American state.
Keeping the developer ecosystem healthy must be a top policy priority for 2021. Rebuilding our economy around 21st-century technologies will empower a resilient and distributed workforce while respecting the new limits on commutes and office work. Fostering an environment favorable for the developer community is crucial not just to a post-pandemic economic rebound, but is essential to long term growth and America maintaining technological dominance for years to come.
Developers’ Top Policy Priorities:
-
Repair digital ties across the Atlantic; Implement a Federal Privacy law
