In the 1970s and 1980s, people who created software were typically given the title “programmer” or “computer programmer”. One exception, such as when I worked at a hardware company, on firmware, was I had the title “computer engineer”.
In the 1980s, Microsoft popularized the title “software developer” and this usage became widespread by the 1990s and became the primary title for those creating software. The term “software developer” pre-dated the 1980s but was not common or well known.
Why was the title “software engineer” not used? “”Software engineering” was recognized as far back as the 1960s, but primarily in academic circles and within some defense contracting businesses.
Legal Issues
There may have been concerns about use of the title “engineer”. Some states, like Oregon, banned the use of the title “engineer” unless you were a Professional Engineer license holder; however, there was no software engineering license available. Oregon’s rules were so strict and broadly written that legally, if you were an independent consultant who mentioned you have a degree in software engineering (as I do), you were alleged to be implying that you were a PE, and violated the state’s rules. Other states distinguished an “engineer” from a PE by specifically using “, PE” to designate a professional licensed engineer. Oregon, though, literally prohibited the use of a word in the English language.
The state was challenged in Court after fining a person with a degree in electrical engineering (but not a PE) with extensive expertise in tests and measurement after he found an error in government run traffic signals. The State lost the case and backed off its overly zealous prohibition on speech.
We went from a legal environment that discouraged use of “software engineer” to less restrictions on speech.
Big Tech Adopted The Title
Big companies like Google, Microsoft, IBM, Intel and others began to use the title “software engineer” in job postings. Around 2010 there was a push to create a PE license for software engineers but only a few states offered it, but had so few applicants that these licensing programs were later ended.
With the title now used widely in tech circles, even the media began to switch over to the new title.
What It Means
For some time, media stories referred to those developing software as “coders”, which seemed to denigrate the entire field.
But then they switched and began using “engineer”. The term “engineer” implies systematic, rigorous problem-solving. As software became more critical to infrastructure and business, the industry upgraded the terminology to reflect the role’s importance and complexity.
The Media
At some point in the late 2010s, and especially post 2020s, media stories began using the title “software engineer” – which sounds more professional than “programmer” or “coder”.
At this point, the title “Software Engineer” appears to be well accepted and in common use.
