ANZSCO 261313
Software Engineer
Software Engineers design, develop and maintain software systems using engineering method. Despite the name, this occupation is assessed by the ACS — Engineers Australia will not assess it, and applications sent to the wrong authority are simply refunded late.
- Assessing authority
- ACS
- Occupational category
- ICT (ACS assessed)
- Occupation list
- MLTSSL
- Indicative salary
- 105k – 180k
Quick answer
Who assesses ANZSCO 261313 Software Engineer?
ACS assesses ANZSCO 261313 Software Engineer at ICT (ACS assessed) level. The occupation has been listed on the MLTSSL, supporting subclass 189, 190, 491, 482, 186 pathways. Indicative Australian salaries run from AUD 105,000 to AUD 180,000.
Visa pathways for Software Engineer
Subclasses this occupation has supported, subject to the current occupation list and each state's own nomination criteria.
- Subclass 189
- Subclass 190
- Subclass 491
- Subclass 482
- Subclass 186
Occupation lists change. Verify on the current skilled occupation list before lodging.
Project report angles that work for Software Engineer
Three distinct, non-overlapping directions. Pick projects where you can show your own calculations, decisions and their consequences.
- 1
A system architecture you designed with explicit quality attributes and trade-offs
- 2
A reliability, performance or security engineering problem you owned end to end
- 3
A platform or framework you built that other teams depend on
Technical content assessors look for
- Software architecture & design patterns
- Distributed systems
- Cloud-native development
- Performance engineering
- Security engineering
- DevOps & observability
Mistakes specific to this occupation
Sending a CDR to Engineers Australia for this code
Underestimating the ACS skill-met deduction
Not evidencing ICT content in a non-ICT degree
Software Engineer salary in Australia
Market demand: Very high
Indicative planning range assembled from published market data and recruiter guides. See our engineer salary guide for discipline and experience breakdowns.
ANZSCO 261313 — frequently asked questions
Who assesses ANZSCO 261313 Software Engineer?
ACS is the assessing authority for ANZSCO 261313 Software Engineer. The ACS requires an RPL report where your qualification is not ICT-major or closely related to the occupation, and applies a skill-met date deduction of two to six years.
Is Software Engineer on the skilled occupation list?
ANZSCO 261313 Software Engineer has been listed on the MLTSSL, which supports the subclass 189, 190, 491, 482, 186 pathways. Occupation lists are revised by legislative instrument — verify the current status on the Department of Home Affairs website before lodging an EOI or visa application.
What salary can a Software Engineer expect in Australia?
Indicative salaries for Software Engineer in Australia range from AUD 105,000 to AUD 180,000 depending on experience, state and sector. Graduate roles start lower and senior or specialist roles exceed the upper figure.
What should a Software Engineer write career episodes about?
Choose projects where you personally performed engineering analysis or design. For Software Engineer, strong episodes cover a system architecture you designed with explicit quality attributes and trade-offs; a reliability, performance or security engineering problem you owned end to end; and a platform or framework you built that other teams depend on.
Related occupations
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