How to Become a Software Developer From Scratch: A Step-by-Step Guide

By Stephen Adindu, Lead Coach at The Career Accelerators. Last updated October 2026.

To become a software developer from scratch, learn one programming language, build small projects, pick a field, choose a training route (a degree, a college diploma or co-op, a bootcamp or self-study), build a GitHub portfolio, get some real-world experience and then apply for junior roles. In Canada, Job Bank says employers usually ask for a bachelor's degree in computer science or software engineering, or a college program in computer science, and the median wage for software developers is C$48.08 an hour.

This guide walks through the seven steps in order, compares what each training route costs in time and money, shows what developers earn in each province and gives an honest picture of today's junior job market.

Want help choosing your route? Book a free call with one of our coaches and build a plan that fits your time and budget.

How do you become a software developer from scratch?

Follow these seven steps in order. Each one builds on the last, and you can start the first three before you've spent anything on training.

Step 1: Learn one programming language

Pick one language and stay with it until you can build something small without copying a tutorial line by line. Choose it by the kind of software you want to make:

• Websites and web apps: JavaScript, together with HTML and CSS. MDN describes JavaScript as the third layer of the web, on top of HTML for structure and CSS for style.
• General programming, back ends and data: Python.
• Android apps: Kotlin. Google has called Android development Kotlin-first since 2019 and recommends it for new apps.
• Apple apps: Swift, Apple's programming language for all its platforms.

Don't spend weeks choosing. The core ideas, such as variables, loops, functions and debugging, carry over to every language you learn later. Our guide to the first step into software development compares beginner-friendly languages and the free ways to learn them.

Step 2: Build small projects, with Git from day one

Tutorials teach you the syntax. Projects teach you to solve problems, which is what the job is. Build three or four small things, each adding one new skill:

• a personal web page;
• a to-do list or budget tracker that saves its data;
• an app that pulls information from a public API, such as weather or transit times;
• a small app backed by a database. The official PostgreSQL tutorial assumes no programming experience.

Put every project under version control with Git from the start. The free Pro Git book covers what you need. Commit small changes often, with clear messages, so your history shows how you work.

If a project stores anyone's personal information, such as names or email addresses, learn the basics of privacy law. In Canada that's PIPEDA, the federal law for private-sector organizations that handle personal information in commercial activity (Alberta, British Columbia and Quebec have their own similar laws). In Europe it's the GDPR, which has applied since May 2018. In portfolio projects, use made-up data.

Step 3: Pick a field

Once you can build small things, decide where to aim. Your choice decides which tools you learn next and which jobs you apply for.

• Front end: the part users see in the browser. HTML, CSS and JavaScript, often with a framework such as React.
• Back end: servers, APIs and databases. For example Python with Django, or JavaScript with Node.js, plus SQL.
• Full stack: both. Canada's occupation system lists full stack, front-end and back-end web developers under web developers and programmers (NOC 21234).
• Mobile: Android apps in Kotlin or iOS apps in Swift.
• Testing and QA: finding bugs and writing automated tests. For entry-level testing technician jobs (NOC 22222), Job Bank says employers usually ask for a college program or courses in computer programming.

Not sure which suits you? Read the best software field to go into for beginners, then front end vs back end development for a closer look at the most common choice.

Step 4: Choose your route: degree, college diploma or co-op, bootcamp or self-study

There's no single right route. The best one is the one you can afford and finish. This table compares them, with a real Canadian example for each.

Sources: Statistics Canada table 37-10-0003-01 (released 16 September 2026), George Brown College, University of Waterloo, Le Wagon and CourseCompare, checked October 2026. Costs are in Canadian dollars except Le Wagon, whose listing doesn't state a currency. Fees change every year, so check with the school.

Degree. A bachelor's degree in computer science or software engineering is the first option on Job Bank's requirements for software developers and programmers (NOC 21232). Engineering degrees cost a little more: Statistics Canada's 2026/2027 average is C$10,019 a year. If you want to become a licensed engineer (P.Eng.), see the FAQ below.

College diploma or co-op. Job Bank also lists a college program in computer science, and a college diploma is one of the cheapest ways to get a recognized credential. Many programs offer co-op: at Seneca Polytechnic, for example, the Computer Programming and Analysis advanced diploma has an optional co-op stream with a paid, full-time work term between semesters. Seneca says a placement isn't guaranteed and co-op students pay extra fees. At the University of Waterloo, students alternate four-month study and work terms from second year and complete four to six work terms.

Bootcamp. A bootcamp is the fastest structured route, but it's a private course, not a credential Job Bank lists. Before you pay, check that the school is still running and ask to see its graduate outcomes. Bootcamps can close: Toronto's Juno College stopped admitting bootcamp students in 2023, citing a sharp drop in job placements.

Self-study. Free options are good enough to learn the skills. freeCodeCamp offers free courses and certifications; its Responsive Web Design certification ends with a 50-question exam. The Odin Project is a free, open-source curriculum with full stack JavaScript and Ruby on Rails paths. CS50x is Harvard's free introduction to computer science, with eleven weeks of material, and MDN's Learn web development covers HTML, CSS and JavaScript. The hard part is keeping going without a teacher or deadline.

Step 5: Build a GitHub portfolio

Your GitHub profile is where an employer checks whether you can really build things. Two or three finished, well-explained projects say more than a dozen half-done tutorial copies. Use this checklist:

Step 6: Get real-world experience

For web developers, Job Bank says employers usually want experience as a computer programmer. So find ways to work on real software with other people before you apply:

• Co-op terms and internships through your college or university (see Step 4).
• Open source: look for issues labelled "good first issue". GitHub uses that label to point new contributors to approachable issues.
• Volunteer work: build or fix a website or small tool for a charity, a community group or a local business.
• Team projects: a group project with real users, code reviews and deadlines is the closest thing to a first job.

Step 7: Apply for junior roles

Search for junior developer, junior software developer, web developer, QA or test automation and application support roles. Testing and support roles use many of the same skills and put you alongside developers, so they're worth applying for if developer roles are slow to come. Our guides to entry-level computer science jobs and the best entry-level tech jobs for beginners cover more starting points.

• Tailor your resume to each posting: match its skills to your projects and link your GitHub and live demos.
• Be ready to explain every line of your best project, and why you built it that way.
• Practise solving short coding problems out loud, explaining your thinking as you go.
• Go to local developer meetups and talk to people already in the job. Someone who has seen your work can tell you about openings or refer you.

How much do software developers make in Canada?

Job Bank's latest figures (Labour Force Survey, 2023 to 2024, updated 19 November 2025) put the national median at C$48.08 an hour for software developers and programmers and C$38.46 for web developers and programmers. Yearly figures below assume a 37.5-hour week for 52 weeks.

Pay varies by province. Median hourly wage for software developers and programmers (NOC 21232):

Source: Job Bank wages for NOC 21232, Labour Force Survey 2023 to 2024, updated 19 November 2025. Job Bank doesn't publish figures for the three territories.

Job Bank's figures don't account for years of experience, so they can't tell you what you'll earn in your first job. Job Bank does say its low wage may give some insight into pay for some entry-level positions. For software developers that's C$30.00 an hour, about C$58,500 a year.

You'll often see higher American figures online. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the US median for software developers at US$135,980 (May 2025), but that's in US dollars in a different job market, so it isn't a guide to Canadian pay.

Is it harder to get a junior developer job right now?

It's a tough market for new developers right now, and it's better to plan for that than be surprised by it.

• Canada: Job Bank's 2025 to 2027 outlook for all software developers and programmers, not just new ones (updated 10 December 2025), is Limited in Ontario (2 out of 5), where it expects employment to decline and mentions recent restructuring in the technology sector. It's Moderate (3 out of 5) in British Columbia, Alberta and Quebec, where Job Bank also notes a moderate number of unemployed workers with recent experience competing for jobs.
• US: recent computer science graduates (ages 22 to 27) had a relatively high unemployment rate of about 7%, according to New York Fed data reported by CBS News in February 2026. But only 19% of them were underemployed, well below the 42% the New York Fed reports for all recent graduates (second quarter of 2026), whose unemployment rate was about 5.6%.
• Longer term (US): the Bureau of Labor Statistics still projects 10% growth for software developers, QA analysts and testers from 2025 to 2035, with about 106,100 openings a year, partly from software development for AI.

What this means for you: expect your search to take time, apply for related roles as well as developer jobs, and put real work in front of employers. A co-op term, a team project or an open-source contribution helps you stand out from other new applicants who only have courses to show.

How does TCA's Full Stack Software Development Course fit in?

Our Full Stack Software Development Course is built for people starting from scratch: the course page says no prior IT experience is required. It's delivered in live online sessions and starts with four days of intensive coaching, followed by a 12-week live project in which you build a full-stack web application with a team.

Along the way you work with tools including HTML, CSS, JavaScript, React, Node.js, Express, MongoDB, PostgreSQL, Git and GitHub, plus Jira, Postman, Docker, Heroku and AWS. You also get one-on-one mentorship, a resume review, interview preparation including mock technical interviews, references based on your live project work and a course completion certificate.

The course includes guaranteed work experience on its 12-week live project (this is not a job guarantee), and we offer exclusive job placement opportunities through our industry partners and contacts. In October 2026 the course page showed a fee of C$1,499 paid once (regular price C$1,999), or three monthly payments of C$533. Check the course page for the current fee and the next start date.

Stephen's tip: Finish one project properly before you start the next. A small app with a clear README and a live demo does more for you than five half-built tutorials.

Ready to start your software development career?

See what's covered in our Full Stack Software Development Course. Not sure which route suits you? Book a free call with a career coach and we'll help you plan your next steps.

Frequently asked questions

Can you become a software developer without a degree in Canada?

Yes. Job Bank lists a college program in computer science as an alternative to a degree, and says the software developer occupation isn't regulated in Canada. People also get in through bootcamps or self-study, but those aren't on Job Bank's list, so a strong portfolio and some real-world experience matter even more.

How long does it take to become a software developer from scratch?

It depends on the route: about four years for a degree (often five with co-op), two or three years for a college diploma, a few months for a bootcamp (Le Wagon's runs 9 weeks full time or about 6 months part time) and no fixed time for self-study. Then add your job search, which can take a while in today's junior market.

What's the difference between a software developer and a software engineer in Canada?

In most of Canada, "engineer" is a protected title. Engineers Canada says you need a licence from the provincial or territorial engineering regulator to use it, even if your employer gives you the title. Alberta is the exception for "software engineer": since November 2023, APEGA says tech workers there can use that job title without a licence, though practising engineering still requires one. Licensing usually means an accredited engineering degree, supervised work experience (three or four years, according to Job Bank; it varies by regulator) and the Professional Practice Examination. Software developers (NOC 21232) aren't regulated.

What is the starting salary for a software developer in Canada?

Job Bank doesn't publish starting salaries, and its figures don't account for experience. It says its low wage may give some insight into entry-level pay: C$30.00 an hour (about C$58,500 a year) for software developers and C$21.48 (about C$41,900) for web developers.

Which programming language should I learn first?

Choose by the work you want: JavaScript for websites, Python for general programming, back ends and data, Kotlin for Android and Swift for Apple devices. Our guide to the first step into software development goes through the options.

Related reading

• What Is the Suggested First Step for Entering Software Development?: how to learn to code from zero
• What Is the Best Software Field to Go Into for Beginners: compare fields before you choose
• 12 Best Entry Level Tech Jobs for Beginners: more ways into tech

Sources

• Job Bank wage pages (Labour Force Survey 2023 to 2024, updated 19 November 2025), for national and provincial low, median and high wages: software developer (NOC 21232) and web developer (NOC 21234)
• Job Bank: Wage methodology, for what the low, median and high wages mean and their link to entry-level pay
• Job Bank requirement pages, for education and regulation: software developer, web developer, computer software engineer (NOC 21231) and systems testing technician (NOC 22222)
• Engineers Canada: use of professional title, Engineers Canada: overview of the licensing process and APEGA (6 November 2023), for the protected title, the Alberta exception and licensing
• Job Bank outlooks for NOC 21232, 2025 to 2027 (updated 10 December 2025): Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta and Quebec
• National Occupational Classification 2021: web developers and programmers (21234), for full stack, front-end and back-end web developers being in this group
• Statistics Canada table 37-10-0003-01 (released 16 September 2026), for average 2026/2027 undergraduate tuition by field of study
• George Brown College: Computer Programming (T186), for diploma length and fees
• Seneca Polytechnic: Computer Programming and Analysis and University of Waterloo: co-op and Waterloo: your co-op fee, for how co-op works, fees and typical earnings
• Le Wagon: AI Software course, Montreal, for length and hours, and CourseCompare: Le Wagon and Le Wagon: Canada financing options, for the tuition listing
• The Logic (30 May 2023), for Juno College ending its bootcamp
• freeCodeCamp (December 2025), The Odin Project, CS50x and MDN Learn web development, for free self-study options
• MDN: What is JavaScript?, Android Developers: Kotlin-first and Apple: Swift, for language choices
• PostgreSQL tutorial and Pro Git, for databases and version control
• GitHub Docs: profile README, pinning items, GitHub Pages and good first issue labels, for the portfolio checklist and open source
• Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada: PIPEDA in brief and European Commission: data protection in the EU, for privacy laws
• US Bureau of Labor Statistics: software developers, QA analysts and testers, for US pay (May 2025), projected growth and openings (2025 to 2035)
• Federal Reserve Bank of New York: The Labor Market for Recent College Graduates and CBS News (24 February 2026), for US recent-graduate unemployment
• The Career Accelerators: Full Stack Software Development Course, for course format, tools, inclusions and fees (October 2026)