Not to say that everyone can do it, but software development seems to offer the most level playing field than any other career - and it's only getting better!

The fact that it's possible for someone in any part of the world, with minimal resources (a laptop and an internet connection), to not only learn software development but also actually earn a decent living and level up seems to me the best part about this line of work.

And I'm very grateful to be a part of it. 😇

Getting to work remotely, make my own hours, paid well etc WHILE doing something I genuinely enjoy. I'm getting paid to write magic spells that only computers understand. It's truly magical.

You never run out of things to learn.

I love just being able to create things that people from around the world can see. It's also many companies that mostly offer remote positions which is great because people can travel around the world and see their families whilst contributing to your career and job. I've started a little more than a year ago when I switched my major to Comp Sci (was majoring in Accounting) and I truly believe that it was and still is the best decision for me. I recommend everyone to just look into it and try programming for x amount of time to see how you feel about it.

For all the possible frustration, it's still some of the most interesting stuff they'll pay you to do (or that you can do in your spare time).

The best version of my job is way more interesting than the best version of almost any of my friends' jobs.

1. I get to work with some of the most innovative & smartest people I have ever met
2. I love the wider community feel I get from platforms like dev.to, not sure you can get this on any other profession
3. It is one job, where if you put your mind to it, you can actually make a difference (think social projects like app.code4socialgood.org/project/li..., socialcoder.org/Home/Index etc)
4. Pays well :|

For me it's the part where your software is actually being used by other people, and they are enjoying using it. I work for a aircraft engines company and seeing that people on the production site like using the application I wrote then it fills my heart with joy that I've actually helped them.
A different thing I love about being a software engineer is the fact, that we can always look for different job in a different country and still will probably succeed, we can work from the office, at home or in a hybrid mode. We can work being an employee or by invoicing other companies.

You scratch your own itch. If you had entrepreneurial streak, you don't have to find a developer to build things for you. You just need a good sales and marketing or you do it yourself.

The feeling when you figure it out.

The best thing is that you are offering really valuable solutions to problems that people have and you have the opportunity (time and budgets permitting) to decide how to solve it and offer not just a solution but something that solves the problem by offering more value, choice, convenience, etc.

Maybe not the best part, but a very cool part, I don't know how many other careers share this, but as a developer nowadays you can work almost everywhere from anywhere because of the combination of being able to work remotely and the high demand, so to be able to change your life on that level I think is noteworthy.

The best part of being a developer is that I get to work in Emacs even more of the day!

Snark aside, it's having the "means of production" at my disposal. It's relatively easy for me to "own" the equipment I need to use to earn my "living". Which manifests as autonomy; I am fortunate in that I can mostly pick what I want to work on and earn a "living".

I look to Code Pilot, cloud services, etc as a distributed, subconscious effort to remove my ability to own the "means of production."

For me, the best part of being a software developer is the fact that you have genius pieces of machinery at your mercy which you can talk to and command in order to improve, enrich, and empower the lives of people around you. That is what I love the most about being into software development.

Helping people by fixing issues and creating new opportunities! I love it when someone comes back to me and tells me how much easier my app/automation/etc. has made their job.

Uh free beer? In all seriousness, its probably that its a high demand job where employers will pay well enough with good benefits. Being part of something which is highly relevant in everyone's day to day (software in general) is also quite satisfying.

For me it's the ability to create something. I.e. you can craft your own tools to use: browser extensions, programms, ad hoc scripts, etc. That's amazing! :)

I get to read posts with cute dogs and learn from people more experienced than me.

Creating something from nothing.

Problem solving by googling!

If I have an idea I have the ability (maybe not the time tho) to build it.

Software lets you do so much, so fast! There are so many libraries, IDEs, and so on. If you've ever done hardware development, it's a very different timescale.