Growing a tech & software brand
The US had 1.9 million software development jobs in 2025, and GitHub counts more than 180 million developers. Reach buyers on LinkedIn and X, and ship your code on GitHub.
How big is the tech and software industry?
The US had 1,905,400 software developer, QA and tester jobs in 2025, and the government projects 10% growth by 2035.
| Measure | Figure | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Software developer, QA and tester jobs | 1,905,400 | 2025 |
| Projected growth in those jobs | 10% | 2025 to 2035 |
| Median pay in those jobs | $134,040 | 2025 |
| Developers on GitHub, worldwide | More than 180 million | 2025 |
| App Store ecosystem billings and sales, worldwide | More than $1.4 trillion | 2025 |
The job figures come from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the App Store figure from an Analysis Group study Apple published.[1, 2, 3]
Who are tech and software customers?
Software developers are mostly men and most often 25 to 34, and 91% of US adults own a smartphone.
| Group | What the figures show |
|---|---|
| US software developers, 2025 | 20.3% are women |
| Developers surveyed worldwide, ages 25 to 34, 2026 | 30.0%, the largest age group |
| US adults with a smartphone, 2026 | 91% |
Which platforms should a tech and software brand grow on?
Start on LinkedIn, which reaches 51% of US college graduates, and on GitHub for developers; X reaches 31% of adults under 30.
Pew doesn't survey GitHub or the app stores. Developers find tools on GitHub, and apps sell through the App Store and Google Play. Your .com or .io is the home they all point to. For domain endings and trademark classes, see naming a tech brand.[4, secondary]
Checks the .com, the .io, GitHub, X, LinkedIn, App Store and Google Play in one search.
Who are the top tech creators?
Marques Brownlee and iJustine are on Forbes' 2026 top creators list, and Brownlee is on the TIME100 Creators 2025 list.
| Creator | Known for | Named by |
|---|---|---|
| Marques Brownlee | Gadget reviews for 21 million YouTube subscribers in 2026; chief creative partner at Ridge | Forbes Top Creators 2026 (opens in a new tab), #27; TIME100 Creators 2025 (opens in a new tab) |
| iJustine | Gear reviews and unboxings since 2006, plus interviews with Tim Cook and Sundar Pichai | Forbes Top Creators 2026 (opens in a new tab), #48 |
Which sites are the authorities on tech and software?
CompTIA, W3C, NIST and the Stack Overflow Developer Survey are the main authorities on tech skills, web standards, security and developers.
| Site | What it is | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| CompTIA (opens in a new tab) | The largest vendor-neutral credentialing organization for technology workers | IT certifications |
| W3C (opens in a new tab) | An international public-interest non-profit that develops web standards | Web standards |
| NIST Cybersecurity Framework (opens in a new tab) | US government guidance for managing cybersecurity risk | Security practices buyers ask about |
| Stack Overflow Developer Survey (opens in a new tab) | A yearly survey of developers, with 30,903 responses in 2026 | What developers use and think |
Sources (12)
- PrimaryUS Bureau of Labor Statistics: Software Developers, Quality Assurance Analysts, and Testers (opens in a new tab), Occupational Outlook Handbook
- PrimaryGitHub: Octoverse 2025 (opens in a new tab), covering to
- PrimaryApple Newsroom: App Store ecosystem reaches $1.4 trillion (opens in a new tab), study by Analysis Group
- SecondaryPew Research Center: Social Media Fact Sheet (opens in a new tab), survey of US adults
- PrimaryUS Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employed people by detailed occupation, sex, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity (opens in a new tab), Current Population Survey, 2025 annual averages
- SecondaryPew Research Center: Mobile Fact Sheet (archived copy) (opens in a new tab), survey of 5,511 US adults, 30 Jan to
- SecondaryTIME100 Creators 2025 (opens in a new tab), profile of Marques Brownlee
- SecondaryForbes: Top Creators 2026 (archived copy) (opens in a new tab)
- PrimaryCompTIA: About us (opens in a new tab)
- PrimaryW3C: About (opens in a new tab)
- PrimaryNIST: Cybersecurity Framework (opens in a new tab)
- PrimaryStack Overflow: 2026 Developer Survey, methodology (opens in a new tab), responses from 23 Jun to