Computer systems are made up of software, hardware, people and data. Careers available to those with a computer science degree can be understood in terms of one of the CS major areas.

Computer scientists who work with software can be involved in the development of new software (programs) or in the maintenance of existing systems. In small computer departments, one person may see a project through all phases of software development, from analyzing the need to designing and coding the solution to installing the end product for the end user. In larger departments, the tasks of analysis, design, implementation, testing and installation may be divided among many different people or teams. Some computer scientists work in new areas of software capability, such as artificial intelligence, while others are concerned with specialized software application in areas like scientific computation and computer graphics.

Although typically the task of designing new hardware systems falls to electrical engineers, the task of keeping computers, peripherals and networks running smoothly and efficiently falls to computer scientists. These computer scientists, often called system administrators or network administrators, become proficient in using and modifying the complicated system software that governs the behavior of computers and networks.

Entry-level computer jobs centered around people include positions that focus on sales and service of a particular product. In addition, there is an increasing number of positions for computer professionals who train the non-computer scientists of a company and troubleshoot a variety of software and hardware products for them. Later in a career, a computer scientist may hold a position focused on managing a number of other computer professionals.

Jobs in data and information services provide many new opportunities for computer scientists. With the rapid growth of the Internet, companies are recognizing the value of information and the challenge of retrieving pertinent information. A degree in computer science can be an important starting point for a career in data and information management.