The Pixy Cam is a good alternative for roboticists that are looking for a low cost, low power image sensor but plan on doing most of their programming on the host. In this case, the system can handle some of the heavy lifting video processing.
Work Environment. A software engineer often works as part of a team, usually in an office or similar location. Many engineers work full time, often 40 or more hours per week, with additional time required during certain phases of the development cycle. Long hours at a computer can lead to eye strain, headaches, and medical conditions like carpal-tunnel syndrome, so anyone getting into programming should learn to take breaks and make an effort to avoid such potentially serious issues.
The vast majority of software developers work full time, and nearly a quarter in 2010 worked more than 40 hours a week according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Software developers make very good money. The BLS reports that the median annual wage for applications software developers in 2010 was $87,790. The median annual wage reported for systems software developers was $94,180. Another great thing about this field, as you were indicating, is that there is a great deal of demand. The field is growing at a rate of 30%, which is much faster than the average for all other occupations.