A programmer is someone who writes instructions that tell computers what to do. These instructions, called code, are written in special languages that computers can understand, like Python, Java, or C++. When you play a video game, use an app on a phone, or watch a video online, a programmer wrote the code that makes it all work.

Programming requires careful, logical thinking. Programmers break big problems into smaller steps, like writing a recipe that a computer can follow exactly. If you've ever given someone directions to find something, you know how precise you need to be: “Go to the third shelf, second book from the left.” Computers need even more precision. One small mistake in the code, like a missing comma, can make an entire program fail.

Programmers spend much of their time solving puzzles and fixing bugs (errors in code that cause problems). When a program doesn't work as expected, programmers test different solutions, sometimes for hours, until they figure out what went wrong. The work requires patience, creativity, and persistence. A programmer might try ten different approaches before finding one that works.

The word can also mean someone who schedules shows for television or radio, but today it almost always refers to someone who writes computer code.