Developer salary growth is an inverted hockey stick
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Developer salary growth is an inverted hockey stick
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Re: Developer salary growth is an inverted hockey stick
#2A labeled y axis or error bars would be nice...just to dispel that vague link-spammy feeling.
Re: Developer salary growth is an inverted hockey stick
#3A labeled y axis or error bars would be nice...just to dispel that vague link-spammy feeling.
The y axis doesn't have specific units because they vary so much by location. I tried to mention a few specific data points below the graph to provide a bit more context. Good point about the error bars. I'll try to include them in an update to the post.
Re: Developer salary growth is an inverted hockey stick
#4This got blocked by the proxy server at work. Can anyone summarize (if a summary is even needed beyond the title)?
Re: Developer salary growth is an inverted hockey stick
#5It seems to me that this assumes developers never get promoted (which makes the long term look unappetizing). But developers become lead developers, architects, and (gasp) managers.
Re: Developer salary growth is an inverted hockey stick
#6This got blocked by the proxy server at work. Can anyone summarize (if a summary is even needed beyond the title)?
http://i.imgur.com/Y59Rq.png
Basically, developer salaries go up dramatically after the first year or three. Get a new job after that point, and reap the rewards.
Re: Developer salary growth is an inverted hockey stick
#7This got blocked by the proxy server at work. Can anyone summarize (if a summary is even needed beyond the title)?
Early on, compensation grows quickly with experience, especially from 0 years to 5 years (a bit less than doubling). Then, the more experience you have the less effect another year of experience will have on the salary you can command. After about 15 years, it doesn't matter much at all.
Developers stand to gain a lot by switching jobs after their first few years in the industry. Companies stand to gain a lot by hiring and retaining new developers.
Re: Developer salary growth is an inverted hockey stick
#8Five years of experience as a programmer is like becoming a "made man" in a crime family. Before, you're nothing. After, you're trusted and respected.
I was in the same job from years 2-5 and didn't see much of a raise. Then when I got a new job it was more than double the salary. And it does seem like you have to leave to go somewhere else, or else you're a prophet without honor.
It's also clear from the graph that after 5-10 years of experience, much of the increase in income growth will be expected to come from non-salary compensation. Which may be equity, bonuses or stock plans, but it's all about getting a piece of the action. Which, again, makes programming sound like it's the mob. Sorry about that.
Re: Developer salary growth is an inverted hockey stick
#9In economics the reverse hockey stick growth is known as diminishing marginal returns. This simply means the market values the earliest years of experience as much more beneficial to a developers skill than the later.
While I understand the idea behind hiring young and inexperienced, it should be noted that the wage rates are there for a reason. The training costs/possible managerial time may be greater for the average college graduate. (Clearly not always true- I am just trying to postulate why the market values experience this way).
Re: Developer salary growth is an inverted hockey stick
#10This is true in most industries. You either move on to a management position or stagnate. The problem is it doesn't really work in the development world where you can get better and better the more deeply you use and understand the technology. Plus it has the side effect of pushing highly technical people with no management skills out of jobs they're good at and into jobs they can't do well (imagine Woz trying to be a manager)
That's why many big tech companies have moved to a "level" system (to the best of my Knowledge Microsoft started this trend but I could be wrong). In that type of system you can continue to be a developer but move up in level and salary. That way great developers can stay great developers and not be penalized for it.