This kind of poll would be more useful if you made it bi or trivariate. Years experience is an important tie-in, and highest level of education could reveal interesting trends.
Poll: How much do you make as a programmer?
141–150 of 166 posts
Re: Poll: How much do you make as a programmer?
#142You must live in a low cost area, because you're overestimating the rent in high cost areas. I live in New York City (Manhattan, even) and believe me, you can get a one bedroom for less than $2000 a month (in Manhattan, even!). And certainly you can't put the entire state of California into the "expensive" category.
> you can get a one bedroom for less than $2000 a month (in Manhattan, even!)
Some might think you're including Harlem, Washington Heights, etc. I pay <$1600 for a 1BR in Murray Hill (midtown).
Re: Poll: How much do you make as a programmer?
#143Hmm, Toronto doesn't belong in the low tier alongside Idaho and Kentucky, but I don't think it costs $2k+ for a one bed either. We need a mid-tier on this poll. :)
Re: Poll: How much do you make as a programmer?
#144I just graphed the data: http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/839/unledwte.png/
I can't edit the post, so here's an update (bar by popular demand):
Re: Poll: How much do you make as a programmer?
#145I see only a slight problem with this poll. There is no option for exactly $0. This is the only truly appropriate option for me, less than $50k still implies I make >$0.
Re: Poll: How much do you make as a programmer?
#146Re: Poll: How much do you make as a programmer?
#147Earlier quoted context omitted.
I honestly don't care what your salary is, but I think there are things to gain from disclosing. For one thing, we need developers (we meaning people with unmet information needs, which is pretty much all of us) and advertising how stupidly, absurdly high the salaries are might encourage kids to jump in and give it a go. For another, I don't really think that any of us is "entitled" to this money, and we can't consen…
The problem with this is that the high-end of programming salaries is the low-end of, e.g. medical salaries. Yes, there is more to it than that, but on this axis alone, programming actually does not come out on top. Those inclined to seek "absurdly high salaries" are inclined to skip over programming.
So you're saying because the greediest of kids won't be tempted by programmer salaries that those salaries won't tempt anyone?
Re: Poll: How much do you make as a programmer?
#148Not everyone works in the US - fairly narrow minded view of the world?
Completely agree. Let's globalise in some data then.
I live in South Korea and work as a programmer. I am making about half what I was making in Australia but I pay 3% in tax, I'm living rent free and my costs are ridiculously low. My disposable income (that is the remaining funds after bills, food, accommodation and other necessities are taken out) is about 2k USD per month (twice what it was in Australia). My costs are low. I know other people here who can live on less than $500/month for rent, food, alcohol, entertainment, the lot. Money isn't really important to me right now because I have no debt, and living and working abroad makes up for lower pay. I'm still quite young so the way I view it is that this is more of a learning experience and I am gaining far more marketable, diverse and useful skills. Learning how other cultures run businesses and do capitalism is a very valuable skill.
I'm sure others have similar anecdotes.
Re: Poll: How much do you make as a programmer?
#149Not everyone works in the US - fairly narrow minded view of the world?
Cost of living varies dramatically across the globe as does currency value. To make it truly a global poll, I suppose he should have asked how units, x, of a mixed basket of local goods, b, could you buy per year worked. xb = only possible correct statement of income. You come up with b and repost the poll if you so desire.
Perhaps ... how many Big Macs you can buy. :)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Mac_Index
Re: Poll: How much do you make as a programmer?
#150[deleted]
Pervasive lack of transparency regarding going rates helps people use differential access to market data to exploit young engineers, pervasively. All else equal, we should probably strive to decrease exploitation of the disadvantaged side in that relationship. Put another way: some kids are grauduating with CS degrees and taking $25k offers, because they think doing otherwise would be impolite. . That is messed up.
Yeah, I got stuck with this when I started out. Cost of living is low where I live and tech jobs were few. The worst part is that companies will use your salary history against you while you're climbing out of this hole.