The U.S. Department of labor recently updated their information on computer science degrees, and it turns out that among the 270,000 software developers, half of them make more than $90,000 a year.

Read it for yourself -> http://www.bls.gov/ooh/Computer-and-Information-Technology/Software-developers.htm

http://www.bls.gov/ooh/food-preparation-and-serving/mobile/home.htm

Loos like I'm lookin at $40,000 tops

Guess I am going to college for the right degree, then...

Yeah, but you'll be a chef. You can pretend that you're Italian and flip pizza dough in the air to look like you're actually doing something.

If you like it.

I've worked with a lot of developers over the course of my career that weren't very good...some downright terrible. Many (if not all) of them got into the field because they thought they'd make a good salary, but weren't very interested in software development. In my experience it's something that you won't be great at unless you're actually interested in it. You have to be motivated to learn new things and study throughout your entire career. I love that aspect of it, but some people just learn enough to get by and get their paycheck while others do the heavy lifting. They are generally not well-liked by other developers.

If I lived in the US I would join the military.
Then join a PMC. I assume they pay pretty well.

Allthough tbh I would rather have a job I enjoy.

I went into it thinking it would be horrible pay, but at least I would enjoy it.

Turns out that the pay is quite good, and I love it more than I thought I would.

Being hired as a software developer is also not easy. I also could've sworn I remembered reading something on cio.com about the growth for software developers being only like 7 percent, down from last year (in other words: less are getting in). The harder it is to get the job, the more it pays.

What I'm trying to say is you shouldn't go into the field because of the money. If you have the talent, great, good software developers are always needed, but going into it for the money without the skills and expecting to get hired, let alone making a fraction of that money, is seriously misguided.

It depends on where you're at, and if you're willing to move.

Contrary to popular belief, California isn't the tech center of the U.S. The New England area has tons of jobs in software development, where even Bethesda is based in Maryland. California might have some big names, but you can get just as many jobs in Texas.

Sweet, CS is what I'm going to major in once I graduate. I don't really care about the money, I just want enough to support a family and not have to live paycheck to paycheck.

One of the most horrible things I can think of is going to work somewhere you hate. I've done that, it destroys you inside.


Hopefully I can find a decent paying job. There seems to be a lack of Computer specialists around here, (CS is one of the least taken majors at University of Alaska, Anchorage).

I'm hoping that I can get recruited in college, the job fairs held there have a lot of big name companies. BP, Microsoft, Dell, GCI, etc.


If all else fails, Going into the military wouldn't be bad.
(Don't tell me its a bad idea) Everyone on my moms side of the family has made their career in the military. My cousin was in the airforce and he got offered a job in the secret service. He meets the president regularly and get more than 175k a year. His exact job is a bit vague, but he basically goes ahead of the president when he travels and gets everything safe and secure.
I'm not expecting that kind of job, but he is one of the coolest guys I know.

That would be if I couldn't find a job in the computer field.

cio.com reports on global statistics That means the job market growth was slowing down across the board. It's not shrinking because they aren't firing skilled people, but at the same time they are being very selective in who they hire.

With a degree in CS, at least you won't be on the front lines.

Well, I was referencing the U.S. Department of Labor. I don't give a damn how well the jobs market is in Brazil or Russia. I just want to know that I can get a job here in the states. XD

If you're going to make that much money per year, you are going to have to work at it 12-16 hours a day...
There are a lot of things that seem glamorous, but it's going to take work and sacrifice.

Only a forth of them work more than 40 hours a week, from what I read.

Even if that forth is the most highly paid, I think the crap end of the stick in this profession is still pretty good, compared to other fields.

It really depends on who you work for. Some employers actually don't want people putting in that much overtime. Burnout can be a big problem in a job that requires critical thinking.

It's not glamorous...that's for sure. Most people I talk to have no idea what it is I actually do for a living. They just know that I'm some sort of "computer guy."

And what I'm saying is that if you aren't skilled, you aren't going to get hired. A major complaint across the IT field by hiring companies is that they have trouble filling jobs with skilled workers. It's also what leads to the salary being so inflated: companies are holding on to their skilled workers, causing them to earn more, but entry-level pay isn't that high (not until 5+ years).

So like I said, going into the field for the money is the wrong reason and you probably won't get hired.

A lot of people don't mind "working" more than usual. A lot of people enjoy their careers. Not "work (a job just for money)", but career. If you don't enjoy your career, you likely won't go very far.

How much of it do you do at home?...after work?

I typically don't do a whole lot of development outside of work unless I really need to, but I do a significant amount of research and study outside of work. I guess that counts. I doubt it amounts to more than 50-55 hours a week total, though.

That's true for any profession though.

If you don't enjoy it and you're not qualified, jobs are going to be hard to find.

gotta become an officer of a big company, great job and great pay

top scientists and engineers workin with oil are gettin paid thousands of dollars an hour


there are otyher things


investments are money makers too


if u wanna amake money get into drugs


phaarmacy, engineeering, politics, law, medecine


i ttyhink rght now th best fields r drugs and mathematical finance

Hey, if I can make games using the degree, then I'll be a happy camper. I have a multitude of ideas for possible games.

I believe a microbiologist makes even more.

I do what I love, I sell shrimp out the back of my van am a culinarian.

See this disturbs me. My dad got his college degree specifically in petroleum engineering. Said he couldn't get a job after he got out because because it wasn't very high in demand in Canada at the time.

Now we float just over the poverty line. I suppose if he had struck it rich, I wouldn't have been born, though. At least, not me specifically.