Pay ?
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How much is an average pay of software developer around the globe? How much do you all get and does it increase with increase in experience? Let's see in which country pay scale is really high...:)
It depends. $150k in Southern Connecticut, New York City is reasonable. It used to be higher than that. But we're talking about specialized skills in a particular vertical market. I've concentrated on specific markets. That's where experience matters most. Diversity is good too, but it's not as lucrative. Negotiation skills, for either a salary or contract, is key. It's limiting, so you have to factor that in. If you can sustain $85/hr and be employed year round that's great. But maybe $55/hr is more reasonable. $85/hr can quickly become $35/hr average if you can't get the work. I do independent contracting so I don't really know employee salary as well as others.
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...if you expect to get rich on a salary (as a software dev). As far as I know, only attorneys and doctors earn salaries high enough (400K+ annual) where they can be categorized as border-line rich people. In software unless you start your own company or sell your own product, I doubt if you can cut past a maximum threshold. Even high-end contractor consultants wouldn't make much more than 250K (a conservative estimate on my part). Consultant CPians, please correct me if I am wrong - that'd definitely surprise me (pleasantly of course).
Regards, Nish
Nish’s thoughts on MFC, C++/CLI and .NET (my blog)
My latest book : C++/CLI in Action / Amazon.com linkYou're right about that. But starting your own company and selling your own product is a whole other world onto itself. Here's a simplified example: You sell a system for $100k. The customer wants $900k worth of enhancements and customization. Awesome! A cool Million. You hire a bunch of programmers. The first month you spend $50k of the revenue on salary and expenses. The second month you spend $50k of the revenue on salary and expenses. The third month, the customer goes into 120 day invoice pay mode. Unless you have the resources or banking arrangements, you're screwed. And it'll take a couple of months just to get it. Suddenly you can't cover expenses, can't deliver, breach the contract, ..... Been there, done that. lol
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How much is an average pay of software developer around the globe? How much do you all get and does it increase with increase in experience? Let's see in which country pay scale is really high...:)
james_dixon_2008 wrote:
How much is an average pay of software developer around the globe?
First, how could we possibly know such information (without polling everyone)? Second, even if we did have all the numbers, the outliers would surely skew the results.
james_dixon_2008 wrote:
...does it increase with increase in experience?
Mine hasn't in the past 4+ years.
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jayceepoo wrote:
Salary.com[^]
I remember someone posting a link to a UK version of that site a few months ago... Any idea what the site is?
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jayceepoo wrote:
Salary.com[^]
I remember someone posting a link to a UK version of that site a few months ago... Any idea what the site is?
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Found it... http://www.payscale.com[^]
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How much is an average pay of software developer around the globe? How much do you all get and does it increase with increase in experience? Let's see in which country pay scale is really high...:)
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And you are not Bill Gates?
John
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...if you expect to get rich on a salary (as a software dev). As far as I know, only attorneys and doctors earn salaries high enough (400K+ annual) where they can be categorized as border-line rich people. In software unless you start your own company or sell your own product, I doubt if you can cut past a maximum threshold. Even high-end contractor consultants wouldn't make much more than 250K (a conservative estimate on my part). Consultant CPians, please correct me if I am wrong - that'd definitely surprise me (pleasantly of course).
Regards, Nish
Nish’s thoughts on MFC, C++/CLI and .NET (my blog)
My latest book : C++/CLI in Action / Amazon.com linkHighest pay cap i've ever seen a contract for was $109 an hour
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why would you want one Billllllion dollars..... when you can have one MILLLLLION dollars?
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You're right about that. But starting your own company and selling your own product is a whole other world onto itself. Here's a simplified example: You sell a system for $100k. The customer wants $900k worth of enhancements and customization. Awesome! A cool Million. You hire a bunch of programmers. The first month you spend $50k of the revenue on salary and expenses. The second month you spend $50k of the revenue on salary and expenses. The third month, the customer goes into 120 day invoice pay mode. Unless you have the resources or banking arrangements, you're screwed. And it'll take a couple of months just to get it. Suddenly you can't cover expenses, can't deliver, breach the contract, ..... Been there, done that. lol
Bert delaVega wrote:
Suddenly you can't cover expenses, can't deliver, breach the contract, .....
People usually underestimate how long it will be before the cash flow turns positive. Been there done that! :sigh:
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You're right about that. But starting your own company and selling your own product is a whole other world onto itself. Here's a simplified example: You sell a system for $100k. The customer wants $900k worth of enhancements and customization. Awesome! A cool Million. You hire a bunch of programmers. The first month you spend $50k of the revenue on salary and expenses. The second month you spend $50k of the revenue on salary and expenses. The third month, the customer goes into 120 day invoice pay mode. Unless you have the resources or banking arrangements, you're screwed. And it'll take a couple of months just to get it. Suddenly you can't cover expenses, can't deliver, breach the contract, ..... Been there, done that. lol
Well, I don't know the details, but probably you should have asked a part of the money before starting the development, especially for such an enormous commission.
If you truly believe you need to pick a mobile phone that "says something" about your personality, don't bother. You don't have a personality. A mental illness, maybe - but not a personality. - Charlie Brooker My Blog - My Photos - ScrewTurn Wiki
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Well, I don't know the details, but probably you should have asked a part of the money before starting the development, especially for such an enormous commission.
If you truly believe you need to pick a mobile phone that "says something" about your personality, don't bother. You don't have a personality. A mental illness, maybe - but not a personality. - Charlie Brooker My Blog - My Photos - ScrewTurn Wiki
Yeah, that's a catch-22. If you ask for cash up front then you're not viable enough to deliver. If you don't, then you'd better be viable or you might not deliver. In the US, most contracts are Net-30, Net-60, Net-90. All that means is they have time to pay. If they're slow paying, then the company doing the work has to suck it up until the payment is made. It's basic cash flow management. But it's crucial, especially to a small company trying to get ahead. That't the reality between a couple of guys selling a cool idea and actually having a cool idea be successful.
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Highest pay cap i've ever seen a contract for was $109 an hour
Back in the mid-90's when I was working for a top 5 firm, we would bill $175 - $250 per hour easily. And I'd hate to tell you what that bill rate got for the client in terms of people skills. Those abusive rates are what started the outsourcing trend.
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How much is an average pay of software developer around the globe? How much do you all get and does it increase with increase in experience? Let's see in which country pay scale is really high...:)
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More than you.
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leckey wrote:
More than you.
Does that mean you earn more than James? Or that the average software developer earns more than James?
Regards, Nish
Nish’s thoughts on MFC, C++/CLI and .NET (my blog)
My latest book : C++/CLI in Action / Amazon.com link -
Back in the mid-90's when I was working for a top 5 firm, we would bill $175 - $250 per hour easily. And I'd hate to tell you what that bill rate got for the client in terms of people skills. Those abusive rates are what started the outsourcing trend.
Bert delaVega wrote:
Back in the mid-90's when I was working for a top 5 firm, we would bill $175 - $250 per hour easily. And I'd hate to tell you what that bill rate got for the client in terms of people skills. Those abusive rates are what started the outsourcing trend.
Interesting - I've never heard this opinion before. That an abusive billing rate was what first prompted companies to look for alternate options.
Regards, Nish
Nish’s thoughts on MFC, C++/CLI and .NET (my blog)
My latest book : C++/CLI in Action / Amazon.com link -
Back in the mid-90's when I was working for a top 5 firm, we would bill $175 - $250 per hour easily. And I'd hate to tell you what that bill rate got for the client in terms of people skills. Those abusive rates are what started the outsourcing trend.
Ok those are some abusive rates :) but still writing .NET code is nowhere near as complicated as the stuff they were writing in the 90's. So i'll say they were worth more.
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How much is an average pay of software developer around the globe? How much do you all get and does it increase with increase in experience? Let's see in which country pay scale is really high...:)
There are almost too many factors to consider in coming to a reasonable answer to your question. All of the following play into it: - Location - Industry (If your company specializes in writing software for the aviation industry, then YOU are in the aviation industry. All of the business factors that play into your salary and benefits are derived from that industry.) - Experience - Skill set The list goes on and on. Speaking for Americans, you will generally earn more money working for the "private sector" than you will working for the government. In many ways this is even true of government "contractors", unless you agree to spend time "downrange" (in a war zone). To put things in perspective, I've spent most of my 10-year career in central Texas (broken by a 3-year stint in Germany, working for the U.S. Army). I began my career with zero experience and a *technically* unrelated degree (Philosophy). I was hired at $25k per year. Now, 10 years later, I don't even interview at a company that's thinking about offering less than $95k. And I typically pull over $110k when I'm doing contract work (less when I'm an "employee", but that's usually counter-balanced by better benefits). I reached a personal all-time high earlier this year at $125k equivalent, but the contract only lasted 3 months. I was offered $350k by Northrop Grumman to spend a year in Baghdad. I refused (I'm not single anymore). After 10 years I'm thoroughly convinced of one point: Software Engineering does not a millionaire make. I could probably make more money in sales or as a doctor. But with a "C" in biology, you don't WANT me as your doctor ;)
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Yeah, that's a catch-22. If you ask for cash up front then you're not viable enough to deliver. If you don't, then you'd better be viable or you might not deliver. In the US, most contracts are Net-30, Net-60, Net-90. All that means is they have time to pay. If they're slow paying, then the company doing the work has to suck it up until the payment is made. It's basic cash flow management. But it's crucial, especially to a small company trying to get ahead. That't the reality between a couple of guys selling a cool idea and actually having a cool idea be successful.
Bert delaVega wrote:
If they're slow paying, then the company doing the work has to suck it up until the payment is made.
In the UK, overdue invoices are by law subject to interest. the last time I looked the rate wasn't low either - something like 12% pa. Regardless of what clout you do (or don't) have as a vendor, it's a significant incentive for the client to pay up on time - unless they plan to default entirely (rare, in my experience).
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