Salary for Computer Science

[MVP]

Hi

I haven't seen this questioned ask yet, but I'm curious. What is the expected salary from a computer programmer straight out of college? I've heard various different things, like "$10 per hour" then I've heard at starting as much as $25 per hour. I see the $25 per hour highly unlikely, but what is the realistic expected salary for a student straight out of college?

What's the different salary for a 1st year programmer with an associates degree in comparison to a first year programmer with a bachelors degree?

[andrew.]

According to CareerCruising.com, computer programmers generally earn from $40000-75000 a year. I would assume that new computer programmers would earn around $40000.

[Tony]

Depends on your experience, skill, and where you go to work. The starting salary at Google/Amazon/Microsoft is $80K + options.

The first co-op job will likely be in <= $30K range though.

[bugzpodder]

the highest range for a CS degree from UW is around 70k-100k US per year (google, ms, amazon, etc).

[jernst]

It also depends on how well you interview, how you sell yourself and show off what you know and what you've done. I know people with community college diplomas in comuter programming who make as much or more than people who have degrees. I have also met some people who are having real difficulty finding any work at all because of sloppy resumes, poor interview skills, lack of experience / portfolio etc. The starting salary can also be dependent on what your peers in your program are getting. When you are about to graduate try to find out some figures on average salary for your program and use this when negotiating your salary. If you have multiple job offers at the same time you can also mention this to try to coax a bit more money out of them. In general though, I think the starting salary isn't quite as significant as just working hard wherever you end up and doing a job. The rest will come when the recognize your contributions to the company. If not maybe its time to move along to a better company.

[Sniper4Life]

70-100 thousand per year?

is it like different if you go out from college?
like i rlly i dont kno O.O

70-100 doesnt seem like that much to me O.O

[md]

Seriously? You don't think 70-100k a year is a lot? I think you live in a dream world...

Depending on where you find work, and how good you are at what you do you are probably looking at 40-80k to start (yes it's a big range...); and almost certianly you will be at the low end of that.

[Sniper4Life]

oh srry for the misunderstanding
i didnt mean when you start
i was thinking of like 10+ years working with the company
like at that point...surely your earning more?

i was thinking this job would SURELY give more than 100 thousand+ after 10 years of working (and being a good employee )...you would earn alot...

if not then software engineers to me are underpaid

[md]

Sniper4Life @ 2009-05-09, 9:19 pm wrote:

oh srry for the misunderstanding
i didnt mean when you start
i was thinking of like 10+ years working with the company
like at that point...surely your earning more?

i was thinking this job would SURELY give more than 100 thousand+ after 10 years of working (and being a good employee )...you would earn alot...

if not then software engineers to me are underpaid

Very very few jobs will earn you 100k+ a year after 10 years. $100K a year is a lot of money. More likely you are looking at 50-60K a year; or if you do somehow end up working for microsoft, *maybe* 90-100K if you get promoted out of actual programming.

[Sniper4Life]

ya yud need like a $45/h job to earn more than $ 100,000 /year

there are still alot of job options that give that though....after 10 years of good working...they just require hard work

[Tony]

Yes, but typically that requires one to leave writing code and ascend the corporate ladder of management.

[Sniper4Life]

well isnt THAT the goal?
to get into management?

[[Gandalf]]

Sniper4Life @ 2009-05-09, 9:53 pm wrote:

well isnt THAT the goal?
to get into management?

For some people yes, for some people no. Many people do Computer Science more for the science or some sense of achievement beyond making more money.

[Tony]

If you want to go into management, just go to a business school for an MBA.

For those of us who are in the field for the love of computer science (as oppose to just money), we would rather avoid management.

Quote:

See, I'm a project manager: I couldn't tell a line of code from a line in front of a busy store.

http://www.geekherocomic.com/2009/05/08/priorities/

[Dan]

There are other paths from CS then just programmer or code monkey.

There is the hole admemic side of things for one witch has an even bigger range of salaries.

I have also seen peoleop go from a CS undergrad to MIS (mangment information systems) witch is a mix of software devlopment and mangment.

You can also always start your own business or do conslusting work witch can make nothing to being the next MS or Google.


In any case i would not go into computer science for the money. If you hate what you do for a living, no matter how much you make, it will not be worth hating your life.