- #1
SlurrerOfSpeech
- 141
- 11
I am early in my career and trying to pursue a career in software engineering (I use that term broadly). Like any normal person, I eventually want to make good money, hopefully around 6 figures. I assumed that there would be a direct correlation between how sophisticated a software job is and how much money it pays. Further, I assumed that "useful" software jobs, ones that are revolutionizing the technology industry and increasing the productive capacity of the economy, would pay more. Not from what I observe!
I recently had an opportunity to join as a software engineer at a small but rapidly growing company that makes consumer electronics. This job would be very challenging, consist of low-level programming and algorithms. The annual salary: $58,000. And it's in an old, boring building out in the middle of nowhere.
Meanwhile, 10 miles west, in the city, I could have the chance to work in a modern office in a skyscraper and make double that salary while applying my skills to make some stupid "social media app" with JavaScript/Ruby, requiring a lot less thinking, just sticthing together code from prepackaged libraries. Heck, I know someone who works for a startup and makes $90,000/yr and smokes weed all day at work.
What should I be doing if I want challenging/useful software engineering work and also want to make good money?
I recently had an opportunity to join as a software engineer at a small but rapidly growing company that makes consumer electronics. This job would be very challenging, consist of low-level programming and algorithms. The annual salary: $58,000. And it's in an old, boring building out in the middle of nowhere.
Meanwhile, 10 miles west, in the city, I could have the chance to work in a modern office in a skyscraper and make double that salary while applying my skills to make some stupid "social media app" with JavaScript/Ruby, requiring a lot less thinking, just sticthing together code from prepackaged libraries. Heck, I know someone who works for a startup and makes $90,000/yr and smokes weed all day at work.
What should I be doing if I want challenging/useful software engineering work and also want to make good money?