Programmers making $450k/year?

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

Originally posted by: stev

Originally posted by: BlueWeasel

Originally posted by: Special K
You guys make it sound like these jobs are so easy to get. So why aren't all of you making $450k/year right now?

The majority of ATOT makes $200k+ with 6 weeks vacation plus bonuses. You don't?

And that was the first job I got when I finished my masters degree when I was 17. Now I'm making 2.2 mil a year plus a private jet.

Free private jet every year? Can you give me yours from last year then?

 

[LS20]

whoever originally programmed the software we sell for 100k per license probably made billions

 

[halik]

Originally posted by: Flatscan

Originally posted by: elmro
Quant Developers on Wall Street can make from 250K/year and higher.

Originally posted by: halik
There are people making millions working for my firm (doing quant / portfolio strat stuff)

This is not quite comparable to the jobs that the OP described. Encryption and security systems do require mathematics, but quant compensation is usually tied (if not capped by other guidelines) to the revenue/profits generated. I hope the government isn't running hedge funds out of its back pocket.

Originally posted by: gamepad
Will this salary drop rapidly within the next few years as tons of people switch to this career?

Short answer: no. An individual being paid that compensation has a rare combination of intelligence, knowledge, skills, and (for trading positions) luck. Schooling can only really increase knowledge.

Yeah, but it's still 'programing' depending how you look at it, thought I don't really consider those jobs IT per se. And your comp is definitely based on the P&L or whatever amount fee we get from the deal.

As far as switching careers to do quant... doubtful. You need to be immensely strong in abstract math and usually need a fairly elite school on your resume. I'd have hard time making it. (double B.S. from top 10 programs, wall street work experience)

 

[DaShen]

Originally posted by: paulney
As far as I know government jobs pay lower than the private sector. Ditto for the programmers.

Not if you work for Federal, doing high level stuff. Encryption and code cracking being one of them.

But you have to be the $4!7 to be paid upwards of that stuff.

I have a friend who is really, really good and does automata stuff with language recognition and speaking machines. He gets paid a buttload, and he is going to start working for Google soon. Not as much as you are saying, but he gets paid very, very well.

 

[pradeep1]

Maybe his job was outsourced to India and is really making 450,000 Rupees annually, so that would be about $11,250, which is about right for government pay.

 

[TheNewbie]

This doesn't sound very possible scenario, unless the people you're talking about own a company which works for the govt. then these numbers you mentioned are next to impossible. I'm a programmer and I make 150K which is average-high, I know people that make ~180K, I don't know personally someone that makes more than that as an employee.

 

[DrumminBoy]

Originally posted by: LS20
whoever originally programmed the software we sell for 100k per license probably made billions

you should see if he wants to buy your brooks brothers gift cert.

 

[mh47g]

Originally posted by: mugs
A developer who works for the government making more than the president of the united states seems unlikely.

A developer who works for a defense contractor making more than the president of the united states seems slightly more likely.

A developer making $450k a year does not seem very likely at all. $100k+ is believable.

To be fair, $450k is in the $100k+ range

 

[Zolty]

I work for a dept within the state of Wi, our programmers make 50-90k depending on experience.

 

[Descartes]

Originally posted by: pradeep1
Maybe his job was outsourced to India and is really making 450,000 Rupees annually, so that would be about $11,250, which is about right for government pay.

Speaking of which, rates out of India seem to be on the increase lately. A few years ago you could find junior to intermediate-level talent for an extremely low rate, but now someone with sufficient experience working for any of the major firms in India will run ~$60/hour. This isn't that far off what local talent will cost you. Housing costs in Bangalore, Hyderabad (and probably others, but I'm not familiar with them) are also getting extremely high relative to what they were.

Honestly, I think the gentrification of major tech hubs in India will equalize rates with the US and other major players within the next 5 years or so. Not sure what kind of an impact that will have on the industry though...

/tangent

 

[Strk]

Originally posted by: mugs
A developer who works for the government making more than the president of the united states seems unlikely.

A developer who works for a defense contractor making more than the president of the united states seems slightly more likely.

A developer making $450k a year does not seem very likely at all. $100k+ is believable.

Plus, it could be a $450k contract over a several year period of time. In which case, it could be something like a $450k contract for five years, making it $90k a year, which is perfectly within the realm of an experienced programmer.