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"You still top out". Actually that's pretty unique to sw development vs other white collar roles and is not discussed enough when it comes to understanding high

"You still top out". Actually that's pretty unique to sw development vs other white collar roles and is not discussed enough when it comes to understanding higher levels of disillusion. SW developers are basically having their mod life crisis at 28 or 32 when they realize they've mostly flatlined unless they go into management.

umanwizard 11y ago
Saying "unless they go into management" is an artificial distinction. In most white-collar roles, "advancement" is synonymous with "going into management", and software development is no different.
mkozlows 11y ago
1. I know many people who've had significant salary increases into their 40s, at least. 2. Management is not automatically higher-paying than development, until you get into the higher reaches of management, which not everyone will. 3. To the extent people are flatlining, it might just be a case of starting high; if you're hitting a wall with a number that's in the top 5% of individual income nationally, well, you're doing better than 95% of people out there, so consider that it might not be so bad after all.
serge2k 11y ago
Is that really a big problem? Growth slows down as you get older and more experienced, not everyone can grow beyond some level. A company isn't going to keep giving big raises to someone who isn't growing that much anymore. That seems fair. Worst case for most people is that they hit a reasonably high wage quickly and can stay there for a long time, even if the increases become modest at best. That's a good thing. If you are willing to develop the skillset you can still move into management and continue to increase your earning power. That's good too. It does suck to think that as a mid level engineer I'll most likely get to a senior level in a few years and rise no further, but it's just something you have to get over.
ryandrake 11y ago
I had just such a crisis at around that age. After 3 or 4 companies, I realized that I hit the ceiling at around 28 or so had only 1-1.5% cost of living adjustments to look forward to for the rest of my life. So I tried to do a major career change, ended up doing a minor one (I have "manager" in my title now but that's about it), and really I'm not making that much more than I was. There's definitely a ceiling, and you hit it real early in tech.

umanwizard 11y ago

Saying "unless they go into management" is an artificial distinction. In most white-collar roles, "advancement" is synonymous with "going into management", and software development is no different.

mkozlows 11y ago

1. I know many people who've had significant salary increases into their 40s, at least. 2. Management is not automatically higher-paying than development, until you get into the higher reaches of management, which not everyone will. 3. To the extent people are flatlining, it might just be a case of starting high; if you're hitting a wall with a number that's in the top 5% of individual income nationally, well, you're doing better than 95% of people out there, so consider that it might not be so bad after all.

serge2k 11y ago

Is that really a big problem? Growth slows down as you get older and more experienced, not everyone can grow beyond some level. A company isn't going to keep giving big raises to someone who isn't growing that much anymore. That seems fair. Worst case for most people is that they hit a reasonably high wage quickly and can stay there for a long time, even if the increases become modest at best. That's a good thing. If you are willing to develop the skillset you can still move into management and continue to increase your earning power. That's good too. It does suck to think that as a mid level engineer I'll most likely get to a senior level in a few years and rise no further, but it's just something you have to get over.

ryandrake 11y ago

I had just such a crisis at around that age. After 3 or 4 companies, I realized that I hit the ceiling at around 28 or so had only 1-1.5% cost of living adjustments to look forward to for the rest of my life. So I tried to do a major career change, ended up doing a minor one (I have "manager" in my title now but that's about it), and really I'm not making that much more than I was. There's definitely a ceiling, and you hit it real early in tech.