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Programmers aren't actually paid all that well. We're paid marginally better than schoolteachers and firefighters. Don't believe me? Look up the salaries for so

Programmers aren't actually paid all that well. We're paid marginally better than schoolteachers and firefighters. Don't believe me? Look up the salaries for software engineers vs schoolteachers in Boise, ID. Now look up those figures in SF/NYC. They track. People get an incorrect view because they look at the national average, which is skewed because more programmers are forced to move to high-COL areas like SF/NYC just to pursue their profession.

AnnikaL 4y ago
Not quite. Let's compare them with some BLS data. For teachers, I'll pick elementary schoolteachers other than special education, which seem to be in the middle of the pack. In Boise, an elementary schoolteacher earns $52,500 on average, while the computer programmer earns $75,070 - 43% more. "Software developers" (a different BLS job from programmers) are paid even higher: $96,980, or 84% more than teachers. The mean wage for an elementary schoolteacher in San Francisco is $86,920, while for a computer programmer it's $126,220 — 45% greater. For software developers, it's $158,320, which is 80% higher than the teachers. Nationally, this also applies: elementary teachers make $67,080, while programmers make 45% more at $96,650 and software developers 80% more at $120,990. So while it's true that the ratio of software engineer and schoolteacher salaries is similar between Boise and San Francisco, this ratio is quite large (not "marginally better"), and software businesses being in high cost-of-living areas doesn't seem to explain why software engineers are paid so much (they still earn a lot more than teachers even in cheap areas). Data is sourced from the BLS: https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_14260.htm https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_14260.htm https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_41860.htm https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_41860.htm
- phendrenad2 4y ago
  Thanks, you're right. But I still think that "programmers are highly paid" is a bit of a myth, and schoolteachers in SF are just under paid.

AnnikaL 4y ago

Not quite. Let's compare them with some BLS data. For teachers, I'll pick elementary schoolteachers other than special education, which seem to be in the middle of the pack. In Boise, an elementary schoolteacher earns $52,500 on average, while the computer programmer earns $75,070 - 43% more. "Software developers" (a different BLS job from programmers) are paid even higher: $96,980, or 84% more than teachers. The mean wage for an elementary schoolteacher in San Francisco is $86,920, while for a computer programmer it's $126,220 — 45% greater. For software developers, it's $158,320, which is 80% higher than the teachers. Nationally, this also applies: elementary teachers make $67,080, while programmers make 45% more at $96,650 and software developers 80% more at $120,990. So while it's true that the ratio of software engineer and schoolteacher salaries is similar between Boise and San Francisco, this ratio is quite large (not "marginally better"), and software businesses being in high cost-of-living areas doesn't seem to explain why software engineers are paid so much (they still earn a lot more than teachers even in cheap areas). Data is sourced from the BLS: https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_14260.htm https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_14260.htm https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_41860.htm https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_41860.htm

phendrenad2 4y ago
Thanks, you're right. But I still think that "programmers are highly paid" is a bit of a myth, and schoolteachers in SF are just under paid.