The long-term benefits of being a coder
2x better than the median salary
The entry salary in tech is much higher than that of most careers.
The median personal income in the U.S. is $35,9771. The median salary for a software developer is $103,6202.
The best-paid 25% of software developers made $130,460, while the lowest-paid 25% of software developers made $79,340.
So, the lowest-paid 25% of software developers still made twice as much as the median personal income.
Faster and better pay raise as you advance
Junior software engineers are paid $61,553 a year on average3, while senior software engineers are paid $118,104 a year on average4.
The time from being a junior developer to a senior developer is generally less than 5 years. So, your pay doubles within 5 years in the industry.
You don't need a degree
You need to know computer science fundamental skills and software development abilities, but you don't need a formal computer science degree to enter the industry.
The non-requirement of a degree is not seen in many other industries, especially for industries that have a much higher median pay. The tech industry is one of the few that pays you well and doesn't require any formal certifications as long as you can get things done. This is in line with the culture of being result-driven.
It's easy to get started
You can start learning to code from hundreds of free and paid online resources. There are free, cheap, and expensive courses that you can choose from. Since these resources are online, you can learn from anywhere, anytime.
If you have questions, you can always google, ask online, or ask mentors if you join one of the paid programs.
Few profession has this kind of ease of entry to the industry for beginners.
It's fun and challenging
You get to build things you have dreamt of. And, it's fun to build what you have imagined in your mind.
You're also constantly learning new things.
1 https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/MEPAINUSA672N
2 https://money.usnews.com/careers/best-jobs/software-developer/salary
3 https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Junior_Software_Engineer/Salary
4 https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Senior_Software_Engineer/Salary
