We are still recovering from a very weak economy. Most software engineers got a small salary increase last year. What is a developer to do to stay alive?
The good news is that the software engineering market is not that bad. Software engineers make an average of 91k at their jobs. This compares favorably to the 78k average for all technical positions. The unemployment level for technical people is only 4.5%. Compare that to the 10% unemployment for all professions.
Here is some common advice. Don’t just beef up on your programming skills. Develop communication skills. Be able to pitch your ideas to normal users. If you combine this ability with strong technical skills, you will be very valuable. That means high salaries.
This is not to say that you should ignore the technical side. Try to broaden your skills set. Learn a new language or framework or methodology. You got to work hard to stay ahead of the game in these tough times.
