[grandalf]

If you're really good you're probably worth twice that. Considering how lousy so many developers are who are routinely paid $80K, there is every reason why paying someone with solid experience and high productivity $200K+ would be a very smart thing to do.

[ww520]

That sounds good in theory. Everyone keep saying good developers are 10X more productive than average ones. However, I rarely see companies paying 10X salary to top developers. The top salary is usually at 2X of the average, with some industries paying 4X or 5X for bonus, like trading firms.

In a conversation with the Sr VP of Eng in my last company on why so many engineers have become managers, I mentioned that the pay scale for the top engineering position (architect) was equivalent of a senior eng director and it was very hard to become one. He said, well, he could talk to the board to create a Sr Architect position equivalent to VP's pay. The problem is there are more management positions than senior engineering positions like architect or principle. The engineers end up going the management route to get better pay.

But you can tell the general mentality that engineers should not make more than the management's pay structure. It's very hard to justify to others to pay someone 10X of the average.

[DennisP]

I recently attended some presentations by a guy who used to be a CIO, missed writing code, and figured out how to get work as a developer at near the CIO-level pay his family was accustomed to.

First step was getting really good; he recommended doing lots of code katas and taking jobs where all the other developers are better than you. As you go, develop a public reputation by blogging, travelling around doing presentations, etc. Be willing to move frequently, the high-paying jobs won't necessarily be local. Generally they're at companies where software is the main product, not just an "IT cost."

Here's his slide deck from that presentation: http://www.docondev.com/2010/05/take-control-of-your-develop...

[petercooper]

It's true of almost all professions except those that are solely commission based. The enthusiastic server at McDonalds who does, say, 3X the work doesn't get 3X the pay. They're just more likely to get promoted into.. a different job ;-)

[gaius]

This is the class system rearing its ugly head - managers are "white collar" and for all our technical skill, workers are still "blue collar" (even if you wear suits).

It's why banks pay developers well, which really means, market rate - a hotshot trader is just as likely to be a barrowboy as an Old Etonian.