| In the U.S. it is not uncommon for software developers working as employees to make between 90k and 120k per year. In fact, AFAIK that's THE salary for experienced devs in Silicon Valley; and independent contractors can make much more than that. Indeed cops, teachers, and social workers make much less, but salary is usually a function of how much profit you can produce + a function of supply and demand. The demand right now for capable software engineers is pretty high, even with this economic recession. And the supply is very low - so if you live in the U.S. and are making 20000 USD per year, you're doing something wrong ;-)
Heck, that's not enough to pay the rent in San Francisco. Even junior developers coming fresh out of college are making more than 20k. In that light, yes 55k is much lower than I could earn if I were located at the heart of the software industry, but I'm pretty happy and feel fortunate about it anyway; although my target is 120k. So again, if you live in the U.S. 20000 is way low without having extra benefits - like being a co-founder in a startup that will make you rich one day. Even if the projects you're working on are fun, don't sell yourself for pennies. In the long run you'll suffer; not to mention, have you noticed the ageism going on in this industry? |