To clarify, the word is 码农 and the literal translation is code peasant (similar to how we call programmers code monkeys in US).
Programmers are literally 程序員, where 程序 means program, and 員 means worker. People also call them 程序猿, where 猿 has the exact same pronunciation as 員 but means monkey. So basically programmers are also called code monkeys in China.