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Comment by q-big | Hacker News Reader

> I can't get on the "It is a hard-knock life for Software developers" train. We are very-very well compensated, and we are insufferable.

The compensation can be high if you work in Silicon Valley (even though the cost of living is high there). The standard corporate programming job is already paid much worse. Also in a lot of countries that are not the USA, software development is not such a well-paying job.

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I don't think there is that many countries were software developers aren't reasonably well compensated compared to local standard of pay. And that is the level that we should really compare to. Is the pay above median or in top 25% for the location? I would guess that it is for most of the world.

My brother in law lived in Austria, he was paid similarly to any other job there, there was an impassable ceiling, so he moved to San Francisco and makes 10x.

I looked for software development jobs in Spain, and they pay even less than in my native Uruguay.

And forget about six figures unless you're in the US, England, Switzerland or Australia or a top company in Europe.

The average SWE in America is making $93,000. Average teacher is about $65,000, Average construction worker $38,000, average bartender $65,000, average hotel worker $45,000.

Average construction worker, bartender & hotel worker don't have a Bsc/Msc.

Average SWE doesn't need one either.

Most of the people I once worked with in the service industry had degrees though. Sure, not compsci, but something.

Also most construction workers I've know made way more than that average, often close to 6 figures if not above it. Of course I'm in a big city, may skew things.

Maybe that's a geographical thing; I live in Europe, and there are barely any SWE without a master or equivalent here.

> The standard corporate programming job is already paid much worse

Data for this? Does not match my experience whatsoever.

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