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What about Computer Engineering and Computer Science makes the median pay so high?
I've never completely understood why people get paid so much for those jobs.
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5 answers
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Kideog’s Answer
I think that the tasks in the areas of computer engineering and computer science requires somewhat unique talent and personality. The class that I took, there are less than 5% of students finally completed the training courses. And even from the 5% , there are very few people can produce quality work (coding / writing computer programs) which should be efficient and also accurate.
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Mohammad’s Answer
Throughout history, wealth flows to whatever society needs (or thinks it) needs at the time. Usually these jobs do need extended training too. In ancient Egypt, a scribe was paid well. Railroad industry was very rich at the end of 19th century and the oil industry at the start of 20th century. when the computers and the internet came along, people who already had trains and cars needed Google search, etc....So the bulk of society's wealth goes to those industries and the people working in them (eg. computer/software engineers get paid well.) As of today, market Capitalization (value of a company) for General Motors is $55 billion, for Exxon is $460 billion. Can you guess the market capitalization for Google? It is 1230 Billion.
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John’s Answer
Hi Michael!
From this and your other questions it seems like you are considering a career in Computer Science! That's fantastic. The short answer to this question is it's hard. Hard means fewer people can do the work. The demand for developers and engineers grows every year. So you have a relatively low supply because it's hard and a strong demand because well iPhones and Websites and Video Games and everything else you do with a computer. So, the law of supply and demand posits that when supply is low and demand is high the cost of the supply goes up!
I want to mention just a bit on why people think computers is difficult. Because it's really not. Computers don't speak English. They speak binary. All of the languages like HTML, Python, PhP, etc. are translators. They translate English to Binary. They are meta-languages or in between languages. You know English. Python sort of looks like English. So, you understand a little bit of Python from the start. But it is a new language you learn to be able to speak to the computer.
Learning a new language isn't all that difficult. Even Babies Can Do It! So why do people think learning a new language like Spanish or Chinese or Python is hard? Basically, people are comfortable with the language they know. And it's uncomfortable to learn a new language. It's not hard to do. It just takes practice. Learning computer languages is the same thing. At first you stumble around a lot. Then you start to get good. THEN they change it on you, and you have to start over! But that's another story...
Work hard and work a little bit smart,
-John
Keep asking questions
Don't wait to start coding. Build something with Scratch, CodeWars or a bot on Discord
Have fun with it. The first time you played a video game you probably weren't any good. But you get better over time.
Comment below if you have more thoughts on this topic. It's the best place for us to have a conversation.
From this and your other questions it seems like you are considering a career in Computer Science! That's fantastic. The short answer to this question is it's hard. Hard means fewer people can do the work. The demand for developers and engineers grows every year. So you have a relatively low supply because it's hard and a strong demand because well iPhones and Websites and Video Games and everything else you do with a computer. So, the law of supply and demand posits that when supply is low and demand is high the cost of the supply goes up!
I want to mention just a bit on why people think computers is difficult. Because it's really not. Computers don't speak English. They speak binary. All of the languages like HTML, Python, PhP, etc. are translators. They translate English to Binary. They are meta-languages or in between languages. You know English. Python sort of looks like English. So, you understand a little bit of Python from the start. But it is a new language you learn to be able to speak to the computer.
Learning a new language isn't all that difficult. Even Babies Can Do It! So why do people think learning a new language like Spanish or Chinese or Python is hard? Basically, people are comfortable with the language they know. And it's uncomfortable to learn a new language. It's not hard to do. It just takes practice. Learning computer languages is the same thing. At first you stumble around a lot. Then you start to get good. THEN they change it on you, and you have to start over! But that's another story...
Work hard and work a little bit smart,
-John
John recommends the following next steps:
Updated
Jeremy’s Answer
Hello Michael,
There are quite a few reasons why the median pay in both Computer Engineering and Computer Science fields is pretty high. One of the main reasons is the high demand for these roles. Companies are always on the lookout for people with these skills, which pushes up the pay.
Another important factor is the specialized skills needed for these jobs. Not everyone can do them, so those who can are valued more. This is also tied to the education and experience requirements for these roles. You need a good amount of knowledge and practice to be able to perform well in these fields, and that's something companies are willing to pay for.
Finally, there's the simple fact that there aren't enough people who can do these jobs. This scarcity of talent makes those who have the necessary skills even more valuable, which is another reason why the pay is higher.
So, all these factors combine to create the higher pay ranges we see in the computer science and engineering fields.
There are quite a few reasons why the median pay in both Computer Engineering and Computer Science fields is pretty high. One of the main reasons is the high demand for these roles. Companies are always on the lookout for people with these skills, which pushes up the pay.
Another important factor is the specialized skills needed for these jobs. Not everyone can do them, so those who can are valued more. This is also tied to the education and experience requirements for these roles. You need a good amount of knowledge and practice to be able to perform well in these fields, and that's something companies are willing to pay for.
Finally, there's the simple fact that there aren't enough people who can do these jobs. This scarcity of talent makes those who have the necessary skills even more valuable, which is another reason why the pay is higher.
So, all these factors combine to create the higher pay ranges we see in the computer science and engineering fields.
Updated
Neha’s Answer
That's a good observation Michael. Yes, the median pay is indeed high, and the reason primarily is that this is complex work and requires a sophisticated set of skills. As a software engineer or a programmer, one needs to constantly learn new technologies/tools/programming languages to develop innovative solutions to address complex problems. Only a small portion of people have the passion and commitment to work in this profession that involves continuous learning, willingness to explore and innovate, enthusiasm to keep expanding skill-set, surviving aggressive schedules and timelines in many instances.
Talk to as many programmers, engineers and people in this profession to get real time advice
Take baby steps(meaning start with a small project or a prototype) and ask yourself if you have the passion and interest in making this a long term career
Neha recommends the following next steps: