They probably only code a little bit. They review and guide at that point. Essentially leading the team’s coding efforts, ensuring the product is of quality.
Full stack - this is when you start pushing higher salary limits, dev can write code and SQL, QE writes testing, SRE/DevOps writes ci/cd, observability, DBA is optimizing, backing up, clearing blocks. Full stacks can do most-all of that. They can architect a solution and see it’s execution, this is also when you need to be networking or you are stuck on a support staff.
split discipline - This can apply to full stack, or for cross field. Are you working on generating a truly random number theory? Better have an advanced math degree.
niche solution architects - these are the guys that come in and build a Hadoop cluster that scale with a transmogrifying Kafka work stream that works asynchronous but within the hour. They get a contract job and implement it, train the support team and go do it again somewhere else.
specialty languages (old, science) - want a job paying 250k+ is in high demand and completely remote? Go learn cobol (warning: older programmers were amazing and complex or epic pastafarians). My understanding is that the math and libraries are also in high demand.
principals - these are the guys at FAANG that are instrumental to day to day operations because they are masters in their fields, have written half the codebase, or built very successful projects.
founders - if you are able to work a lower paying job and accept the risk of not knowing how long the company will be around, you can work for startup. Startups give percentage points of ownership which scale massively if the company is successful. They are often considered principals because they wrote half the code during the original days
Likely very little, they’re paid for knowledge of their codebase and higher level stuff. It’s cheaper to then pay someone lower level to do the grunt work.
The startup game is basically dead for getting rich. First to be employed is just first to get screwed over. Either found a startup yourself or aim for big tech imo, but that’s also pretty hard given current market conditions. Get ready to surf the next ZIRP-wave though!
Higher tiers engineering in FAANG.
Very few software engineers earn those numbers
FAANG + Bay Area + L5 and up is likely to get you there.
That’s a very small portion of software engineers, but under these conditions it’s no longer exceptional.
what exactly are they coding to get paid that much?
asking
for a friendfor me. im asking for me.They probably only code a little bit. They review and guide at that point. Essentially leading the team’s coding efforts, ensuring the product is of quality.
Full stack, split discipline, niche solution architects, specialty languages (old, science), principals, founders. It’s the minority
this is not as specific as i expected… what sets these apart and what are they working on?
Which one(s) are you 😎
(Full stack founder?!)
I’m high end SRE, but work isn’t my pursuit in life so I’m still on the support teams, collecting a decent paycheck.
Bet you’re epic to work with. Hope you’re having as much fun as possible with that!
I failed to find a Sr. Cobol position higher than $93k
Likely very little, they’re paid for knowledge of their codebase and higher level stuff. It’s cheaper to then pay someone lower level to do the grunt work.
Be talented and lucky enough to get in on the ground floor of a startup.
The startup game is basically dead for getting rich. First to be employed is just first to get screwed over. Either found a startup yourself or aim for big tech imo, but that’s also pretty hard given current market conditions. Get ready to surf the next ZIRP-wave though!
Yeah normal companies don’t pay anything like that in Colorado (or if they do wtf am I still doing in cybersec lol). Cali, FAANG for sure.