When someone takes the decision to enroll into a Coding Bootcamp, they are doing it because of three – among others - main reasons: (1) higher income; (2) more job opportunities than other careers; (3) launching a Startup.  We have the commitment of analyzing - based on current data - these reasons twice a year.  Here is the recent outcome.

Key findings answering real questions

Are you still thinking of investing in your career to graduate as a web developer?  It’s normal to have lots of expectations or to feel overwhelmed by job market behavior, but it’s also comforting watching how numbers are holding you back.  If you are still unsure about enrolling into a Coding Bootcamp, here is the updated 2017 wages report.

How much do web developers make?

That's the question; according to the Bureau of Labor Statistic, web developers made an annual wage of $72,890 and one of the highest-paid in the field could earn $119,550.  Those results are highlighted on a map where the top paying States are Washington, District of Columbia, California, New York and Virginia.

On the other hand, Pay Scale data shows that wages of entry-level web developers are in a range $33,516 to $86,736 per year with a median salary of 54,149 per year, while Indeed placed an average salary in the field of $60,379 per year; and Glassdoor placed an average salary above $70k per year.  Not that bad, for a junior position, at least.

Considering the data at hand, the average salary for a junior developer is around $63k in Miami.  Now, you are probably thinking: seriously?  For a junior/entry level that’s the pay? Yes!  Numbers never lie.

And how has the average salary behavior been through time?  StackOverflow provides us with a glimpse of this through their annual Developer Survey Reports:

The results only demonstrate that wages are around $90k per year consistently.  Good news to everybody.  Although there is the challenge of third-party software development, the United States remain positive in hiring local talent to carry on their in-house requirements.

We have addressed before that employment is expected to grow.  Don’t be afraid - it will grow - not because we say so, but because it is just how the market will perform. Everybody is looking to belong or to be part of the Tech/ digital world, and data shows this is right.  Some are actually saying that Coding is becoming or will become a Blue Collar Job (but high paid).

What about ROI? College or Bootcamp?

Generally, the more you learn, the more you earn.  But nowadays, more than ever, time is priceless, and, most importantly, experience and practice are further valuable than theoretical knowledge (as we said in our post: Turnaround on Education Traditions).

While a CS college student invests 4 years to graduate, most coding Bootcamp students graduate within 14 to 16 weeks (avg).  Let’s get the facts: the starting salary for a coding Bootcamp graduate is $54k and a CS degree graduate salary expectation is $50k.  Furthermore, how much does it cost?  College tuition fee + 4 years of cost living = Too much.  Coding Bootcamp: 16 weeks and $10k (on average).

Let’s be clear: we don’t have to start a fight against Colleges.  Actually, they teach more stuff and consider a bunch of areas where we don’t want to get involved.  However, if you want to become a developer, your decision is easy: Join a Bootcamp.  Coding Bootcamps are faster and efficient, inexpensive (compared to colleges), and, after graduating, you get as much money as a College graduate.

Anyway, if you are a tech person and you are thinking about your education, please take a wiser decision.  Are you ready?