In 2020, a new study found that the average salary for a software developer in India is about $77K. In the US, it's over $107K. That same year, the number of people who could code dropped to 5 million worldwide, giving those with programming skills an intense competitive advantage.
Even though many countries are now trying to teach coding from a young age, only about 2% of citizens find themselves good enough at coding to do it as a career choice. It seems like everyone wants to learn how to code these days - but why would you want to become a programmer?
Here are some things you might not know about why coding is a solid career choice:
Coding jobs are on the rise.
Over half of all jobs now require at least some coding knowledge or programming help online, and demand is expected to grow by over 50% between now and 2022 (That's faster than most other jobs). While there may be fewer programmers overall, those who can code well can earn more money than before.
Companies large and small want people with excellent programming skills at every level of their organization. This includes even entry-level positions. They're looking for people who will help them understand what makes software different from just another product and how it should best be written to solve problems or take advantage of new opportunities.
Coding is fun!
There's no question that programming can be frustrating. But coding also has its free moments, when you realize things are working the way they should, and everything makes sense - at least for now (if it doesn't make sense later, or if something breaks, then there's more work to do.)
Coding gives you the chance to figure out how amazing new technologies work behind the scenes and shape their future development. Once you understand how easy (or hard) it is to program something like self-driving cars or artificial intelligence, you will never look at technology in the same way again.
This is especially true as many programmers are directly involved in creating systems capable of managing vast amounts of data and making complex choices at machine speed.
And hey, even if you're not a programmer, knowing how to code might save your job! As the number of programmers capable of filling open positions shrinks, many companies are forced to hire non-technical people to fill programming roles - anything from support technicians to customer service reps.
This means that it's more important than ever for everyone to know what they're buying and how it works. Even non-techies need their own hacker skills these days: You can learn some developer tricks yourself and give yourself a leg up on the competition in whatever field you pursue. Or impress your friends with all your knowledge about coding toys and apps!
Coding is universal.
Regardless of where you work or what language you learn, you can apply your skills around the world as a coder. You don't have to worry about whether there will be programmers nearby who speak the same languages as you do.
It doesn't matter if English is your first language or not: Once you know how to code, communicating with other programmers and even non-technical people is easier than ever before!
Coding jobs are available in nearly every industry.
Want to work at NASA? Code it up! How about operating a robotic arm on an assembly line? Code it up! How about helping mix paint colors for that new car that's coming out soon? You guessed it: Code it up!
As technology continues to grow and companies look for ways to increase productivity (and keep prices low), they will continue to need reliable, tested solutions for their business. You can expect that nearly every company - regardless of how traditional or high-tech it is today - will also need some programming help online with the technology decisions they're making.
Even though there are more than 9 million 'professional' programmers in the world (according to CNN ), you don't have to be one of them if you don't want to! Don't let yourself think that anyone who codes professionally has some special ability that you don't.
Programming is an art and a science, but most importantly, it's an attitude - and it's something anyone can learn by doing. You may not ever become an expert coder, but knowing even the basics could help you be a part of the coding community - and that's a good thing for everyone!
