Avg pay with or without a degree? I have ~15 years of software engineering, and production support for a fortune 500 company (within top 20) no degree though. Data warehousing/database admin experience. (Teradata/SQL Server) Kinda a MacGyver... C#, Java, VB, KSH, etc etc etc.
I know a few w/out a degree and Some of people with unrelated degrees like BA in history or political science working for MSFT and a few other top tier companies. As long as you can pass the interview it shouldn't matter.
Don’t know about west coast, NYC getting me 140k. Barely passed high school 😂 taught myself everything
Me too, actually dropped out and got my GED
To be honest, some places want people who have not been put in a box by education. This actually helps me get hired. However you do need to deliver, school teaches you fundamentals of computer science. The thing is, if you weren’t taught it, but can do it, then it shows your drive and sheer willingness to learn on your own.
There are tons I have been programming in the valley since I was 14. And now as a manager I rarely look at a degree.
Same
I got a degree in Liberal Studies, took classes for mathematics and electrical engineering. Hated my C++ course in college. Things changed, taught myself how to code. Now I'm doing software engineering. Definitely would have been easier just taking the courses in college originally, but it's doable.
How did you prepare? How did you manage to get interviews?
I got a random liberal arts degree, essentially self taught all my engineering skills. College is overrated.
As time goes on the degree will mean less and less as it makes no difference on the quality of employees I have found.
Self taught engineer
Expansion to topic: Any thoughts on how the studies outside of coding helped shape or mold creative thinking as you developed? The story of how calligraphy helped inspire Jobs might be an example. Combined with the acid may have also contributed.
I'll say that my liberal studies professors taught me how to be a critical thinker rather than just a code monkey. It helped shape my personality towards being data driven which is obviously highly valued at Amazon. I've taken acid and it's certainly expanded my mind for the better. Couldn't recommend it more. It's helped me see the bigger picture while still not accepting complacency. Not gonna lie though, it would have been so nice to learn data structures and algorithms in a formal environment. It's really been my Achilles heel despite how much effort I put into being a better engineer.
If you encounter a job listing requiring a degree from a top-tier university, you don't want to work there anyway. Everywhere worthwhile, proven skills matter more than paper credentials.
I know a lot of people who were able to land a tech job without a degree, or a very unrelated one. The pay is dependent on the position, and often the same as someone in the same position with a degree.