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Tyrone Sunde
Courses Plus Student 6,379 PointsGetting a Job
I have still a lot of learning and practice before I seek a job in web development. Given, I don't have a degree in Computer Science, what should I do when I have practiced a bit more to market my skills? What is the salary you have been hearing for people just breaking into the business?
1 Answer
Andrew Shook
31,709 PointsWell this is a very complicated question and there are a lot a variables to consider when it comes to salary. I don't have a degree in computer science either, and I currently work as a front-end/back-end developer doing Drupal and WordPress sites. As far as getting into the business goes, it can difficult to get your first job. The most important thing you can do to help your self is build a portfolio. A lot of times this means doing free work, but you have to remind yourself that it will help get you a job that pays well.
Speaking of salary, how much you can expect to make depends on a lot of things like where you live ( i.e in big cities you make more because the cost of living is higher), how saturated the local market is with web developers/designers, and the size of the company you are applying to, and years of experience. Here is the US bureau of labor's page on web developers. As you can see in 2012 the median salary was good. Now starting out, and depending on the factors I mentioned above you could expect to make about 10 to 20 thousand less.
On the bright side now is a great time to get into the field even if you don't have a degree. I've read news articles that say for every 1 Computer Science grad there are 3 jobs open. Check out these articles for more info 1 2. So, right now a lot of employers will hire you without a degree if you have the skills. So get to learning and start building a portfolio of work!