Programmers making $450k/year?

[gamepad]

A few days ago someone told me that a friend of his at church makes $450k/year writing encryption software for the government.

About 6 months ago another person told me about someone making $450k/year doing IT security for the government.

Is this stuff true? What field is this exactly? Will this salary drop rapidly within the next few years as tons of people switch to this career?

Can anyone shine light on this government security job? How does one enter this field?

 

[paulney]

As far as I know government jobs pay lower than the private sector. Ditto for the programmers.

 

[Koing]

I've never heard of it.

They must be sh!t hot.

Koing

 

[yllus]

Consultants doing software often make rather high wages, but that sounds like a stretch.

Edit: I should also add that I'm not sure much "encryption software" gets written for the government these days. They tend to go with off-the-shelf software package to save money.

 

[lupi]

They must be some type of contractors. If they got a government bid and are working with a small number of people, it's possible. Just not guaranteed long time work though.

 

[gamepad]

Originally posted by: lupi
They must be some type of contractors. If they got a government bid and are working with a small number of people, it's possible. Just not guaranteed long time work though.

The guy who said someone at his church made $450k/year said this person was a contractor. His company sells the encryption programs to the government. He said the profits are so ludicrous that the programmers are payed $450k/year.

Is this common?

 

[Descartes]

Is it common? Absolutely not. Does it happen? Absolutely. Six figures is easy for a talented "programmer" (usually someone talented enough to make such an income does a lot more than simple programming--there are a lot of soft skills involved) and one can easily approach $200k+. The trade-off is usually longer hours, less stability and constant push into areas in which you are not familiar.

 

[bsobel]

Originally posted by: yllus
Consultants doing software often make rather high wages, but that sounds like a stretch.

Edit: I should also add that I'm not sure much "encryption software" gets written for the government these days. They tend to go with off-the-shelf software package to save money.

True for general government, not true for the agencies...

 

[FoBoT]

if there is a thread of truth, the likely scenario is that he works for a small company that has an exclusive contract to write specialized software for a niche use, like top secret military or national security stuff. if he is part owner of a small company with a lucrative exclusive govt. contract, then this is plausible

just a wild guess

 

[Atheus]

Writing encryption algorithms? Maybe. Breaking them? I'm sure any major govornment would give you whatever you want if you could break another country's algorithms.

 

[elmro]

Quant Developers on Wall Street can make from 250K/year and higher.

 

[sygyzy]

Originally posted by: Descartes
Is it common? Absolutely not. Does it happen? Absolutely. Six figures is easy for a talented "programmer" (usually someone talented enough to make such an income does a lot more than simple programming--there are a lot of soft skills involved) and one can easily approach $200k+. The trade-off is usually longer hours, less stability and constant push into areas in which you are not familiar.

Flaunting the term "six figures" doesn't work in a case when you are talking about making $450k vs $100k

 

[mugs]

A developer who works for the government making more than the president of the united states seems unlikely.

A developer who works for a defense contractor making more than the president of the united states seems slightly more likely.

A developer making $450k a year does not seem very likely at all. $100k+ is believable.

 

[lupi]

Originally posted by: mugs

A developer who works for a defense contractor making more than the president of the united states seems slightly more likely.

Not really. Government pays scales are capped. Defense contractors are limited to what the contractor is willing to pay the people.

 

[Descartes]

Originally posted by: sygyzy

Originally posted by: Descartes
Is it common? Absolutely not. Does it happen? Absolutely. Six figures is easy for a talented "programmer" (usually someone talented enough to make such an income does a lot more than simple programming--there are a lot of soft skills involved) and one can easily approach $200k+. The trade-off is usually longer hours, less stability and constant push into areas in which you are not familiar.

Flaunting the term "six figures" doesn't work in a case when you are talking about making $450k vs $100k

Who is flaunting? Just saying that six figures is now almost the norm for talent. When I said six figures I wasn't saying exactly $100k either.

 

[halik]

Originally posted by: gamepad
A few days ago someone told me that a friend of his at church makes $450k/year writing encryption software for the government.

About 6 months ago another person told me about someone making $450k/year doing IT security for the government.

Is this stuff true? What field is this exactly? Will this salary drop rapidly within the next few years as tons of people switch to this career?

Can anyone shine light on this government security job? How does one enter this field?

There are people making millions working for my firm (doing quant / portfolio strat stuff)

 

[halik]

Originally posted by: elmro
Quant Developers on Wall Street can make from 250K/year and higher.

easily more than that if you come up with something new and profitable.

 

[Dessert Tears]

Originally posted by: elmro
Quant Developers on Wall Street can make from 250K/year and higher.

Originally posted by: halik
There are people making millions working for my firm (doing quant / portfolio strat stuff)

This is not quite comparable to the jobs that the OP described. Encryption and security systems do require mathematics, but quant compensation is usually tied (if not capped by other guidelines) to the revenue/profits generated. I hope the government isn't running hedge funds out of its back pocket.

Originally posted by: gamepad
Will this salary drop rapidly within the next few years as tons of people switch to this career?

Short answer: no. An individual being paid that compensation has a rare combination of intelligence, knowledge, skills, and (for trading positions) luck. Schooling can only really increase knowledge.

 

[SVT Cobra]

Originally posted by: bsobel

Originally posted by: yllus
Consultants doing software often make rather high wages, but that sounds like a stretch.

Edit: I should also add that I'm not sure much "encryption software" gets written for the government these days. They tend to go with off-the-shelf software package to save money.

True for general government, not true for the agencies...

Yep.

 

[smack Down]

Originally posted by: lupi

Originally posted by: mugs

A developer who works for a defense contractor making more than the president of the united states seems slightly more likely.

Not really. Government pays scales are capped. Defense contractors are limited to what the contractor is willing to pay the people.

A defense contractor can pay what ever salaries they want to. Of course on a cost plus contract the government will only pay reasonable cost, so the defense contractor would have to eat the difference.

 

[Special K]

You guys make it sound like these jobs are so easy to get. So why aren't all of you making $450k/year right now?

 

[JS80]

Originally posted by: elmro
Quant Developers on Wall Street can make from $25 million/year and higher.

FIXED

 

[JS80]

Any skill + people skill + sales skill = six figure income

 

[BlueWeasel]

Originally posted by: Special K
You guys make it sound like these jobs are so easy to get. So why aren't all of you making $450k/year right now?

The majority of ATOT makes $200k+ with 6 weeks vacation plus bonuses. You don't?

 

[imported_stev]

Originally posted by: BlueWeasel

Originally posted by: Special K
You guys make it sound like these jobs are so easy to get. So why aren't all of you making $450k/year right now?

The majority of ATOT makes $200k+ with 6 weeks vacation plus bonuses. You don't?

And that was the first job I got when I finished my masters degree when I was 17. Now I'm making 2.2 mil a year plus a private jet.