Web Development

[IHateMyJob2004]

Lets see here. I'm a senior software engineer. Just over 5 years experience at a defense contractor.

Familiar with formal development processes (not much Extreme Programming, but am familiar eith that one). Have most expeience with more rigid develpoment methodologies which web development probably doesn't rely on as much.

Short resume:
[*]1.5 years or so on a real time embedded system. C/C++ code
[*]1.5 years doing a Java GUI which acted as a front end of a real time embedded system. GUI was real time.
[*]9 months doing a Windows service written in C/C++ which interfaced with an Oracle DB (OCI).
[*]1 year doing random work on web stuff, like XML, XSLT and HTML.
[*]Past 6 months or so: starting to work on a rather large web page. Still in requirments and just now starting the design of the page. Also in beginning stages of another Java GUI.

The reasons I like my job:
1) Flex hours
2) 40 hour weeks typcial (45+ is rare)
3) still ahve a pension
4) Work for GD (General Dynamics), so the 401K is pretty nice as GD is a VERY GOOD stock.


Salary is OK I suppose (no numbers). I know I could make 10K to $20K more at scarifice of benefits (like no pension plan).

I don't really want ot do web development but I am currently considering swallowing my pride and really stdying the area. My question is, what is normal for a web developer. Of interest is Salary, vacation hours (assuming 5 years prior experience), cavation time, hours typically worked per week, etc.

Any web developers out there, please chime in

EDIT: I lieve in CT and won't be moving ot anew state (incase anyone knows of a place to work) . Hartford is probably the best palce for me to find work.

 

[fatty4ksu]

Contact Michael Bishop, former KSU QB.

He can help.

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

Originally posted by: fatty4ksu
Contact Michael Bishop, former KSU QB.

He can help.

?

 

[dquan97]

Originally posted by: IHateMyJob2004

Originally posted by: fatty4ksu
Contact Michael Bishop, former KSU QB.

He can help.

?

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

Bump for hte day time crowd that is probably at work eating lunch and potentially .... employed at a company that does web development.

 

[nakedfrog]

After five years, making $50k (no degree though), 3 weeks vacation per year, and unless something goes awry, 40 hours per week. Health care is crap here, though, because it's a small company. Decent 401k.

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

Originally posted by: nakedfrog
After five years, making $50k (no degree though), 3 weeks vacation per year, and unless something goes awry, 40 hours per week. Health care is crap here, though, because it's a small company. Decent 401k.

Thanks

 

[ggavinmoss]

As someone who is not a web developer, I don't know about potential salary numbers. However, the work you would do as a "web developer" is likely more easily outsourced than the work you do for GD.

-geoff

 

[777php]

I work as a web application developer for a large search engine/portal in the Silicon Valley and I love the work environment here. Great hours, very flexible, decent salary. Your salary really depends on the company, smaller companies offered me less while the larger ones were able to give me a better one.

I work from in between 35-45 hours a week, and it really depends on how you manage your own time.

 

[alkemyst]

being a web developer is tough with kids doing the job for $6 to $12.50 per hour and pros willing to take $15-17 to do it without benefits.

I am working for a Fortune 500 now, my pay rate is a little above average, especially considering this is my 3rd professional year, although doing this kind of thing for years and years (I am 34).

I have full benefits: Vision, health, dental, life, discount card, 401k, profit sharing, flex spending, savings bond program, etc. Just finished my first year here and got a nice raise as well.

My responsibilities are varied, I do their web stuff, program for another system, handle the hardware that needs to get shipped out to remote locations, servers, and backups...among some other items like reports and spreadsheets, etc.

The only problem in my area is median household is $53,650 annually and homes are averaging $346k...I make more than the median, but the home pricing is out of whack due too the high numbers of retirees and investors bringing their salaries here from outside states.

 

[asm0deus]

ive been doing web for over 6 years, but the main reason i've been so desirable to companies is because i do sysadmin and tech support when the sites are done. my skill set is pretty lacking, I mainly focus on photoshop/flash and making things look nice, but DB is crucial and has allowed me to step over the competition. it is not a great field though, its kind of annoying actually. alkemyst is right, im @ 17 (up from 12 in my kid phase) an hour but i get benefits and work with my friends. could be worse, could be better. just gotta keep the skillset constantly improving. im 25.

 

[Transition]

Originally posted by: dquan97

Originally posted by: IHateMyJob2004

Originally posted by: fatty4ksu
Contact Michael Bishop, former KSU QB.

He can help.

?

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

Originally posted by: alkemyst
being a web developer is tough with kids doing the job for $6 to $12.50 per hour and pros willing to take $15-17 to do it without benefits.

Looks like my joke about dishwashers of hte future is coming true. It's the end of software development to. No more applications, everything os going to web stuff. it sucks and I can see the end of software engineering around the corner.

I should just find a new field altogether.

 

[Gunslinger08]

Originally posted by: IHateMyJob2004

Originally posted by: alkemyst
being a web developer is tough with kids doing the job for $6 to $12.50 per hour and pros willing to take $15-17 to do it without benefits.

Looks like my joke about dishwashers of hte future is coming true. It's the end of software development to. No more applications, everything os going to web stuff. it sucks and I can see the end of software engineering around the corner.

I should just find a new field altogether.

This is why you need to know more advanced stuff than html, java, and xml. Learn asp.net, CMS and CRM integration, reporting packages, etc. Websites are becoming web applications that do a whole lot more. You can do pretty well for yourself if you know asp.net, C#, SQL, and MCMS.

 

[777php]

Originally posted by: joshsquall

Originally posted by: IHateMyJob2004

Originally posted by: alkemyst
being a web developer is tough with kids doing the job for $6 to $12.50 per hour and pros willing to take $15-17 to do it without benefits.

Looks like my joke about dishwashers of hte future is coming true. It's the end of software development to. No more applications, everything os going to web stuff. it sucks and I can see the end of software engineering around the corner.

I should just find a new field altogether.

This is why you need to know more advanced stuff than html, java, and xml. Learn asp.net, CMS and CRM integration, reporting packages, etc. Websites are becoming web applications that do a whole lot more. You can do pretty well for yourself if you know asp.net, C#, SQL, and MCMS.

I hope you meant javascript bucause java is definitely not simple stuff.

 

[Tea Bag]

Originally posted by: 777php

Originally posted by: joshsquall

Originally posted by: IHateMyJob2004

Originally posted by: alkemyst
being a web developer is tough with kids doing the job for $6 to $12.50 per hour and pros willing to take $15-17 to do it without benefits.

Looks like my joke about dishwashers of hte future is coming true. It's the end of software development to. No more applications, everything os going to web stuff. it sucks and I can see the end of software engineering around the corner.

I should just find a new field altogether.

This is why you need to know more advanced stuff than html, java, and xml. Learn asp.net, CMS and CRM integration, reporting packages, etc. Websites are becoming web applications that do a whole lot more. You can do pretty well for yourself if you know asp.net, C#, SQL, and MCMS.

I hope you meant javascript bucause java is definitely not simple stuff.

Definately - and that is why there is alot of job opportunities out there if you have experience in web-based. The demand for web programmers who are familiar with OO paradigms will usually find a job, granted they have SOME experience.

This is my first year at a Fortune 25+ company, I work mainly with Java (J2EE/Servlets/JSP), and dabble in PHP. Pay for our group depends on experience. I work in an region of the country that tends to be below the national average for salary for software engineers though. If I had enough experience (say 4-5 years), there are businesses around an hour/hour and a half away that pay 15-20K more.

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: asm0deus
ive been doing web for over 6 years, but the main reason i've been so desirable to companies is because i do sysadmin and tech support when the sites are done. my skill set is pretty lacking, I mainly focus on photoshop/flash and making things look nice, but DB is crucial and has allowed me to step over the competition. it is not a great field though, its kind of annoying actually. alkemyst is right, im @ 17 (up from 12 in my kid phase) an hour but i get benefits and work with my friends. could be worse, could be better. just gotta keep the skillset constantly improving. im 25.

Don't get me wrong with what I had said (and I don't think you did, just replying for others)...If I can get $12.50 living at home as a teen why the heck not....if I can get $25-$50 why not....degrees and certs *REALLY* are not necessary...a MD and Engineering degree as well for some, just they have bound those careers with law. I think once you are on a commerical team you should have some legal requirement as I have done cleanup for 'hacks' (in a bad sense) that slapped together an eCommerce site that misbilled, had personal info easily seen, etc...got the customer in hot water and they had to pay out some damages.

Getting $17 an hour really isn't bad in a lot of places, esp in your mid 20's. There are people making multiples sure, but there are also a lot more people making less.

I have never looked at salary directly. I need to be where I am comfortable (and with house prices here it's getting a little difficult)...I could jump ship for another $20k a year if I looked hard, $10k easy...but I really like my job now and I have any benefit I need. To me that's a little more important than cash compensation.

However, like any field being good / a guru at what you do will open up way more doors than just being a candidate.

Working in a webshop vs a major corporation is also two different animals. Webshops are willing to hire anyone most of the time offering anything from single digit hourly rates to six figure+ salaries...if you can do the job you're in, the flip side is many let you work any hours you want, coming in at 9pm to do a lan party then coding the rest of the night is ok, dress code is whatever doesn't get anyone arrested. Corps on the other hand usually want certs (many that have nothing to do with what you will be doing), a degree, 3-5 years experience for any *real* paying position, etc, the downside is business casual or better, 9-5 or close to it.