There's no question you need to get good at programming if your wanting career dollars. Otherwise, look for entry level type opening (although that's tough with the economy the way it is right now).

I have seen jobs from $23K/yr. to $105K/yr in C programming. I have interviewed at companies where the interviewer (who was supposed to be their "top coder" obviously couldn't master the basics).

I know an average (if you can get work) in my area is around $60K-$95K/yr. But don't get your hopes up.

Experience is important and _who you know_ is important. Getting a job is really more a social thing, than a skill thing. If you get along with the interviewer and everyone you talk to, likely you get the job. It is _assumed_ you have the skillset or you wouldn't even be applying. When you interview, 2 types of people are expecting 2 different things from you:

Human Resources: Is Applicant Qualified? (so if you screw up, they can CYA and say "they had all the credentials!").

Hiring Authority (your new boss): Is this a person I can trust to be on my side? Will they back me, will they carry the ball?

Those are the two real questions. It is assumed you know what you're doing by the hiring authority or you wouldn't even apply.

Usually, you will get grilled by another technical type who will ask esoteric questions specifically related to the field you want in, to see just how broad and deep you are. _HOW_ you handle the answer is as important as the answer itself. If you come of honest and willing to learn (the "fit-in" type), you aren't threatening anyone else's job, and you don't look like a boob just trying to bluff their way into a "sweet" position.

If you can get friendly (long term) with someone at prospective employers (down the road)-- then you can get an edge in if someone is willing to put your resume in the hands of the hiring authority-- you bypass HR's file 13 that way.

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Understand right off the bat, that if you want to get into a game company, they want 3 things:

1) Must code 30 out of 24 hours. (Lives for it)
2) Must Get along with everyone, including corporate mascot and wack job.
3) Must have several high-end examples of work already completed (games like quake or halo, or whatever genre you're trying to break into).

They don't care about talk, talk is cheap. Can you code effeciently to a deadline. Do you know what you're doing. And, are you a "team player"...

I kid you not. Understand just how rare the "elite" programmer is that actually gets into commercial game programming. There are only a handful of professional game programmers on Earth, compared to the "unwashed masses" of developers out there. It's a very tight, small industry where most everyone comes to know everyone else. If you're good, reputation gets around. If you suck, that does, too.

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Unless you get hired by a manager who has coding experience themselves (and hence appreciates what you do), you're looked at as if you're a data-entry clerk. Management looks at you as a unit. Your knowledge can be "coredumped" to paper in a couple of hours and anyone can do your job. That's corporate America today... said but true

Good Luck.