Salary for entry level C position- How much can you make?

Hello people, I'm new here if you haven't noticed :)

Anyways, here's my scenario: I'm currently 20, I have no college education. I've been a self employed webmaster for the past two and a half years.

Making money on the net is getting tougher now than ever... and since I've decided to skip out on college over the past two years, I don't have much to fall back on.

I do small programming right now, asp/php/very very little c.

I just enrolled into a masters certificate course at my B.U.(Boston University) for c/c++/visual c++.

It's a long course (721 hours) and covers everything that a typical 4 year college would cover in the spectrum of programming (no english/math courses etc.).

My question is this how much money do you think someone with little to nothing to put on their resume, no degrees etc., could make in an entry level position in c/c++ programming. I do plan on getting a b.s. in c.s. as well, but I'm looking for something quick to fall back on so I get into the work force a.s.a.p.

Any help would be appreciated!

it all depends on what you want to program...

i do know that an entry level game programmer gets around $48,000 where i live...

I think your going to have a tough time getting a job unless you show previous projects.

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I just enrolled into a masters certificate course at my B.U.(Boston University) for c/c++/visual c++.

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Why not ask B.U to help you find a internship/OJT/Co-op position? They most likely have a career services department as most universities do. These types of posistions usually don't pay a ton of money but can be valuable for students (like myself) to gain experience and often lead to future opportunities.

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Originally posted by DISGUISED


Why not ask B.U to help you find a internship/OJT/Co-op position? They most likely have a career services department as most universities do. These types of posistions usually don't pay a ton of money but can be valuable for students (like myself) to gain experience and often lead to future opportunities.

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You're in a similar position as me.

It's at a corporate education center, so there's job assistance afterwards.

I was just curious if anyone else here could relate with me, an entry level programming job, nothing else.

They told me that typically when someone completes this program, they find an entry level position that pays between 35-50k +, but most are usually long established workers with a background in computers. On the other hand, it's going to be very different for me.

Oh well, wish me luck. If any of you still have an idea please help out :)

I'll be doing visual c++ programming if you're curious.

Thanks

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Originally posted by Terrance
They told me that typically when someone completes this program, they find an entry level position that pays between 35-50k +,

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I started out at 36k, without having finished my degree (which in southern Louisiana is pretty good). It would have probably been more if I'd finished college. But I got my job by submitting sample apps that I wrote that targetted my employer's needs.

And I started as a VB developer (which I still spend more time coding in at work, simply because of maintenance on the existing code base), by the time I started writing in C++ I had been there a year and I got a nice raise and promotion. :D

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Oh well, wish me luck.

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Good luck.

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I'll be doing visual c++ programming if you're curious.

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No you won't. You'll be doing C++ programming. You'll be using the Visual C++ IDE.

can any game programmers say how much they started at?

Cool, thanks for the responses. I meant visual c++ rather than game programming...

Maybe I should say windows programming?

Anyways, it's going to be rough, and it'll take every last bit of energy out of me :(

I'm not looking for much money anyways, I'm a talented self-employed webmaster :) Just looking for something stable :)!

double post cause my computer froze

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.