<p>“once you get to 120-140k in your 30’s, chances are you will never make more money unless you move up to management and/or become an independent contractor.”</p>
<p>Let me modify that…</p>
<p>once you get to 120-175k in your 30’s/40’s, chances are you will never make more money unless you become an independent contractor.</p>
<p>Management (unless something like CIO/deputy CIO) is more and more not paying much more or even the same as the senior/high-level techies. I know at my employer, there are e-mails floating around asking the senior techies like myself to take on a technical management role.</p>
<p>Those e-mails are STILL floating around once the salary (very little or none for the increased headache) was discovered.</p>
<p>What skills would would you suggest one should have prior to seeking an internship? I am pretty good in C++ and Java, do you think that would be enough? Should I complete Junior year before seeking an internship?</p>
<p>Alleviate</p>
<p>I had a horrible high school record. I attend an out of state community college and busted my but in order to get in. Sorry, I am not the best person to ask about high school stats haha.</p>
<p>C++ and Java both would be good to know for internships. Now as far as the ages/college year of the interns, I don’t know offhand because I never asked. If I had to take a stab at it, I would say they had completed either 2 or 3 years.</p>
<p>$65k starting for Microsoft or Google is low. You’d make that from an ABET state school with a good GPA and extra/co curriculars working at a regional hotspot for a government contractor without any clearance.</p>
<p>I’m sorry the facts don’t fit your preconceptions. According to glassdoor.com, Microsoft SDEs with less than 1 year of experience average a total pay of $92k = base salary + cash bonuses + stock bonuses.</p>
<p>It certainly depends on where you work for Microsoft or Google etc., but I would imagine that $70k is the bare minimum starting salary for decent candidate. If I were offered $60k/yr to start at Microsoft or Google, I would turn them down. I would gladly accept $60k/yr to work at some other place, but you have to understand it would be almost insulting to be offered that much by Microsoft or Google. They pay more than others do.</p>
<p>^ Exactly, that sort of thing has to be taken into account. Still, I would wager that you will make easily 10% to 20% more working at a MS/Google office than at the regional software shop / contractor across the street. This, of course, not accounting for externalities like clearances, supply and demand of specific skills, etc.</p>
<p>So to piggy back on this thread, I have a question specifically aimed at GLOBALTRAVELER, since you seem to be the “go-to guy” for information on the NSA. And that question is, <em>takes deep breath in</em> how much do you know about the NSA cooperative educational program for undergraduates? I caught my eye recently, and I’ve been trying to find information on it, but finding information on the NSA is as easy as finding a thimble in a haystack. Actually, come to think of it, the latter is easier.</p>
<p>To be honest, other than seeing some co-ops floating around, I do not know much about the program but I can definitely find out. I am curious anyway because I want to see if the “school representation” is the same as the crypto programs.</p>
<p>Sweet thanks! Now I have an “inside informer,” lol. Reading books like The Shadow Factory are very enlightening as to the illegal nature per se of the NSA, but are rather lacking on little gold nuggets of “intel” about internships and such on the NSA.</p>
<p>Hmmmm ok. Well I’ve already scoured that site from top to bottom when I first got interested. Do you know how you students are hired for co-op specifically? And out of how many candidates?</p>