05-16-2022, 07:11 PM
Security Engineer — Income and Opportunity
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<div class="kksr-legend"> 5/5 – (4 votes) </div>
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<p>Before we learn about the money, let’s get this question out of the way:</p>
<h2>What Does a Security Engineer Do?</h2>
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<p>A security engineer is a “white-hat hacker”, i.e., an IT professional who analyzes computer systems and computer networks to ensure they are running securely. This involves proactive analysis and understanding of possible security threats and attack vectors and designing the system to minimize the exposure to these threats. </p>
<h2>Security Engineer Skills and Qualifications </h2>
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<p>Security Engineers should have at least a bachelor’s degree in computer science or a related field. </p>
<p>You need to understand networking, computer security systems, databases, HTTP, and web protocols, as well as an intimate understanding of <a href="https://blog.finxter.com/three-skills-distributed-systems/" data-type="post" data-id="4216" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">distributed systems</a>. </p>
<p>In particular, here are some crucial qualifications that are relevant as a Security Engineer: </p>
<ol>
<li>Bachelor of Science in Computer Science or a related field</li>
<li>5+ years of work experience as a System Security Engineer or a related position</li>
<li>3+ years of work experience in development, operation, and maintenance of real-world security systems</li>
<li>Knowledge of operating systems</li>
<li>Knowledge of distributed systems</li>
<li>Knowledge of databases and database security</li>
<li>Knowledge of computer networks, networking technologies, network security</li>
<li>Knowledge of network monitoring solutions</li>
<li>Knowledge of anti-virus filters, content filtering, firewalls, authentication systems, and intrusion detection systems</li>
<li>Knowledge of security protocols, cryptographic algorithms, and principles</li>
<li>Critical thinking</li>
<li>Ability to solve complex problems </li>
</ol>
<h2 id="annual-income">Annual Income Security Engineer (US)</h2>
<p class="has-global-color-8-background-color has-background"><img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/13.1.0/72x72/1f4ac.png" alt="?" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> <strong>Question</strong>: How much does a Security Engineer in the US make per year?</p>
<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img loading="lazy" width="932" height="567" src="https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/image-137.png" alt="" class="wp-image-357986" srcset="https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/image-137.png 932w, https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uplo...00x183.png 300w, https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uplo...68x467.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 932px) 100vw, 932px" /><figcaption><strong>Figure</strong>: Average Income of a Security Engineer in the US by Source. [1]</figcaption></figure>
</div>
<p class="has-global-color-8-background-color has-background">The average annual income of a <strong>Security Engineer</strong> in the United States is between <strong>$75,732</strong> and <strong>$144,874</strong>, with an average of <strong>$108,851 </strong>and a statistical median of <strong>$105,928</strong> per year.</p>
<p>This data is based on our meta-study of ten (10) salary aggregators sources such as Glassdoor, ZipRecruiter, and PayScale.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes">
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Source</th>
<th>Average Income</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/security-engineer-salary-SRCH_KO0,17.htm" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/security-engineer-salary-SRCH_KO0,17.htm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Glassdoor.com</a></td>
<td>$111,691</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://www.ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/Cyber-Security-Engineer-Salary" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/Cyber-Security-Engineer-Salary" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ZipRecruiter.com</a></td>
<td>$120,708</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://www.zippia.com/security-engineer-jobs/salary/" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.zippia.com/security-engineer-jobs/salary/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Zippia.com</a></td>
<td>$100,165</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://www.talent.com/salary?job=security+engineer" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.talent.com/salary?job=security+engineer" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Talent.com</a></td>
<td>$119,946</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://www.salary.com/research/salary/listing/information-security-engineer-salary" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.salary.com/research/salary/listing/information-security-engineer-salary" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Salary.com</a></td>
<td>$138,822</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Security_Engineer/Salary" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Security_Engineer/Salary" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PayScale.com</a></td>
<td>$95,953</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://builtin.com/salaries/dev-engineer/security-engineer" data-type="URL" data-id="https://builtin.com/salaries/dev-engineer/security-engineer" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Builtin.com</a></td>
<td>$144,874</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://www.indeed.com/career/security-engineer/salaries" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.indeed.com/career/security-engineer/salaries" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Indeed.com</a></td>
<td>$75,732</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://www.comparably.com/salaries/salaries-for-cyber-security-engineer" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.comparably.com/salaries/salaries-for-cyber-security-engineer" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Comparably.com</a></td>
<td>$90,120</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="http://www.salaryexplorer.com/salary-survey.php?loc=229&loctype=1&job=11108&jobtype=3" data-type="URL" data-id="http://www.salaryexplorer.com/salary-survey.php?loc=229&loctype=1&job=11108&jobtype=3" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">SalaryExplorer.com</a></td>
<td>$90,500</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table><figcaption><strong>Table</strong>: Average Income of a Security Engineer in the US by Source.</figcaption></figure>
<p>This is the most comprehensive salary meta-study of security engineer income in the world, to the best of my knowledge!</p>
<p>Let’s have a look at the hourly rate of Security Engineers next!</p>
<h2 id="hourly-rate">Hourly Rate</h2>
<p>Security Engineers are well-paid on freelancing platforms such as <a href="https://blog.finxter.com/upwork-vs-fiverr/" data-type="post" data-id="11152" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Upwork or Fiverr</a>.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Related Article</strong>: <a href="https://blog.finxter.com/best-python-freelancer-platforms/" data-type="post" data-id="3382" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">What’s the best freelancing platform?</a></li>
</ul>
<p class="has-global-color-8-background-color has-background">If you decide to go the route as a freelance Security Engineer, you can expect to make between $30 and $150 per hour on Upwork (<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.upwork.com/ab/profiles/search/?nss=90&q=Security%20engineer&top_rated_plus=yes&top_rated_status=top_rated" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.upwork.com/ab/profiles/search/?nss=90&q=Security%20engineer&top_rated_plus=yes&top_rated_status=top_rated" target="_blank">source</a>). Assuming an annual workload of 2000 hours, you can expect to make between $60,000 and $300,000 per year.</p>
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<p class="has-global-color-8-background-color has-background"><img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/13.1.0/72x72/26a1.png" alt="⚡" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> <strong>Note</strong>: Do you want to create your own thriving coding business online? Feel free to check out our <a href="https://blog.finxter.com/become-python-freelancer-course/" data-type="page" data-id="2072" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">freelance developer course</a> — the world’s #1 best-selling freelance developer course that specifically shows you how to succeed on Upwork and Fiverr!</p>
<div class="wp-container-1 wp-block-buttons">
<div class="wp-block-button has-custom-width wp-block-button__width-50 is-style-fill"><a class="wp-block-button__link has-accent-background-color has-background" href="https://blog.finxter.com/become-python-freelancer-course/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Join Freelancer Course</a></div>
</div>
<h2 id="industry-demand">Industry Demand</h2>
<p>But is there enough demand? Let’s have a look at Google trends to find out how interest evolves over time (<a href="https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=all&q=Security%20Engineer" data-type="URL" data-id="https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=all&q=Security%20Engineer" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">source</a>):</p>
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<figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img loading="lazy" width="1024" height="463" src="https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/image-139-1024x463.png" alt="" class="wp-image-358103" srcset="https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/image-139-1024x463.png 1024w, https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uplo...00x136.png 300w, https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uplo...68x347.png 768w, https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uplo...36x694.png 1536w, https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uplo...ge-139.png 1738w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>
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<h2 id="learning-path-skills-and-education-requirements">Learning Path, Skills, and Education Requirements</h2>
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<p>Do you want to become a Security Engineer? Here’s a step-by-step learning path I’d propose to get started with Security :</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Step 1</strong>: <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://pll.harvard.edu/course/cs50-introduction-computer-science?delta=0" data-type="URL" data-id="https://pll.harvard.edu/course/cs50-introduction-computer-science?delta=0" target="_blank">Introduction to Computer Science</a> (~40 hours)</li>
<li><strong>Step 2</strong>: <a href="http://intronetworks.cs.luc.edu/current2/html/" data-type="URL" data-id="http://intronetworks.cs.luc.edu/current2/html/">Introduction to Computer Networks</a> (~40 hours)</li>
<li><strong>Step 2</strong>: <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/electrical-engineering-and-computer-science/6-006-introduction-to-algorithms-fall-2011/lecture-notes/" data-type="URL" data-id="https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/electrical-engineering-and-computer-science/6-006-introduction-to-algorithms-fall-2011/lecture-notes/" target="_blank">Introduction to Algorithms</a> (~40 hours)</li>
<li><strong>Step 3</strong>: <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~rja14/book.html" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~rja14/book.html" target="_blank">Introduction to Security </a> (~20 hours)</li>
<li><strong>Step 4</strong>: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=introduction+to+Security+engineering" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=introduction+to+Security+engineering" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Introduction to Security (Free Video Courses)</a> (~10 hours)</li>
</ul>
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</figure>
<p>You can find many additional computer science courses on the <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://academy.finxter.com/" data-type="URL" data-id="https://academy.finxter.com/" target="_blank">Finxter Computer Science Academy</a> (flatrate model).</p>
<p>But don’t wait too long to acquire practical experience! </p>
<p>Even if you have little skills, it’s best to get started as a <strong>freelance developer</strong> and learn as you work on real projects for clients — <strong>earning income as you learn</strong> and gaining motivation through real-world feedback.</p>
<p class="has-global-color-8-background-color has-background"><img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/13.1.0/72x72/1f680.png" alt="?" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> <strong>Tip</strong>: An excellent start to turbo-charge your freelancing career (earning more in less time) is our <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://blog.finxter.com/become-python-freelancer-course/" data-type="page" data-id="2072" target="_blank">Finxter Freelancer Course</a>. The goal of the course is to pay for itself! </p>
<h2 id="related-video">Related Video</h2>
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio">
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<iframe loading="lazy" title="Find ♾ Infinite Opportunity in the Metaverse as a Freelance Coder ... to Tom" width="780" height="439" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZS_pM7Yp_Xk?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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</figure>
<p>You can find more job descriptions for coders, programmers, and computer scientists in our detailed overview guide:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://blog.finxter.com/get-your-job-in-it-overview/" data-type="post" data-id="186255" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Get Your Job in IT [Overview]</a></li>
</ul>
<h2 id="related-income-of-professional-developers">Related Income of Professional Developers</h2>
<p>The following statistic shows the self-reported income from 9,649 US-based professional developers (<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://insights.stackoverflow.com/survey/2021#salary-comp-total-usa" data-type="URL" data-id="https://insights.stackoverflow.com/survey/2021#salary-comp-total-usa" target="_blank">source</a>).</p>
<p class="has-global-color-8-background-color has-background"><img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/13.1.0/72x72/1f4a1.png" alt="?" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> The average annual income of professional developers in the US is between <strong>$70,000</strong> and <strong>$177,500</strong> for various programming languages.</p>
<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img loading="lazy" width="641" height="1024" src="https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/image-48-641x1024.png" alt="" class="wp-image-163242" srcset="https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/image-48-641x1024.png 641w, https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uplo...88x300.png 188w, https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uplo...8x1227.png 768w, https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uplo...age-48.png 876w" sizes="(max-width: 641px) 100vw, 641px" /></figure>
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<p><strong>Question</strong>: <em>What is your current total compensation (salary, bonuses, and perks, before taxes and deductions)? Please enter a whole number in the box below, without any punctuation. If you are paid hourly, please estimate an equivalent weekly, monthly, or yearly salary.</em> (<a href="https://insights.stackoverflow.com/survey/2021#most-loved-dreaded-and-wanted-language-love-dread" data-type="URL" data-id="https://insights.stackoverflow.com/survey/2021#most-loved-dreaded-and-wanted-language-love-dread" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">source</a>)</p>
<p>The following statistic compares the self-reported income from 46,693 professional programmers as conducted by StackOverflow.</p>
<p class="has-global-color-8-background-color has-background"><img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/13.1.0/72x72/1f4a1.png" alt="?" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> The average annual income of professional developers worldwide (US and non-US) is between <strong>$33,000</strong> and <strong>$95,000</strong> for various programming languages. </p>
<p>Here’s a screenshot of a more detailed overview of each programming language considered in the report:</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" width="350" height="1024" src="https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/image-41-350x1024.png" alt="" class="wp-image-163206" srcset="https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/image-41-350x1024.png 350w, https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uplo...03x300.png 103w, https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uplo...5x1536.png 525w, https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uplo...1x2048.png 701w, https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uplo...age-41.png 745w" sizes="(max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px" /></figure>
<p>Here’s what different database professionals earn:</p>
<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img loading="lazy" width="893" height="878" src="https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/image-42.png" alt="" class="wp-image-163220" srcset="https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/image-42.png 893w, https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uplo...00x295.png 300w, https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uplo...68x755.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 893px) 100vw, 893px" /></figure>
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<p>Here’s an overview of different cloud solutions experts:</p>
<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img loading="lazy" width="848" height="433" src="https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/image-43.png" alt="" class="wp-image-163225" srcset="https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/image-43.png 848w, https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uplo...00x153.png 300w, https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uplo...68x392.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 848px) 100vw, 848px" /></figure>
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<p>Here’s what professionals in web frameworks earn:</p>
<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img loading="lazy" width="740" height="1024" src="https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/image-44-740x1024.png" alt="" class="wp-image-163226" srcset="https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/image-44-740x1024.png 740w, https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uplo...17x300.png 217w, https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uplo...age-44.png 755w" sizes="(max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px" /></figure>
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<p>There are many other interesting frameworks—that pay well!</p>
<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img loading="lazy" width="816" height="757" src="https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/image-45.png" alt="" class="wp-image-163229" srcset="https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/image-45.png 816w, https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uplo...00x278.png 300w, https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uplo...68x712.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 816px) 100vw, 816px" /></figure>
</div>
<p>Look at those tools:</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" width="793" height="825" src="https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/image-46.png" alt="" class="wp-image-163230" srcset="https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/image-46.png 793w, https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uplo...88x300.png 288w, https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uplo...68x799.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 793px) 100vw, 793px" /></figure>
<p>Okay, but what do you need to do to get there? What are the skill requirements and qualifications to make you become a professional developer in the area you desire?</p>
<p>Let’s find out next!</p>
<h2 id="general-qualifications-of-professionals">General Qualifications of Professionals</h2>
<p>StackOverflow performs an annual survey asking professionals, coders, developers, researchers, and engineers various questions about their background and job satisfaction on their website.</p>
<p>Interestingly, when aggregating the data of the developers’ educational background, a good three quarters have an academic background.</p>
<p>Here’s the question asked by StackOverflow (<a href="https://insights.stackoverflow.com/survey/2021#education-ed-level-prof" data-type="URL" data-id="https://insights.stackoverflow.com/survey/2021#education-ed-level-prof" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">source</a>): </p>
<p><strong>Which of the following best describes the highest level of formal education that you’ve completed?</strong></p>
<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img loading="lazy" width="1024" height="589" src="https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/image-37-1024x589.png" alt="" class="wp-image-163017" srcset="https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/image-37-1024x589.png 1024w, https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uplo...00x173.png 300w, https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uplo...68x442.png 768w, https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uplo...age-37.png 1057w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>
</div>
<p>However, if you don’t have a formal degree, don’t fear! Many of the respondents with degrees don’t have a degree in their field—so it may not be of much value for their coding careers anyways. </p>
<p>Also, about one out of four don’t have a formal degree and still succeeds in their field! You certainly don’t need a degree if you’re committed to your own success!</p>
<h2 id="freelancing-vs-employment-status">Freelancing vs Employment Status</h2>
<p>The percentage of <a href="https://blog.finxter.com/freelance-developer/" data-type="post" data-id="5912" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">freelance developers</a> increases steadily. The fraction of freelance developers has already reached 11.21%! </p>
<p>This indicates that more and more work will be done in a more flexible work environment—and fewer and fewer companies and clients want to hire inflexible talent. </p>
<p>Here are the stats from the StackOverflow developer survey (<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://insights.stackoverflow.com/survey/2021#employment-employment-prof" data-type="URL" data-id="https://insights.stackoverflow.com/survey/2021#employment-employment-prof" target="_blank">source</a>):</p>
<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img loading="lazy" width="780" height="538" src="https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/image-47.png" alt="" class="wp-image-163234" srcset="https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/image-47.png 780w, https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uplo...00x207.png 300w, https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uplo...68x530.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" /></figure>
</div>
<p>Do you want to become a professional freelance developer and earn some money on the side or as your primary source of income?</p>
<p class="has-global-color-8-background-color has-background"><strong>Resource</strong>: Check out our <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://blog.finxter.com/become-python-freelancer-course/" data-type="URL" data-id="https://blog.finxter.com/become-python-freelancer-course/" target="_blank">freelance developer course</a>—it’s the best freelance developer course in the world with the highest student success rate in the industry!</p>
<div class="wp-container-2 wp-block-buttons">
<div class="wp-block-button aligncenter has-custom-width wp-block-button__width-100"><a class="wp-block-button__link" href="https://blog.finxter.com/become-python-freelancer-course/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Become Freelance Developer (Course)</a></div>
</div>
<h2 id="other-programming-languages-used-by-professional-developers">Other Programming Languages Used by Professional Developers</h2>
<p>The StackOverflow developer survey collected 58000 responses about the following question (<a href="https://insights.stackoverflow.com/survey/2021#most-popular-technologies-language-prof" data-type="URL" data-id="https://insights.stackoverflow.com/survey/2021#most-popular-technologies-language-prof" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">source</a>):</p>
<p><em><strong>Which programming, scripting, and markup languages have you done extensive development work in over the past year, and which do you want to work in over the next year?</strong></em></p>
<p>These are the languages you want to focus on when starting out as a coder:</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" width="372" height="1024" src="https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/image-38-372x1024.png" alt="" class="wp-image-163026" srcset="https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/image-38-372x1024.png 372w, https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uplo...09x300.png 109w, https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uplo...8x2114.png 768w, https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uplo...8x1536.png 558w, https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uplo...4x2048.png 744w, https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uplo...age-38.png 780w" sizes="(max-width: 372px) 100vw, 372px" /></figure>
<p>And don’t worry—if you feel stuck or struggle with a nasty bug. We all go through it. Here’s what SO survey respondents and professional developers do when they’re stuck:</p>
<p><strong>What do you do when you get stuck on a problem? Select all that apply. </strong>(<a href="https://insights.stackoverflow.com/survey/2021#most-loved-dreaded-and-wanted-language-love-dread" data-type="URL" data-id="https://insights.stackoverflow.com/survey/2021#most-loved-dreaded-and-wanted-language-love-dread" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">source</a>)</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" width="846" height="684" src="https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/image-39.png" alt="" class="wp-image-163044" srcset="https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/image-39.png 846w, https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uplo...00x243.png 300w, https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uplo...68x621.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 846px) 100vw, 846px" /></figure>
<h2 id="related-tutorials">Related Tutorials</h2>
<p>To get started with some of the fundamentals and industry concepts, feel free to check out these articles:</p>
<ul>
<li><a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://blog.finxter.com/freelance-developer/" data-type="URL" data-id="https://blog.finxter.com/freelance-developer/" target="_blank">Freelance Developer – How to Code From Home and Earn Six Figures [Industry Report]</a></li>
<li><a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://blog.finxter.com/how-to-earn-1000-on-the-side-as-a-python-freelancer-a-step-by-step-tutorial/" data-type="URL" data-id="https://blog.finxter.com/how-to-earn-1000-on-the-side-as-a-python-freelancer-a-step-by-step-tutorial/" target="_blank">How to Become a Python Freelancer—and Earn $1,000 on the Side? [A Step-by-Step Tutorial]</a></li>
<li><a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://blog.finxter.com/how-adam-earns-5000-per-month-as-a-python-freelancer-on-upwork-month-4/" data-type="URL" data-id="https://blog.finxter.com/how-adam-earns-5000-per-month-as-a-python-freelancer-on-upwork-month-4/" target="_blank">How Adam Earns $5000 per Month as a Python Freelancer on Upwork [Month 4]</a></li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_security" data-type="URL" data-id="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_security" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Computer Security Wikipedia</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=Security+Engineering+Learn" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.google.com/search?q=Security+Engineering+Learn" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Learn Security Engineering Google</a></li>
</ul>
<h2>Where to Go From Here?</h2>
<p>Enough theory. Let’s get some practice!</p>
<p>Coders get paid six figures and more because they can solve problems more effectively using machine intelligence and automation. </p>
<p>To become more successful in coding, solve more real problems for real people. That’s how you polish the skills you really need in practice. After all, what’s the use of learning theory that nobody ever needs?</p>
<p><strong>You build high-value coding skills by working on practical coding projects!</strong></p>
<p>Do you want to stop learning with toy projects and focus on practical code projects that earn you money and solve real problems for people?</p>
<p class="has-global-color-8-background-color has-background"><img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/13.1.0/72x72/1f680.png" alt="?" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> If your answer is <strong><em>YES!</em></strong>, consider becoming a <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://blog.finxter.com/become-python-freelancer-course/" data-type="page" data-id="2072" target="_blank">Python freelance developer</a>! It’s the best way of approaching the task of improving your Python skills—even if you are a complete beginner.</p>
<p>If you just want to learn about the freelancing opportunity, feel free to watch my free webinar <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://blog.finxter.com/webinar-freelancer/" target="_blank">“How to Build Your High-Income Skill Python”</a> and learn how I grew my coding business online and how you can, too—from the comfort of your own home.</p>
<p><a href="https://blog.finxter.com/webinar-freelancer/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Join the free webinar now!</a></p>
<h2>References</h2>
<p>[1] The figure was generated using the following code snippet:</p>
<pre class="EnlighterJSRAW" data-enlighter-language="python" data-enlighter-theme="" data-enlighter-highlight="" data-enlighter-linenumbers="" data-enlighter-lineoffset="" data-enlighter-title="" data-enlighter-group="">import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import numpy as np
import math data = [111691, 120708, 100165, 119946, 138822, 95953, 144874, 75732, 90120, 90500] labels = ['Glassdoor.com', 'ZipRecruiter.com', 'Zippia.com', 'Talent.com', 'Salary.com', 'PayScale.com', 'Builtin.com', 'Indeed.com', 'Comparably.com', 'SalaryExplorer.com'] median = np.median(data)
average = np.average(data)
print(median, average)
n = len(data) plt.plot(range(n), [median] * n, color='black', label='Median: $' + str(int(median)))
plt.plot(range(n), [average] * n, '--', color='red', label='Average: $' + str(int(average)))
plt.bar(range(len(data)), data)
plt.xticks(range(len(data)), labels, rotation='vertical', position = (0,0.45), color='white', weight='bold')
plt.ylabel('Average Income ($)')
plt.title('Security Engineer Annual Income - by Finxter')
plt.legend()
plt.show()
</pre>
</div>
https://www.sickgaming.net/blog/2022/05/...portunity/
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<div class="kksr-legend"> 5/5 – (4 votes) </div>
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<p>Before we learn about the money, let’s get this question out of the way:</p>
<h2>What Does a Security Engineer Do?</h2>
<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img loading="lazy" width="457" height="685" src="https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/image-140.png" alt="" class="wp-image-358139" srcset="https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/image-140.png 457w, https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uplo...00x300.png 200w" sizes="(max-width: 457px) 100vw, 457px" /></figure>
</div>
<p>A security engineer is a “white-hat hacker”, i.e., an IT professional who analyzes computer systems and computer networks to ensure they are running securely. This involves proactive analysis and understanding of possible security threats and attack vectors and designing the system to minimize the exposure to these threats. </p>
<h2>Security Engineer Skills and Qualifications </h2>
<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img loading="lazy" width="456" height="685" src="https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/image-141.png" alt="" class="wp-image-358140" srcset="https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/image-141.png 456w, https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uplo...00x300.png 200w" sizes="(max-width: 456px) 100vw, 456px" /></figure>
</div>
<p>Security Engineers should have at least a bachelor’s degree in computer science or a related field. </p>
<p>You need to understand networking, computer security systems, databases, HTTP, and web protocols, as well as an intimate understanding of <a href="https://blog.finxter.com/three-skills-distributed-systems/" data-type="post" data-id="4216" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">distributed systems</a>. </p>
<p>In particular, here are some crucial qualifications that are relevant as a Security Engineer: </p>
<ol>
<li>Bachelor of Science in Computer Science or a related field</li>
<li>5+ years of work experience as a System Security Engineer or a related position</li>
<li>3+ years of work experience in development, operation, and maintenance of real-world security systems</li>
<li>Knowledge of operating systems</li>
<li>Knowledge of distributed systems</li>
<li>Knowledge of databases and database security</li>
<li>Knowledge of computer networks, networking technologies, network security</li>
<li>Knowledge of network monitoring solutions</li>
<li>Knowledge of anti-virus filters, content filtering, firewalls, authentication systems, and intrusion detection systems</li>
<li>Knowledge of security protocols, cryptographic algorithms, and principles</li>
<li>Critical thinking</li>
<li>Ability to solve complex problems </li>
</ol>
<h2 id="annual-income">Annual Income Security Engineer (US)</h2>
<p class="has-global-color-8-background-color has-background"><img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/13.1.0/72x72/1f4ac.png" alt="?" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> <strong>Question</strong>: How much does a Security Engineer in the US make per year?</p>
<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img loading="lazy" width="932" height="567" src="https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/image-137.png" alt="" class="wp-image-357986" srcset="https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/image-137.png 932w, https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uplo...00x183.png 300w, https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uplo...68x467.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 932px) 100vw, 932px" /><figcaption><strong>Figure</strong>: Average Income of a Security Engineer in the US by Source. [1]</figcaption></figure>
</div>
<p class="has-global-color-8-background-color has-background">The average annual income of a <strong>Security Engineer</strong> in the United States is between <strong>$75,732</strong> and <strong>$144,874</strong>, with an average of <strong>$108,851 </strong>and a statistical median of <strong>$105,928</strong> per year.</p>
<p>This data is based on our meta-study of ten (10) salary aggregators sources such as Glassdoor, ZipRecruiter, and PayScale.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes">
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Source</th>
<th>Average Income</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/security-engineer-salary-SRCH_KO0,17.htm" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/security-engineer-salary-SRCH_KO0,17.htm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Glassdoor.com</a></td>
<td>$111,691</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://www.ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/Cyber-Security-Engineer-Salary" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/Cyber-Security-Engineer-Salary" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ZipRecruiter.com</a></td>
<td>$120,708</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://www.zippia.com/security-engineer-jobs/salary/" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.zippia.com/security-engineer-jobs/salary/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Zippia.com</a></td>
<td>$100,165</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://www.talent.com/salary?job=security+engineer" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.talent.com/salary?job=security+engineer" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Talent.com</a></td>
<td>$119,946</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://www.salary.com/research/salary/listing/information-security-engineer-salary" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.salary.com/research/salary/listing/information-security-engineer-salary" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Salary.com</a></td>
<td>$138,822</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Security_Engineer/Salary" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Security_Engineer/Salary" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PayScale.com</a></td>
<td>$95,953</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://builtin.com/salaries/dev-engineer/security-engineer" data-type="URL" data-id="https://builtin.com/salaries/dev-engineer/security-engineer" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Builtin.com</a></td>
<td>$144,874</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://www.indeed.com/career/security-engineer/salaries" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.indeed.com/career/security-engineer/salaries" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Indeed.com</a></td>
<td>$75,732</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://www.comparably.com/salaries/salaries-for-cyber-security-engineer" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.comparably.com/salaries/salaries-for-cyber-security-engineer" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Comparably.com</a></td>
<td>$90,120</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="http://www.salaryexplorer.com/salary-survey.php?loc=229&loctype=1&job=11108&jobtype=3" data-type="URL" data-id="http://www.salaryexplorer.com/salary-survey.php?loc=229&loctype=1&job=11108&jobtype=3" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">SalaryExplorer.com</a></td>
<td>$90,500</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table><figcaption><strong>Table</strong>: Average Income of a Security Engineer in the US by Source.</figcaption></figure>
<p>This is the most comprehensive salary meta-study of security engineer income in the world, to the best of my knowledge!</p>
<p>Let’s have a look at the hourly rate of Security Engineers next!</p>
<h2 id="hourly-rate">Hourly Rate</h2>
<p>Security Engineers are well-paid on freelancing platforms such as <a href="https://blog.finxter.com/upwork-vs-fiverr/" data-type="post" data-id="11152" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Upwork or Fiverr</a>.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Related Article</strong>: <a href="https://blog.finxter.com/best-python-freelancer-platforms/" data-type="post" data-id="3382" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">What’s the best freelancing platform?</a></li>
</ul>
<p class="has-global-color-8-background-color has-background">If you decide to go the route as a freelance Security Engineer, you can expect to make between $30 and $150 per hour on Upwork (<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.upwork.com/ab/profiles/search/?nss=90&q=Security%20engineer&top_rated_plus=yes&top_rated_status=top_rated" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.upwork.com/ab/profiles/search/?nss=90&q=Security%20engineer&top_rated_plus=yes&top_rated_status=top_rated" target="_blank">source</a>). Assuming an annual workload of 2000 hours, you can expect to make between $60,000 and $300,000 per year.</p>
<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img loading="lazy" width="772" height="1024" src="https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/image-138-772x1024.png" alt="" class="wp-image-357991" srcset="https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/image-138-772x1024.png 772w, https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uplo...26x300.png 226w, https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uplo...8x1019.png 768w, https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uplo...ge-138.png 781w" sizes="(max-width: 772px) 100vw, 772px" /></figure>
</div>
<p class="has-global-color-8-background-color has-background"><img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/13.1.0/72x72/26a1.png" alt="⚡" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> <strong>Note</strong>: Do you want to create your own thriving coding business online? Feel free to check out our <a href="https://blog.finxter.com/become-python-freelancer-course/" data-type="page" data-id="2072" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">freelance developer course</a> — the world’s #1 best-selling freelance developer course that specifically shows you how to succeed on Upwork and Fiverr!</p>
<div class="wp-container-1 wp-block-buttons">
<div class="wp-block-button has-custom-width wp-block-button__width-50 is-style-fill"><a class="wp-block-button__link has-accent-background-color has-background" href="https://blog.finxter.com/become-python-freelancer-course/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Join Freelancer Course</a></div>
</div>
<h2 id="industry-demand">Industry Demand</h2>
<p>But is there enough demand? Let’s have a look at Google trends to find out how interest evolves over time (<a href="https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=all&q=Security%20Engineer" data-type="URL" data-id="https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=all&q=Security%20Engineer" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">source</a>):</p>
<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img loading="lazy" width="1024" height="463" src="https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/image-139-1024x463.png" alt="" class="wp-image-358103" srcset="https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/image-139-1024x463.png 1024w, https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uplo...00x136.png 300w, https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uplo...68x347.png 768w, https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uplo...36x694.png 1536w, https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uplo...ge-139.png 1738w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>
</div>
<h2 id="learning-path-skills-and-education-requirements">Learning Path, Skills, and Education Requirements</h2>
<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img loading="lazy" width="914" height="685" src="https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/image-142.png" alt="" class="wp-image-358142" srcset="https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/image-142.png 914w, https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uplo...00x225.png 300w, https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uplo...68x576.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 914px) 100vw, 914px" /></figure>
</div>
<p>Do you want to become a Security Engineer? Here’s a step-by-step learning path I’d propose to get started with Security :</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Step 1</strong>: <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://pll.harvard.edu/course/cs50-introduction-computer-science?delta=0" data-type="URL" data-id="https://pll.harvard.edu/course/cs50-introduction-computer-science?delta=0" target="_blank">Introduction to Computer Science</a> (~40 hours)</li>
<li><strong>Step 2</strong>: <a href="http://intronetworks.cs.luc.edu/current2/html/" data-type="URL" data-id="http://intronetworks.cs.luc.edu/current2/html/">Introduction to Computer Networks</a> (~40 hours)</li>
<li><strong>Step 2</strong>: <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/electrical-engineering-and-computer-science/6-006-introduction-to-algorithms-fall-2011/lecture-notes/" data-type="URL" data-id="https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/electrical-engineering-and-computer-science/6-006-introduction-to-algorithms-fall-2011/lecture-notes/" target="_blank">Introduction to Algorithms</a> (~40 hours)</li>
<li><strong>Step 3</strong>: <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~rja14/book.html" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~rja14/book.html" target="_blank">Introduction to Security </a> (~20 hours)</li>
<li><strong>Step 4</strong>: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=introduction+to+Security+engineering" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=introduction+to+Security+engineering" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Introduction to Security (Free Video Courses)</a> (~10 hours)</li>
</ul>
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio">
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe loading="lazy" title="2022 Cybersecurity roadmap: How to get started?" width="780" height="439" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mS7qWC3CbOU?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div>
</figure>
<p>You can find many additional computer science courses on the <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://academy.finxter.com/" data-type="URL" data-id="https://academy.finxter.com/" target="_blank">Finxter Computer Science Academy</a> (flatrate model).</p>
<p>But don’t wait too long to acquire practical experience! </p>
<p>Even if you have little skills, it’s best to get started as a <strong>freelance developer</strong> and learn as you work on real projects for clients — <strong>earning income as you learn</strong> and gaining motivation through real-world feedback.</p>
<p class="has-global-color-8-background-color has-background"><img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/13.1.0/72x72/1f680.png" alt="?" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> <strong>Tip</strong>: An excellent start to turbo-charge your freelancing career (earning more in less time) is our <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://blog.finxter.com/become-python-freelancer-course/" data-type="page" data-id="2072" target="_blank">Finxter Freelancer Course</a>. The goal of the course is to pay for itself! </p>
<h2 id="related-video">Related Video</h2>
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio">
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Find ♾ Infinite Opportunity in the Metaverse as a Freelance Coder ... to Tom" width="780" height="439" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZS_pM7Yp_Xk?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div>
</figure>
<p>You can find more job descriptions for coders, programmers, and computer scientists in our detailed overview guide:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://blog.finxter.com/get-your-job-in-it-overview/" data-type="post" data-id="186255" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Get Your Job in IT [Overview]</a></li>
</ul>
<h2 id="related-income-of-professional-developers">Related Income of Professional Developers</h2>
<p>The following statistic shows the self-reported income from 9,649 US-based professional developers (<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://insights.stackoverflow.com/survey/2021#salary-comp-total-usa" data-type="URL" data-id="https://insights.stackoverflow.com/survey/2021#salary-comp-total-usa" target="_blank">source</a>).</p>
<p class="has-global-color-8-background-color has-background"><img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/13.1.0/72x72/1f4a1.png" alt="?" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> The average annual income of professional developers in the US is between <strong>$70,000</strong> and <strong>$177,500</strong> for various programming languages.</p>
<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img loading="lazy" width="641" height="1024" src="https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/image-48-641x1024.png" alt="" class="wp-image-163242" srcset="https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/image-48-641x1024.png 641w, https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uplo...88x300.png 188w, https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uplo...8x1227.png 768w, https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uplo...age-48.png 876w" sizes="(max-width: 641px) 100vw, 641px" /></figure>
</div>
<p><strong>Question</strong>: <em>What is your current total compensation (salary, bonuses, and perks, before taxes and deductions)? Please enter a whole number in the box below, without any punctuation. If you are paid hourly, please estimate an equivalent weekly, monthly, or yearly salary.</em> (<a href="https://insights.stackoverflow.com/survey/2021#most-loved-dreaded-and-wanted-language-love-dread" data-type="URL" data-id="https://insights.stackoverflow.com/survey/2021#most-loved-dreaded-and-wanted-language-love-dread" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">source</a>)</p>
<p>The following statistic compares the self-reported income from 46,693 professional programmers as conducted by StackOverflow.</p>
<p class="has-global-color-8-background-color has-background"><img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/13.1.0/72x72/1f4a1.png" alt="?" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> The average annual income of professional developers worldwide (US and non-US) is between <strong>$33,000</strong> and <strong>$95,000</strong> for various programming languages. </p>
<p>Here’s a screenshot of a more detailed overview of each programming language considered in the report:</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" width="350" height="1024" src="https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/image-41-350x1024.png" alt="" class="wp-image-163206" srcset="https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/image-41-350x1024.png 350w, https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uplo...03x300.png 103w, https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uplo...5x1536.png 525w, https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uplo...1x2048.png 701w, https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uplo...age-41.png 745w" sizes="(max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px" /></figure>
<p>Here’s what different database professionals earn:</p>
<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img loading="lazy" width="893" height="878" src="https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/image-42.png" alt="" class="wp-image-163220" srcset="https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/image-42.png 893w, https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uplo...00x295.png 300w, https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uplo...68x755.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 893px) 100vw, 893px" /></figure>
</div>
<p>Here’s an overview of different cloud solutions experts:</p>
<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img loading="lazy" width="848" height="433" src="https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/image-43.png" alt="" class="wp-image-163225" srcset="https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/image-43.png 848w, https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uplo...00x153.png 300w, https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uplo...68x392.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 848px) 100vw, 848px" /></figure>
</div>
<p>Here’s what professionals in web frameworks earn:</p>
<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img loading="lazy" width="740" height="1024" src="https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/image-44-740x1024.png" alt="" class="wp-image-163226" srcset="https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/image-44-740x1024.png 740w, https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uplo...17x300.png 217w, https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uplo...age-44.png 755w" sizes="(max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px" /></figure>
</div>
<p>There are many other interesting frameworks—that pay well!</p>
<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img loading="lazy" width="816" height="757" src="https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/image-45.png" alt="" class="wp-image-163229" srcset="https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/image-45.png 816w, https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uplo...00x278.png 300w, https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uplo...68x712.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 816px) 100vw, 816px" /></figure>
</div>
<p>Look at those tools:</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" width="793" height="825" src="https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/image-46.png" alt="" class="wp-image-163230" srcset="https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/image-46.png 793w, https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uplo...88x300.png 288w, https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uplo...68x799.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 793px) 100vw, 793px" /></figure>
<p>Okay, but what do you need to do to get there? What are the skill requirements and qualifications to make you become a professional developer in the area you desire?</p>
<p>Let’s find out next!</p>
<h2 id="general-qualifications-of-professionals">General Qualifications of Professionals</h2>
<p>StackOverflow performs an annual survey asking professionals, coders, developers, researchers, and engineers various questions about their background and job satisfaction on their website.</p>
<p>Interestingly, when aggregating the data of the developers’ educational background, a good three quarters have an academic background.</p>
<p>Here’s the question asked by StackOverflow (<a href="https://insights.stackoverflow.com/survey/2021#education-ed-level-prof" data-type="URL" data-id="https://insights.stackoverflow.com/survey/2021#education-ed-level-prof" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">source</a>): </p>
<p><strong>Which of the following best describes the highest level of formal education that you’ve completed?</strong></p>
<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img loading="lazy" width="1024" height="589" src="https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/image-37-1024x589.png" alt="" class="wp-image-163017" srcset="https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/image-37-1024x589.png 1024w, https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uplo...00x173.png 300w, https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uplo...68x442.png 768w, https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uplo...age-37.png 1057w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>
</div>
<p>However, if you don’t have a formal degree, don’t fear! Many of the respondents with degrees don’t have a degree in their field—so it may not be of much value for their coding careers anyways. </p>
<p>Also, about one out of four don’t have a formal degree and still succeeds in their field! You certainly don’t need a degree if you’re committed to your own success!</p>
<h2 id="freelancing-vs-employment-status">Freelancing vs Employment Status</h2>
<p>The percentage of <a href="https://blog.finxter.com/freelance-developer/" data-type="post" data-id="5912" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">freelance developers</a> increases steadily. The fraction of freelance developers has already reached 11.21%! </p>
<p>This indicates that more and more work will be done in a more flexible work environment—and fewer and fewer companies and clients want to hire inflexible talent. </p>
<p>Here are the stats from the StackOverflow developer survey (<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://insights.stackoverflow.com/survey/2021#employment-employment-prof" data-type="URL" data-id="https://insights.stackoverflow.com/survey/2021#employment-employment-prof" target="_blank">source</a>):</p>
<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img loading="lazy" width="780" height="538" src="https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/image-47.png" alt="" class="wp-image-163234" srcset="https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/image-47.png 780w, https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uplo...00x207.png 300w, https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uplo...68x530.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" /></figure>
</div>
<p>Do you want to become a professional freelance developer and earn some money on the side or as your primary source of income?</p>
<p class="has-global-color-8-background-color has-background"><strong>Resource</strong>: Check out our <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://blog.finxter.com/become-python-freelancer-course/" data-type="URL" data-id="https://blog.finxter.com/become-python-freelancer-course/" target="_blank">freelance developer course</a>—it’s the best freelance developer course in the world with the highest student success rate in the industry!</p>
<div class="wp-container-2 wp-block-buttons">
<div class="wp-block-button aligncenter has-custom-width wp-block-button__width-100"><a class="wp-block-button__link" href="https://blog.finxter.com/become-python-freelancer-course/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Become Freelance Developer (Course)</a></div>
</div>
<h2 id="other-programming-languages-used-by-professional-developers">Other Programming Languages Used by Professional Developers</h2>
<p>The StackOverflow developer survey collected 58000 responses about the following question (<a href="https://insights.stackoverflow.com/survey/2021#most-popular-technologies-language-prof" data-type="URL" data-id="https://insights.stackoverflow.com/survey/2021#most-popular-technologies-language-prof" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">source</a>):</p>
<p><em><strong>Which programming, scripting, and markup languages have you done extensive development work in over the past year, and which do you want to work in over the next year?</strong></em></p>
<p>These are the languages you want to focus on when starting out as a coder:</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" width="372" height="1024" src="https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/image-38-372x1024.png" alt="" class="wp-image-163026" srcset="https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/image-38-372x1024.png 372w, https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uplo...09x300.png 109w, https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uplo...8x2114.png 768w, https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uplo...8x1536.png 558w, https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uplo...4x2048.png 744w, https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uplo...age-38.png 780w" sizes="(max-width: 372px) 100vw, 372px" /></figure>
<p>And don’t worry—if you feel stuck or struggle with a nasty bug. We all go through it. Here’s what SO survey respondents and professional developers do when they’re stuck:</p>
<p><strong>What do you do when you get stuck on a problem? Select all that apply. </strong>(<a href="https://insights.stackoverflow.com/survey/2021#most-loved-dreaded-and-wanted-language-love-dread" data-type="URL" data-id="https://insights.stackoverflow.com/survey/2021#most-loved-dreaded-and-wanted-language-love-dread" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">source</a>)</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" width="846" height="684" src="https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/image-39.png" alt="" class="wp-image-163044" srcset="https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/image-39.png 846w, https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uplo...00x243.png 300w, https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uplo...68x621.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 846px) 100vw, 846px" /></figure>
<h2 id="related-tutorials">Related Tutorials</h2>
<p>To get started with some of the fundamentals and industry concepts, feel free to check out these articles:</p>
<ul>
<li><a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://blog.finxter.com/freelance-developer/" data-type="URL" data-id="https://blog.finxter.com/freelance-developer/" target="_blank">Freelance Developer – How to Code From Home and Earn Six Figures [Industry Report]</a></li>
<li><a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://blog.finxter.com/how-to-earn-1000-on-the-side-as-a-python-freelancer-a-step-by-step-tutorial/" data-type="URL" data-id="https://blog.finxter.com/how-to-earn-1000-on-the-side-as-a-python-freelancer-a-step-by-step-tutorial/" target="_blank">How to Become a Python Freelancer—and Earn $1,000 on the Side? [A Step-by-Step Tutorial]</a></li>
<li><a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://blog.finxter.com/how-adam-earns-5000-per-month-as-a-python-freelancer-on-upwork-month-4/" data-type="URL" data-id="https://blog.finxter.com/how-adam-earns-5000-per-month-as-a-python-freelancer-on-upwork-month-4/" target="_blank">How Adam Earns $5000 per Month as a Python Freelancer on Upwork [Month 4]</a></li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_security" data-type="URL" data-id="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_security" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Computer Security Wikipedia</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=Security+Engineering+Learn" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.google.com/search?q=Security+Engineering+Learn" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Learn Security Engineering Google</a></li>
</ul>
<h2>Where to Go From Here?</h2>
<p>Enough theory. Let’s get some practice!</p>
<p>Coders get paid six figures and more because they can solve problems more effectively using machine intelligence and automation. </p>
<p>To become more successful in coding, solve more real problems for real people. That’s how you polish the skills you really need in practice. After all, what’s the use of learning theory that nobody ever needs?</p>
<p><strong>You build high-value coding skills by working on practical coding projects!</strong></p>
<p>Do you want to stop learning with toy projects and focus on practical code projects that earn you money and solve real problems for people?</p>
<p class="has-global-color-8-background-color has-background"><img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/13.1.0/72x72/1f680.png" alt="?" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> If your answer is <strong><em>YES!</em></strong>, consider becoming a <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://blog.finxter.com/become-python-freelancer-course/" data-type="page" data-id="2072" target="_blank">Python freelance developer</a>! It’s the best way of approaching the task of improving your Python skills—even if you are a complete beginner.</p>
<p>If you just want to learn about the freelancing opportunity, feel free to watch my free webinar <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://blog.finxter.com/webinar-freelancer/" target="_blank">“How to Build Your High-Income Skill Python”</a> and learn how I grew my coding business online and how you can, too—from the comfort of your own home.</p>
<p><a href="https://blog.finxter.com/webinar-freelancer/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Join the free webinar now!</a></p>
<h2>References</h2>
<p>[1] The figure was generated using the following code snippet:</p>
<pre class="EnlighterJSRAW" data-enlighter-language="python" data-enlighter-theme="" data-enlighter-highlight="" data-enlighter-linenumbers="" data-enlighter-lineoffset="" data-enlighter-title="" data-enlighter-group="">import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import numpy as np
import math data = [111691, 120708, 100165, 119946, 138822, 95953, 144874, 75732, 90120, 90500] labels = ['Glassdoor.com', 'ZipRecruiter.com', 'Zippia.com', 'Talent.com', 'Salary.com', 'PayScale.com', 'Builtin.com', 'Indeed.com', 'Comparably.com', 'SalaryExplorer.com'] median = np.median(data)
average = np.average(data)
print(median, average)
n = len(data) plt.plot(range(n), [median] * n, color='black', label='Median: $' + str(int(median)))
plt.plot(range(n), [average] * n, '--', color='red', label='Average: $' + str(int(average)))
plt.bar(range(len(data)), data)
plt.xticks(range(len(data)), labels, rotation='vertical', position = (0,0.45), color='white', weight='bold')
plt.ylabel('Average Income ($)')
plt.title('Security Engineer Annual Income - by Finxter')
plt.legend()
plt.show()
</pre>
</div>
https://www.sickgaming.net/blog/2022/05/...portunity/