So this question is a bit long in the tooth, but I think it’s still relevant today. Maybe even more so.

The short answer is that it depends on you.

The outsourcing apocalypse that people feared never really occurred. People realized that “you get what you pay for” applies even to outsourced labor, and after enough projects went up in flames, big companies started hiring onshore developers again.

Strong software engineers have been in high demand now for at least two decades, and based on data I’ve seen recently, that’s likely to continue to be the case. Strong engineers may even become harder to find; really good engineers are already commanding $500k+ compensation packages. I’ve heard rumors of $1M+ packages. Even unknown but strong engineers make $200k+ at tech companies.

But there is a catch. Not everyone can become a strong engineer. It’s not all about effort, nor is it all about willingness to learn. Yes, you need to work. Yes, you need to learn constantly. But skill is the deciding factor.

There is a core aptitude that you either have or you don’t. It comes in degrees; if you lack it completely you probably will be able to tell, in that, no matter how much you learn, it never seems to make sense.

In the middle, you can eventually work hard enough to learn one domain to the point where you may be employable, at least for a while. But learning a new domain isn’t easy, and it will be common for you to get stuck or take a long time.

And it’s only toward the higher end that you’ll be able to get the best jobs. Because the word is out: Programmers can make a lot of money. And software engineering isn’t subject to being automated away like many other jobs. So at the least talented end of the programming spectrum, the competition for the few jobs that hire mediocre developers is extreme. Like 100 resumes for every open position extreme.

I just read one answer that said that every year his company filters through 2000 resumes, interviewing maybe a hundred, and then sending out a single offer. For a mid-tier position.

Is programming a good career choice? It’s hard to beat if you have the knack. And it’s hard to succeed if you don’t. It’s totally worth trying to see if you’ve won the genetic lottery, but trying to be a programmer when it’s not a good fit may lead to a life of frustration and failure.

Learn to program. If you spend a solid six months and it still doesn’t seem natural, then you might want to consider other career paths.

If it does make sense, then welcome to the club! I think you’ll enjoy it here, and the pay’s good.