What education is required to become a computer programmer?

How can I become a computer programmer?

• I would like complete details of what it takes to become a computer programmer. This question is pretty vague so I need more specific information like the required classes to take, the ammount of time expected for education/training, the expected salary, ect. Anything that you can find will be helpful. Please include where you found this info so that I can double check the results. Concerning education/salary, I am mostly concerned with the figures in Central Illinois, but I would certainly like to know a USA figure and/or a world figure. If you need more details please feel free to ask. Also I would like this info ASAP, it would be great if I could close this question in one or two days. The price is only set to $5.00 so I do not expect a whole lot of takers but I will tip if I am surprized by the accuracy or quantity of the results or if I get an answer immediatly.

• Answer:

  Hi! Thanks for the question. Whenever I am looking for reliable occupational data on any field, the US government’s Occupational Outlook Handbook is a handy tool. The website provides wealth of information on any career. Computer Programming Career: Education and Training Required: “Bachelor's degrees are commonly required, although some programmers may qualify for certain jobs with 2-year degrees or certificates. Employers are primarily interested in programming knowledge, and computer programmers are able to get certified in a language such as C++ or Java. College graduates who are interested in changing careers or developing an area of expertise also may return to a 2-year community college or technical school for additional training.” “Employers who use computers for business applications prefer to hire people who have had college courses in management information systems (MIS) and business and who possess strong programming skills. Although knowledge of traditional languages still is important, increasing emphasis is placed on newer, object-oriented programming languages and tools, such as C++ and Java. Additionally, employers are seeking persons familiar with fourth and fifth generation languages that involve graphic user interface (GUI) and systems programming. Employers also prefer applicants who have general business skills and experience related to the operations of the firm. Students can improve their employment prospects by participating in a college work-study program or by undertaking an internship.” Occupational Outlook Handbook – Computer Programmers http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos110.htm#earnings -------------- Salary: “According to Robert Half International, average annual starting salaries in 2001 ranged from $58,500 to $90,000 for applications development programmers/developers, and from $54,000 to $77,750 for software development programmers/analysts. Average starting salaries for Internet programmers/analysts ranged from $56,500 to $84,000. Our next link provides 2002 average salaries for computer programmers.” Occupational Outlook Handbook – Computer Programmers http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos110.htm#earnings Software Developer - $73,250 Applications Programmer - $66,875 “Who's Making What” http://www.business2.com/worth/0,,17-101-101,00.html You can find out average salaries of computer programmers per state and major cities through the use of online salary wizards. Here are some figures for the state of Illinois and corresponding major city. The position is Applications System Analyst 1. Champaign - $39,166 and $47,928 Chicago - $44,393 and $54,325 Moline - $41,657 and $50,977 Peoria - $41,412 and $50,677 Rock Island - $41,657 and $50,977 Springfield - $39,778 and $48,678 Salary.com has different variations per programming position so better check them out as well. The website functionality prevents us from providing a directly link so you have to access the figures on the drop down menus. Salary.com http://swz.salary.com/salarywizard/layoutscripts/swzl_newsearch.asp Other Illinois cities and areas: Illinois Statewide - $35,738 and $57,852 Bloomington - $31,904 and $51,646 Davenport -$27,166 and $43,975 Decatur - $32,430 and $52,497 East Central - $25,139 and $40,695 Kankakee - $30,826 and $49,901 Northwest - $29,397 and $47,588 Rockford - $32,472 and $52,566 South - $32,225 and $52,165 West Central - $35,301 and $57,146 Career Builder http://www.careerbuilder.com/JobSeeker/SalaryCalculator.htm?lr=cbga_gau Search terms used: Programmer salary wizard Occupational Outlook Handbook I hope these links would help you in your research. Before rating this answer, please ask for a clarification if you have a question or if you would need further information. Thanks for visiting us. Regards, Easterangel-ga Google Answers Researcher