The half-life of software engineers

last updated 8 January 2015

Norman Matloff

Bloomberg.com

Young software engineers are setting themselves up for dead-end careers, said Norman Matloff. Newly minted computer-science graduates are now among the best paid and most highly sought young professionals, but their employability starts to decline around age 35. In fact, “statistics show that most software developers are out of the field by age 40.” Why? Because by then, their experience will have either priced them out of the market, or their skills will not have kept up with the latest technology trends. This stark reality is an open secret in Silicon Valley: Former Intel CEO Craig Barrett has said that “the half-life of an engineer, software or hardware, is only a few years,” and Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg has expressed his preference for hiring younger coders. The problem is compounded by the H-1B worker visa program, which allows employers to hire foreigners instead of older Americans. Moving up into management is always a possibility, but competition is stiff for the few positions that exist. So be forewarned: “If you choose a software-engineering career, just keep in mind that you could end up working for one of those lowly humanities majors someday.”