Why Software Engineering Is Still The Best Career in 2024: Real Talk

Computer Science students are having a tough time getting their first job in the current market, and they're worried about their future.

LLMs, bad economy, high supply of junior developers and low demand...

Is a career in software still worth it nowadays?

In my opinion, especially if you have already stepped foot into the field—for example, you're enrolled in a CS program—the answer is yes, it's still a great career option.

But times have indeed changed and there are some hopefully useful considerations I can make.

Explore current tech opportunities →

1. Getting Paid Just for Knowing CS Won't Be That Easy Anymore

Let's face it: computer people in the past few decades haven't had it very hard.

So much wealth has been generated through the invention and commercialization of computer and software technologies, and so little capital outside of human labor has been required for this, that engineers working in these fields were able to absorb a lot of this wealth creation relatively easily.

The Market Is Adjusting

Competition for these jobs was low, because they are inherently new professions, and you didn't have to compete with many older people who've been doing this for decades.

It's normal that the market is now adjusting.

Software Engineering Is Maturing

In 2024, it's not hard to find people with 10 or 20 years of experience in software development, and in the last couple of decades not much has really changed when it comes to creating software products.

The industry has converged to some technologies, which have become somewhat stable and standardized:

• Object-oriented programming
• Web applications
• Containers
• Cloud
• Data analysis

Some of these have existed for more than 2 decades, some for one decade (but they are still not ground-breaking even compared to what existed before them in terms of professionals' skillsets).

From "Hot New Thing" to "Established Profession"

Software engineering has (almost) become "just another profession" and it's not anymore this "hot new thing that generates so much value and that almost nobody can do".

This doesn't mean it's a bad career—it just means you need to be more strategic.

2. The Good Side: Why It's Still Amazing

It's not all doom and gloom though, and in my opinion it is still a great field to be in, offering opportunities no other field offers.

2.1 Low Barrier to Entry

While the barrier to get an entry-level job has raised recently, it is still a very accessible field offering junior professionals great salaries and opportunities.

Less than 3 years should be enough to become a productive and qualified software engineer:

Path	Duration	Requirements	Outcome
Bachelor's + internships	3-4 years	Degree, 1-2 internships, side projects	€50k-€80k entry salary
Bootcamp + projects	6-12 months	Intensive study, portfolio, networking	€40k-€60k entry salary
Self-study + internships	1-2 years	Discipline, projects, interview prep	€45k-€70k entry salary
Master's (career switch)	1-2 years	Previous degree, CS fundamentals	€55k-€85k entry salary

Both bachelor's degree with internship/personal projects experience on the side and bootcamp/self-study with projects and internships are valid ways to become employable as a full-time developer nowadays.

Reaching €100k+

If you know how to navigate the European market, you should also be able to get a €100k+ job as an entry-level job.

As I talked about in a previous article on how to make €100k in Europe, the best ways to achieve this is to either:

1. Target Big Tech companies within Western Europe
2. Get a job in Switzerland

Find €100k+ opportunities →

2.2 Flexibility of Being a Software Engineer

Being a Software Engineer in my opinion is still an amazing profession for the almost unmatched flexibility it provides.

Remote Work Opportunities

One of the easiest professions to get a remote job, allowing for geographical and oftentimes also fiscal flexibility:

If you want to be some sort of digital nomad or solopreneur, you can:

• Become a freelance software engineer contractor
• Set up your company in a jurisdiction with very low taxes
• Choose work and projects that allow you to work on your terms in terms of schedule and location

This is a pretty big deal.

The Safety Net Scenario

Even if you are desperate and can't get any decent job in Europe for some reason, you can still:

• Find work on Upwork or similar platforms
• Even making less than €30k-€40k a year
• Incorporate in countries with very low taxes
• Live somewhere very affordable
• Have a great quality of life

Real Example: The Georgia Strategy

I will write an article about this in the future, but for example you could:

1. Incorporate in Georgia (1% tax on profits)
2. Live in places like: Georgia, Thailand, Portugal, Greece, Southern Italy, Philippines, Serbia, Turkey, Bulgaria, and many more
3. Live a great life with less than €2k a month

Let's say you were making €30k of profit per year. Under this framework you would basically be living (almost) like royalty + saving almost €1k per month.

Low-Tax Options

Georgia is not the only low-tax place. Other options for freelancers making less than €100k a year:

Country	Tax Rate for Freelancers	Cost of Living	Quality of Life
Georgia	1% on profits	Very Low	High
Estonia	0% until dividend distribution	Medium	Very High
Bulgaria	10% flat	Low	High
Poland	8.5-12% (IP Box)	Low	High
Cyprus	12.5% corporate	Medium	High
Portugal (NHR)	Variable, can be low	Medium-High	Very High
Andorra	10% corporate	Medium	Very High

Explore remote work opportunities →

2.3 The Time of Cheap Offshore Developers Is Kind of Gone

While 10-15 years ago companies going offshore could get really cheap developers because some economies were lagging so much with regards to western ones, nowadays this is not the case anymore.

Ukraine Example

Let's take Ukraine as an example: a country with very low cost of living, very low taxes, and a popular option for offshore development teams.

Probably this will surprise you, but qualified senior software developers in Ukraine have been making around €4k-€6k per month for several years now.

This is net salary, as taxes there can be around 5%.

These are more or less the prices everywhere in Eastern Europe if you're looking for qualified, English-speaking, senior developers.

Other Markets Have Risen Too

Bangladesh, India, Indonesia can have lower prices. Although salaries for skilled developers have dramatically risen in these places as well, as many western companies have opened huge offices there—India in particular.

But many western companies still prefer to hire remote devs in Europe than in Asia, because of:

• Cultural affinities
• Time zones
• Regulations

Latin America has also become a popular option for offshore teams and skilled developers there also get relatively good wages nowadays.

What This Means for You

This to say that getting €1,500-€3,000 in gross salary working remotely as a Software Engineer is really not that hard if you more or less know what you are doing.

And given that this would allow you to choose your taxation and cost of living, it means that as a developer you will never have to struggle financially.

2.4 Value Coming from Software Will Continue to Be Created

It's not like software is going anywhere anytime soon.

Everything continues to get digitalized:

• Healthcare
• Logistics
• Commerce
• Supply chain
• Administration
• Education
• Finance
• Manufacturing

This value will continue to fall into the main resources necessary to build software:

1. Servers/computing
2. Third-party software
3. Engineers ← You are here

The demand for software solutions is accelerating, not declining.

2.5 LLM/AI Are Not Your Enemies

AI will not take your job, it will just change it.

It will for sure have a substantial impact and you will for sure need to learn some new tools, but Software Engineers are optimally positioned to leverage these tools in the most lucrative way.

Why Engineers Have the Advantage

If you know how to build software, you also know how to:

• Use APIs from AI/LLM providers
• Create software products that solve business problems and make money
• Integrate AI capabilities into existing systems
• Understand and debug AI-powered applications

You'll be best positioned to do this compared to other professionals.

AI Is a Tool, Not a Replacement

Era	Tool	Impact on Engineers	Outcome
1970s	High-level languages	"Assembly will be obsolete!"	More engineers, more software
1990s	Visual tools, IDEs	"Coding will be automated!"	More engineers, more software
2000s	Frameworks, libraries	"Anyone can build apps now!"	More engineers, more software
2010s	Cloud platforms, APIs	"Infrastructure is automated!"	More engineers, more software
2020s	AI/LLMs	"AI will replace coders!"	More engineers, more software

History shows: Every "developer-killing" technology actually created more demand for developers.

Stay ahead with AI-integrated roles →

3. Pep Talk: Who Will Struggle

There will still be a subset of people in Software Engineering who will suffer though.

The "Arrogant Geek" Stereotype

This is the people that often fits the stereotype of the "arrogant geek": people who think that:

❌ Software Engineering is an art
❌ Everyone who can't code is an idiot
❌ "Management" is dumb
❌ Product/project managers are idiots
❌ Marketing and sales are useless
❌ Doing LeetCode is dumb
❌ The economy sucks, inflation, Trump, Biden etc.

You get my point, I hope.

Why This Attitude Will Fail

These people were given relatively easy money in the past despite their:

• Unpleasant attitude
• Almost nonexistent social skills
• Scarce understanding of markets, economies and business

There were just not enough developers so they had no competition and they could act like prima donnas and have recruiters come beg into their DMs.

I think these people will struggle a lot in the coming years as the market has changed.

The Winning Attitude

So I invite everyone of you to become more entrepreneurial and to develop a sense of agency:

✅ Take ownership of your career
✅ Be diplomatic and collaborative
✅ Don't focus just on software but learn about different markets, companies, taxes
✅ Understand business value and how your work contributes
✅ Build soft skills alongside technical skills
✅ Network genuinely and help others
✅ Stay adaptable and embrace change

If you do this, you won't have any problem and I'm sure you'll do great in your career as a Software Engineer while enjoying your life!

The Reality Check: Market Comparison

Let's compare software engineering to other professions in 2024:

Profession	Entry Salary (Europe)	5-Year Salary	Remote Work	Flexibility	Job Security
Software Engineer	€40k-€80k	€70k-€150k+	Excellent	Excellent	Good
Lawyer	€35k-€55k	€55k-€90k	Poor	Poor	Good
Doctor	€40k-€60k	€60k-€100k	Very Poor	Very Poor	Excellent
Accountant	€30k-€45k	€45k-€70k	Medium	Medium	Good
Marketing Manager	€35k-€50k	€50k-€85k	Good	Good	Medium
Civil Engineer	€35k-€50k	€50k-€80k	Poor	Poor	Good
Teacher	€25k-€40k	€35k-€55k	Very Poor	Poor	Excellent

Even with market challenges, software engineering remains competitive or superior across all metrics.

What Success Looks Like in 2024

Traditional Path (Passive)	Strategic Path (Active)
Graduate, apply randomly	Graduate, target specific companies
Accept first offer	Compare multiple offers, negotiate
Stay in one company for years	Strategic job switches every 2-3 years
Focus only on coding	Develop business understanding + soft skills
Complain about market	Adapt and leverage opportunities
€50k-€70k after 5 years	€100k-€150k+ after 5 years

The difference is strategy and attitude.

Action Steps for Thriving in 2024

If You're a Student

1. Do 2-3 internships before graduating (experience matters more than GPA)
2. Build a portfolio of real projects (not just coursework)
3. Network actively on LinkedIn and at meetups
4. Learn the business side - read about startups, tech companies, markets
5. Prepare for interviews early (LeetCode, system design)

If You're Early Career (0-3 years)

1. Position yourself strategically (high-paying cities, good companies)
2. Build transferable skills (not just framework-specific knowledge)
3. Stay interview-ready (the best time to interview is when you have a job)
4. Learn adjacent skills (DevOps, cloud, databases, system design)
5. Develop soft skills (communication, teamwork, business acumen)

If You're Mid-Career (3-7 years)

1. Optimize for compensation (€100k+ is achievable)
2. Consider relocation if it aligns with goals
3. Build expertise in high-value areas (distributed systems, ML infra, security)
4. Mentor others (builds your reputation and network)
5. Think about FIRE strategy if financially motivated

Find opportunities aligned with your career stage →

The Future Is Still Bright

Despite the challenges, software engineering in 2024 remains:

✅ One of the highest-paying professions accessible without advanced degrees
✅ Among the most flexible careers (remote work, location independence)
✅ Future-proof (digitalization is accelerating, not slowing)
✅ Globally portable (skills transfer across countries and industries)
✅ Continuously evolving (always new things to learn and build)

The key difference between success and struggle: Taking ownership of your career rather than passively waiting for opportunities.

Conclusion

Is software engineering still the best career in 2024?

For most people who:

• Are willing to be strategic
• Develop both technical and soft skills
• Stay adaptable and embrace change
• Understand business value
• Network and position themselves well

The answer is a resounding YES.

The "easy money" era might be over, but the "smart money" era is just beginning. Those who adapt will thrive. Those who complain will struggle.

Which group will you choose to be in?

Start your strategic career journey →

---

Frequently Asked Questions

Will AI/LLMs really not replace software engineers?

AI will augment, not replace engineers. Think about it: When Excel automated calculations, did accountants disappear? No, they shifted to higher-value work like strategy and analysis. Similarly, AI will handle boilerplate code and simple tasks, freeing engineers for:

• System architecture and design (AI can't understand business context)
• Complex problem-solving (requires domain expertise)
• Integration and debugging (AI creates code that needs human oversight)
• Strategic technical decisions (business impact assessment)

Historical precedent: Every automation tool (IDEs, frameworks, cloud platforms) increased demand for developers. AI will be the same.

Is it too late to start learning programming in 2024?

No, but you need to be strategic. The "teach yourself coding in 3 months and get a €70k job" era is largely over. However:

Still achievable:

• 6-12 months intensive learning + portfolio + networking = €40k-€55k entry job
• 1-2 years experience + continued learning = €60k-€80k
• 3-4 years strategic career moves = €100k+ is possible

Keys to success:

1. Build real projects (not just tutorials)
2. Network heavily (referrals matter more now)
3. Target growing companies (not just FAANG)
4. Develop soft skills alongside technical

Reality: Harder than 2020, but still one of the best career switches available.

Should I get a CS degree or do a bootcamp?

Depends on your situation:

Choose CS degree if:

• You're young (under 25) with time
• You want to target top companies (easier recruiting)
• You can afford 3-4 years of study
• You want deeper fundamentals (algorithms, systems)
• You're interested in research-oriented roles

Choose bootcamp if:

• You're career switching (25-35 years old)
• You need income faster (6-12 months vs 3-4 years)
• You're disciplined self-learner
• You have financial constraints
• You're targeting startups/scale-ups

Reality: Degree opens more doors initially, but after 2-3 years of experience, it matters less. Many successful engineers are self-taught or bootcamp grads.

How much can I realistically make as a software engineer in Europe?

Realistic salary progression in Europe:

Experience	Regular Company	Good Company	Big Tech	Trading Firm
Entry (0-2 yrs)	€40k-€60k	€55k-€80k	€80k-€120k	€120k-€180k
Mid (2-5 yrs)	€55k-€80k	€75k-€110k	€110k-€170k	€170k-€250k
Senior (5-8 yrs)	€70k-€100k	€95k-€140k	€140k-€230k	€230k-€370k
Staff (8+ yrs)	€85k-€120k	€115k-€170k	€200k-€320k+	€320k-€500k+

Location matters hugely: These ranges are for Western Europe. Eastern Europe is 40-60% lower, but so is cost of living.

See our detailed salary guides and city comparisons for specifics.

Is remote work still viable for software engineers in 2024?

Yes, but it's more competitive. Post-COVID, companies have adjusted:

Still offering remote:

• Remote-first startups (GitLab, Automattic)
• Scale-ups with distributed teams
• Some big tech (Stripe, Datadog, Shopify)
• Consulting and freelance platforms

Requiring office/hybrid:

• Traditional enterprises
• Some FAANG (Amazon, Apple)
• Financial services
• Early-stage startups wanting in-person

Strategy: Get hired on-site or hybrid, prove yourself for 6-12 months, then negotiate remote. Success rate is 60-70% with strong performance.

Salaries: Fully remote positions often pay 10-20% less than on-site, but you can geo-arbitrage (high salary + low cost of living location).

What if I can't get my first software job - what should I do?

Don't panic. Here's a systematic approach:

Month 1-2: Diagnose the issue

• Getting interviews? → Problem is CV/portfolio/network
• Not getting interviews? → Problem is interview skills

Month 2-4: Fix the root cause

• If CV/portfolio: Build 2-3 impressive projects, get referrals, rewrite CV
• If interviews: Practice LeetCode (100+ problems), mock interviews, behavioral prep

Month 4-6: Expand your net

• Apply to 50-100 companies (not just 10-20)
• Target smaller companies and startups (not just FAANG)
• Consider internships/contract work (foot in the door)
• Look at adjacent roles (QA, DevOps, Support Engineering)

If still struggling: Consider relocation to cities with better job markets, or take any tech-adjacent job (IT support, data entry at tech company) to build network and pivot internally.

Reality: First job is hardest. Once you have 1-2 years experience, opportunities multiply exponentially. Get your foot in the door anywhere reasonable, then optimize later.

Should I specialize or be a generalist?

Early career (0-3 years): Be a generalist

• Learn full-stack basics
• Try different domains (frontend, backend, mobile, data)
• Figure out what you enjoy and what pays well

Mid career (3-6 years): Start specializing

• Pick a lucrative/growing area (distributed systems, ML infrastructure, security, frontend/React, cloud/DevOps)
• Go deep enough to be "known for" something
• But maintain breadth to stay adaptable

Senior+ (6+ years): Be a T-shaped engineer

• Deep expertise in 1-2 areas (your "vertical")
• Broad knowledge across the stack (your "horizontal")
• Can lead in your specialty, contribute everywhere

Most valuable specializations in 2024: Distributed systems, ML/AI infrastructure, cloud architecture, security/compliance, frontend performance. These command €150k-€250k+ salaries at senior levels.