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What is the average daily hours worked by a computer programmer?

Searching for a career in this field, but I would like to know the average hours worked on a daily basis as well as is the pay ok? I have a growing family here in Chicago.
#computer-science

computer-science
Thank you comment icon Still in college but I've talked to a lot of people who work in the field. It definitely pays well. Maybe when you first start it won't get a humongous check but it'll definitely be minimum wage but it shouldn't be long before you'll be getting paid really well. It also depends on who you work for and the responsibilities you are given. Startups won't be able to pay you as much as big companies but they might pay you in shares of the company as well. Big companies may pay better but if you switch to a job where the responsibilities are better split among employees then you'll be paid accordingly. Either way, the pay is nothing to laugh at. As for hours, I think that also depends on how big the company you're working for is and how much they'll depend on you. Christa
Thank you comment icon Thanks so much! So helpful! Betty
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Daniel’s Answer

This varies by industry, company, and even within a company by the specific team. For example if you're in the video game industry at most big companies there (some exceptions), you can expect some fairly grueling crunch time with insane hours. Similar for a lot of startups. Some parts of finance are pretty reasonable (e.g. a random big bank), some parts of finance can be grueling.



It's good that you're thinking about this ahead of time though, when it comes time to interview, make sure to ask around :) My wife (different industry, same question) was similarly clever in making sure she dodged places with insane work hours. I was not at first, but now I work a normal-ish 7-8 hour work day (sometimes less, sometimes more).


Pay for comp sci is pretty good. See e.g. https://www.careervillage.org/questions/82372/what-is-the-typical-starting-salary-for-a-computer-science-major?page=1#108369
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Bryon’s Answer

The working hours can vary a lot on the company you work at and the role at that company.

Like Daniel mentioned, gaming companies can have frequent deadlines and serious crunch times. Workweeks can exceed 100 hours or more. Early tech startups and fintech startups can also have extreme workloads.

However, there are also programming jobs with a normal 8-hour workday. Industries like utilities, telecommunications, and retail with strong union representation tend to promote a company culture of very limited overtime. Very large firms with salaried employees tend to be gravitate toward a normal workweek.

If work/life balance is important to you, I strongly suggest asking about it during the interview process to ensure that your expectations match those of the company.

Bryon recommends the following next steps:

Ask about work/life balance in interviews
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Alisha’s Answer

I would say the average working hours are 8 hour work days. The pay is usually enough to keep you financially stable and make you in at least middle class.
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