09/04/2009 05:00:14 PM EST

I have two reactions to this: A) I am in no way surprised. Just look at how Long Island (NY) companies are undervaluing tech-related positions (as Craig Reino wisely pointed out in his blog). While Manhattan might be doing the EXACT opposite, that has nothing to do with the rest of country and the offers I keep getting from recruiters trying to get me to move for ridiculously low pay are proof of that. Between the last rush (roughly 5 years ago) of students trying to major in computer related fields that caused average pay to shrink and with the constant undervaluing of those same positions today, I doubt anyone can really be surprised by these numbers falling so low. B) Good! I hate to be selfish & conceded, but I know I am an awesome programmer and software architect. So now I can go from thinking "well, at least I am one of the few GOOD ones" to "EVERYONE knows that I am one of the few ones, AT ALL" Try undervaluing me when employee's like me are few and far between! Of course, doesn't this just begin a new cycle of "the tech industry looking like the hottest and best paid that leads to more people majoring in it which leads to a drop is paychecks which leads to less people majoring which leads to salaries going up which leads to people majoring in it again, which leads to..."?

United StatesJames A. Hulsmann

09/07/2009 06:11:07 PM EST

Please, not this old shibboleth. There is no evidence of a lack of software engineers. If there were, the salaries would skyrocket and there is no evidence of that happening. Many SW engineers do not have CS backgrounds. There are physicists, statisticians, etc. who have the intellectual capital to write software.

United StatesDoug in Seattle

09/08/2009 09:26:37 AM EST

It surprises me that, "off-shoring" is nowhere in the article text. This trend has nothing to do with the lack of interest but with the knowledge that students are becoming aware that they will not get a decent-pay, entry-level job in IT regardless of race or gender. Why bust your butt learning C++ or Java to end up making less than a Marketing professional (if you want to be competitive with your foreign counterparts). Nowadays, IT professionals (newbies or seniors) have to compete with the World, not with the other candidates applying for the job.

United StatesJohn Chaves

09/08/2009 10:01:29 AM EST

That's real trendy in all, but you have a bigger problem. Why is anyone, going to want to spend four years and an 100k on a CS degree when the jobs for it, will, in all likelihood go overseas anyway. Instead of all the tired leftwing hyperventilating about diversity, how about finding away to keep the jobs here in the first place. If people think there will be a job at the end of the tunnel, the trend will reverse itself.

United StatesRob

09/08/2009 12:39:48 PM EST

One issue I see in high schools is that students are being pushed into a rigid college prep curriculum that doesn't allow for "elective" classes in Computer Science. American Colleges and Universities have become so competitive that students have to enroll in multiple Advanced Placement classes in order to meet admission requirements which squeezes elective or enrichment courses.

United StatesJim Souza

09/08/2009 05:32:50 PM EST

As long as corporations continue to aggressively offshore the work to lower the bottom line, I wouldn't encourage any young person to go into this field. I don't think its worth the cost of the degree to essentially face an entire career of looking over your shoulder. Now with more R&D centers being set up offshore its not just the low level jobs that are going to disappear. As to the comment that students are aware of the trend to offshore, I agree.

United StatesLarry

09/08/2009 11:04:39 PM EST

This article shows why the United States is doomed to defeat. Our leadership has lost its way and is myopically preoccupied with achieving the Politically Correct distribution of women and ethnic minorities in the workforce while our competitors abroad are eating our lunch. When most of the IT jobs are in India do you really think that the Indian government will be worried about making sure that American women and ethnic minorities are represented in the I.T. workforce in the Politically Correct proportions? Our leaders should be focused like a laser on improving our competitiveness in the world even if it means that there aren't as many women and ethnic minorities in I.T. as the Czars of Political Correctness think there should be.

United StatesGuillermo Vargas

09/22/2009 12:02:52 PM EST

Like so many have commented previously, the real problem is that there is no incentive AT ALL for a young college student to major in CS, knowing that ALL of the major corporations are setting up shops overseas. What's worse in my state (VA) even the STATE outsourced it's IT! This used to be how a new CS grad would get their first job out of school. They would take a lower-paying, entry level job w/the government, get some experience, and only then would they be able to compete in today's market where ALL positions are asking for 3-5 years of paid experience. The net result - sure the state saved some money on its IT (on paper at least, but that's another thread) but the result was 1400+ more Americans out of work in the state capital, and one of the major paths used by new CS grads to follow a career has been removed. The irony of it all is the same person who was the State's CTO who did this to our citizens is now the Federal CTO!

United StatesDave

11/05/2010 06:31:21 PM EST

There is really no point in concerning ourselves with minority and women in IT, because, in the very near future, there won't be any IT jobs in the United States. If a job can be sent offshore for less money, that is exactly what will happen. I suspect that women and minorities are just being smart by avoiding IT altogether. Unfortunately, it is very difficult for any college student to know which careers have a real future. There is an endless supply of foreign labor that is eager to fill any perceived labor "shortages", so, I wish college students luck finding jobs that will justify the time, effort and expense of a college degree. Nonetheless, college degrees always give a person an advantage over those that don't have them.

United StatesFred

03/22/2011 02:52:29 PM EST

First, the main reason people should worry about women and minorities not majoring in CS is because it's a huge untapped resource. The person who complained that it is a waste of effort is an idiot. Second, I agree with almost everyone on this blog who says that CS is undervalued. I graduated 17 years ago with a CS degree and my starting pay then is the same as what current graduates are getting now. I also made more money in CS after 5 years (when the field was hot) then most CS degrees are making mid career now. No one seems to value this degree. Other engineering fields are much much more valued. DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME WITH THIS DEGREE. Third, the United States seems to only value high finance, marketing, and other forms of high finance. Anyone that really digs in and works hard, innovates, creates new things, is not valued unless you are the one selling and marketing it. The high tech brains/engineers behind these businesses are not valued in the United States. This is a perfect example of the mediocrity path the United States is on.

United Statesbigwow