
Ask HN: best-paid field to speciaze in programming/IT? - anon41
I would rather do programming, but I don't mind if it's something related like pentesting, reverse engineering, etc.  Bonus points if it's a field where programming in Python is at least an option, since I love it.<p>Is it Android development?  iPhone development?  Web development (probably not)?  Machine learning? ...<p>What can I learn in the following year or months if I want a higher salary or, maybe, work as a highly paid contractor?
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david_shaw
I know that SAP system maintainers/programmers earn a _lot_ of money, in many
instances with salaries of $200k+. But please, don't specialize in something
_solely_ for the money. Things like pentesting and reverse engineering are
fields that hire people with extraordinary passion; it's hard to make a lot of
money just trying specialize. I can speak on this topic, as I work in
information security.

If you dream of making an iPhone app that people use every day, go that route.
If you want to hack into the Fortune 100, get into information assurance. Want
to build vast networks, become a network engineer.

The point is that any of these things can be lucrative, but they are
competitive fields with no guarantees. Follow your heart, work hard and
hopefully the riches will follow!

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mdoyle
I agree with the other comments; do what you are most passionate about. I
found the following for you, not sure if its useful. There's a downloadable
PDF but you have to supply some details. Looks pretty good though.
<http://www.roberthalftechnology.com/SalaryCenter>

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josegonzalez
The best field is the one you are most happy in. It is much easier to find a
great job if you are extremely satisfied with what you do, because then you
excel at it.

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aonic
high frequency trading C++ programmers at investment banks. A senior level
position with 3-4 years experience can get 200-300K

