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The Real Reason Why 93% Of JS Devs Are Underpaid While The “Elite Few” Get All The Cash

Dragos Nedelcu on June 01, 2022

If you are a JavaScript developer this should terrify you. Because when I work with developers, the first thing I realize is how underpaid they a...
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michaelkara2 profile image
Real Maiko Sonko 🇰🇪

Great article. You have articulated what I have been thinking but unable to put into words. I am an underpaid Js dev, and the thought of simply getting multiple other gigs to supplement my income is not really a viable option in my view. Your time is limited. Burn out is real. Better to concentrate your forces, become an expert and look for a fat dino to help you level up your income.

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Dragos Nedelcu

glad it helped :)

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fen1499 profile image
Fen

I really agree on the selling the sh**t of yourself part. I've known this for the past four years but only recently have been able to make my mind to apply it.

It either feels like I'm making some massive flex out of pure arrogance or that building some sort of portfolio is working for free, but it really pains me to have my job opportunities limited by how much of my skill I can prove.

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Dragos Nedelcu

time to take action Fen :) keep it up!

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spO0q 🐒

I agree with you on the fact that most "influencers" are prone to the Survivorship bias, thinking their path is like a recipe to get the Golden Goose.

While most are honnest and do it to give back to the community (while still making some money), you might have touched a sore point for some of them. It reminds me the YouTube videos of so-called millionaires who live the "vanlife," and say that's the next level in existence.

Don't get me wrong. If you live that life and enjoy it, that's cool, but don't tell me it's the ultimate mindset to get rich.

I'm a bit skeptical on the "free time," though. Being ultra-busy so that you cannot or do not want to have some open-source projects is not a proof of anything, to me. I think the GitHub profile can be good, especially for junior devs who do not have much to write in their CV.

If a recruiter judges candidates according to this criterion only (whether it's good or bad for him/her), like making assumptions based on public activities, I don't think it's a good approach.

Besides, having free time is not necessarily bad in itself. Some people are well-organized.

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Dragos Nedelcu

+1 jmau11 :)

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tq-bit • Edited

Exactly the cheeky kind post I like. Feel-good career advice doesn't pay the bills.

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Dragos Nedelcu

not in this galaxy lol :)

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gulshanaggarwal profile image
Gulshan Aggarwal

93 percent how you calculated?

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Gulshan Aggarwal

Hey Dragos, you caught my eyes. Nice one!

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Dragos Nedelcu

Looking at the data from the calls i've done in the last 12 months :)

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marcusdiedrich

Nice and motivating :) glad to have found this.

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huydzzz profile image
Pơ Híp

you awesome have a gud day

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sesay

great article love it :)