Computer Science In Cool Places!

Florida vs CaliforniaBy: Tanner Reichard

Career: Computer Scientist!

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Florida!

For Florida, I wanted to pick what would be an exotic and satisfying job, so I looked up what the salary would be for a Computer Scientist for NASA.

Upper and Lower Levels of Expenditure

Tallied Expenses

Going with the lower end of the expenditure bracket before.

Florida has no state income tax, yay!

Total net income will be 121,768 – 38,354

$83,414

California!

Because it’s California and we’re on the path of computer science, clearly we want to work for Google as a software engineer.

Upper and Lower Levels of Expenditure

Tallied Expenses

Again, going with the lower amount of expenditure, as it is just myself I have to take care of.

For this salary in California, the tax bracket is at 9.3%

Total net income will be 155,630 – (155,630 x 0.093) – 50,501

$90,655.41

Findings

Believe it or not, despite the cost of living being significantly much cheaper in Florida, the extra salary in California surpasses the marginal cost of higher living expenses.

While I wanted to do further shopping like I did previously in the in-class version of this project and find the absolute cheapest deal on utilities and rent, I wanted to present a more realistic approach so the averages were more consistent to determine a true comparison.

However, this class and our readings have definitely told us that we make our own luck in finding cheap deals on rent, so always be on the lookout!

Grad School?

Not necessary, however, HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY reccomended

Computer Science is a rapidly evolving field that requires that operators stay on top of new technologies and methods, usually meaning that a worker will have to learn a new type of system at least once a decade, if not more.

What colleges teach are often the most universal and most recent iterations of computer technology, meaning that getting recertified or pursuing a Master’s Degree in Computer Science can only be a benefit to you as an employee.

The gap between entry levels of a position and senior levels of a position can be a difference of as much as $100,000 in design fields for software engineering.

The average cost of a Master’s Degree in Computer Science is around $150,000

Advancement opportunities

There are many different types of career paths stemming from computer science. Starting at the bottom are Computer Support Specialists, which only make around 40 K a year. However, an aspiring computer scientist may advance one day to an Information Systems Manager or Advanced Software Engineer, which, at entry level make around 95 K a year.

Adding to that, the Senior positions (those where having a graduate degree would help you to qualify for) make around 150K or more on average. This is a difference of around 55K a year for getting a graduate degree. Sounds like an even trade to me!

Job Titles and Earning Potential in Computer Science

Job Title Salary

Computer Support Specialist $36,990---$62,530

Web Developer $44,860---$83,450

Software Engineer $70,850---$113,280

Computer Scientist $79,260---$122,960

Information Systems Manager $94,740---$152,380

Where do we go from here?

I think I would choose to go to work in sunny San Jose, California for Google. Although working for NASA would be a dream come true, NASA’s dealing with some budget cuts and Google is expanding. When it comes down to job security, Google is more stable, and provides a better paycheck. Next stop, California!

Sources

http://www.computermajors.com/it-articles/computer-science-salary-averages.aspx

http://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/15-1121.00

http://www.sanjoseca.gov/index.aspx?NID=2046

http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/12/1253000.html

http://www.indeed.com/salary/Computer-Scientist.html

http://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/computer-scientist-salary-SRCH_KO0,18.htm