When Do Programmers Retire? Is 35 the End? | by Entreprogrammer | Better Programming

Let’s talk about facts, rumors, and endings for programmers

Why don’t we see many white-haired software developers in the industry? Where do programmers go when they get old? Is the company laying off older programmers?

If a programmer in his 50s applied for a job with someone in their 20s or 30s, how many companies would hire them? There are a lot of rumors and some facts about this.

It is certainly shocking sometimes to see people who are 40, or even 35, considered “old”. This is always when programmers plan to retire or change jobs.

Let’s talk about some statistics.

Statistics: 40-60 years old still have programmer

I found some conflicting statistics in some of my surveys. In 2019, Stack Overflow surveyed 66,329 professional developers from around the world. The result is this:

Of the total number of professional developers, 71.7% are under the age of 35, and 85% are under the age of 40. This is unusual compared to almost any other profession in the world.

The survey also found that, from 50,705 responses, the highest average age of developers in Australia and the United States was 32.8 years. The lowest average age in India is 25.9 years.

According to the study, the number of software developers in the United States aged 55 to 64 increased from 87,000 (8.3%) in 2011 to 195,000 (10.7%) in 2019. As a result, the U.S. has a higher concentration of older developers than most countries.

But over time, that will change.

According to Evans, there are about 24 million developers worldwide, and that number will increase by 20 percent to nearly 30 million by 2024. The United States currently has about 4.4 million software developers, the largest number of any country, but India is expected to surpass it in 2024.

In fact, Asia is producing more software developers, and the average age of software developers is going down.

Why do we see less of them in the industry?

Higher salary expectations and demands

Obviously, an older, experienced software developer should and expects to be paid more than a younger one (but not always).

The problem is demand. Do software companies need these experienced developers, and are they worth it? In most cases, no. A company doesn’t need a lot of experienced senior developers.

Every company has to calculate financial viability. Maintaining a large number of older developers with higher wages is not feasible.

Change your job

Most developers find ways to make more money without writing code. So changing jobs is another reason.

Endless learning

Technology, programming languages, and frameworks are changing so fast that many older (and even younger) developers can’t keep up with it.

There are many other responsibilities that fall on the older generation as they grow older. They often don’t give enough time to learn new things. This is another reason why we see fewer older programmers.

Professionals in other industries don’t have to learn so fast. Programmers always need to make sure they are aware of the latest changes.

The environment

Over time, they start to notice their older age within the team/company and find themselves in a group of younger programmers.

Because of the generation gap and other factors, many people are unable to connect with younger programmers. They feel lonely in the workplace. That’s another reason.

Relatively new industry

The software industry is relatively new than other industries. That’s one of the biggest reasons. As the industry gets older, hopefully we’ll see more of them.

Startup culture is also driving it

Entrepreneurs try to build and break things quickly. Every entrepreneur’s dream is to change the world in some positive way. As an entrepreneur, I can understand the psychology.

An idea is a fragile thing. Execution is everything. But before you can execute, the entrepreneur needs some technology (if it’s a tech startup). They can’t afford to wait a long time for a product.

Because when an idea fails, entrepreneurs must learn from their mistakes and move in another direction based on experimentation. All of these experiments require rapid advances in technology.

Also, when we raise A Series A or A good amount of money, we often can’t afford to spend more.

As a result, entrepreneurs are always looking for young developers to build tech products cheaply and quickly. However, as startups reach maturity, they do need experienced senior developers who can build a strong foundation and solid architecture for their products.

As Dan Lyons, former writer of HBO’s Silicon Valley, put it in an interview on the subject. I think they’ve all decided that the best option is the younger ones: burn them, get rid of them, replace them.”

This rampant ageism in the tech industry creates several problems, including mental stress for both young and old developers.

How to survive as a programmer in the industry

For many, programming is more than just a profession. I’ve been reading about this on Quora recently. I find a lot of developers in their 50s or 60s still programming.

Some of them were offered other jobs, but they turned them down because they loved programming. In fact, if you can do what you love, you are blessed! You can do work related to what you love.

However, whether you love it or not, there are some factors you need to keep in mind if you want to pursue this career for the long term. Whether you’re a young programmer or an older programmer, the rules are simple.

If you don’t update yourself often, you will become obsolete.

Follow young ideas

Aside from the fact that younger developers are cheaper, there are two other factors that make recruiters choose them.

  • They always want to learn more. They are curious and like to learn new things. Their knowledge is more likely to be up to date.

  • They can inspire new ideas and share fresh insights.

So follow the young mind. If you’re young at heart, it doesn’t matter what age you are.

Don’t carry technical baggage

As an entrepreneur, I see a lot of programmers with “technical baggage.” Please don’t do this. Always be open to adopting new technologies.

If a programmer has too many years of experience in a particular programming language and no work experience in their portfolio, some recruiters will count it as a red flag.

What is the ultimate goal?

If you’re reading this, you’re probably thinking, “Are older programmers forcibly fired after a certain time?” The answer is probably not.

Let’s take a look at them.

management

Since companies can easily hire young, dynamic developers for less money, they use experienced developers in another important role, such as a first – or second-line manager.

consultant

Young people can have many advantages, but they cannot be consultants. Experienced developers can become independents or become hiring consultants for the company. And they can really make a lot of money by being a good consultant.

I know a consultant from England who earns millions a year.

freelancer

Some of them hope to work by their own rules by becoming freelancers.

An expert in a particular field

Many people become experts in a professional field. I’ve seen people specialize in very specific areas where there is a need, such as big data for healthcare or Azure cloud architecture.

Experience will always be in great demand in certain sectors.

Early retirement

Many developers retire early to become trainers for younger developers.

Start a startup

Many experienced developers take advantage of their networks and skills and use some of their savings to start a new tech company or startup.

Continue to be a programmer

Yes! This is also an option, and many developers remain programmers well into their 50s or 60s. Their ability keeps them in the industry.

A few last words

Older developers face concerns about the stability of their roles. This can lead to increased stress and even imposter syndrome. I think this can be avoided by taking early preparations.

New programming languages, frameworks, and libraries spring up all the time. Keep updating. I keep saying it because I see it. Skilled people often overlook this. But the reality is that in this sector, skills can quickly become obsolete.

Sridhar Vembu, chief executive of Zoho, did an experiment by recruiting 17-year-olds directly from high school. He found that within two years, those hired performed almost as well as their college-educated peers.

With each passing day, the number of young programmers is increasing rapidly. So is programming really a game for young programmers?

My personal opinion, though, is that age is just a number, as long as programmers are not locked into a certain period of time and have the mindset to learn more. What do you think?

Let us know what you think in the comments. Please also share your experience of this issue in the workplace.