6+ experience financial software development (derivatives): 125k salary + variable bonus (20-50% of base) + benefits (dental/health/vision/insurance/various discounts).

BS in Computer Information Science from City College (2 yrs at Ivy League prior) Currently employed in finance as Senior Lead Developer + Manager in top 10 firm. Averaging 65hrs a week (no overtime) but have gone as high as 110hrs avg for a few months straight.

It was incredibly difficult to get where I am the way I went about it but not impossible. Get in the door, develop relationships with senior developers who will teach you more than any book or class, work the hardest and become the "best in class" and you will be rewarded handsomely. Took 200 resume sub missions, 50 call backs, 15 in person interviews (avg 8hrs per) before I got my foot in the door as a junior developer analyst for 50k + benefits in an excellent economy. Only the relentlessly tenacious who are willing to adapt will survive.

4 yrs exp working for a us company in Bangalore (India). Make around $1200 per month + 10% variable + Medical. this the avg sal for a similar exp in India. I have a masters from one of the top 20 cs collages.

PhD. >4 years of development. 125K. No options, up to 5% bonus. NYC.

I feel I'm getting underpaid big time :( Looking for greener pastures as we speak.

Currently making 120K + some stock options. Small startup in the valley. Fresh out of Masters. Worked for a year (as a researcher in a lab) after undergrad.

Do you think a master's degree was worth it, in terms of extra salary as well as in terms of general life experience?

For me, yes. I had an extremely shitty undergrad in EE. I wanted to do C.S. (to put it bluntly, I didn't know shit about programming) and Math and basically crammed in as much of a B.S. in Math/C.S. in those 2.5 years of Masters. Moving from being unemployable to employable is a definitely boost.

Sr. Software Engineer. 125K + 15k bonus. East bay.

5 years experience + BS from a top 10 or so CS program.

9-5 job. Decent sized company.

You should probably include benefits then as salary doesn't mean much when you have tons of stock options.

Zero (unemployed). CS graduate with experience in Linux and Windows Server, LAN and WAN administration, database design, web development, GIS. When I've found work it has usually been in the $12-$16/hr range; the most I've ever been paid was $25/hr, the least $8/hr when that was still above minimum wage. Location: SF Bay Area (Sonoma/Marin).