Which CS specializations have the highest ceiling in the current and in the future market??

Posted by RaXven_Kr99@reddit | learnprogramming | View on Reddit | 14 comments

Hello, everyone. I just started the CS career, so I would like to know what advice you could give me and what branch of career should I focus on?

I'm currently interested in programming, cybersecurity and AI.

I don't know what advice you could give me about that and advice in general for the profession and career while I'm at the University.

Thank you for your attention and sorry for my grammar, greetings

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neyash_@reddit

I'm considering doing econometrics and computer science in uni and I was wondering the same thing. My choice is between that and doing an accounting and finance/economics degree while learning computer science on my own

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TechBriefbyBMe@reddit

just pick one and get good at it. the market doesn't care which specialization you chose, it cares that you actually finished something. everyone's reading the same medium articles anyway.

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dylantrain2014@reddit

The highest pay right now is for ML researchers. The next highest are quants, but that’s not really within the scope of CS.

It’s not clear what will be in demand in the future. It wasn’t obvious that ML researchers would be in such high demand just a few years ago. Pursue what interests you, and make sure whatever you do, you remain proficient in other areas.

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Sorvelix@reddit

Totally hear you on the ML hype! I jumped into AI years ago, and it’s wild how fast it’s growing. Keeping skills sharp in other areas is key; it definitely helps with job security.

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RaXven_Kr99@reddit (OP)

Thanks for the advice. Quants is used in the financial sector, right? I'm currently learning to program with C++. Do you think it's a good program to start with? And what do you recommend to stay updated on market needs?

Thanks again.

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bootyhole_licker69@reddit

pick one thing you enjoy and get actually good at it, don’t chase hype too much. ai and security both pay well but jobs are rare now

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RaXven_Kr99@reddit (OP)

Thank you for your advice, I'm currently working with C++, is C++ a good language to start and enter in this big world?

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lastdiggmigrant@reddit

If you're one of the best at it, yeah. Just start reading.

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RaXven_Kr99@reddit (OP)

I think I'm one of the best in my class with that program, but we're just starting out, so everything is pretty easy. I'm also trying to learn through YouTube videos.

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dmazzoni@reddit

These are the three factors that affect pay:

Location - the highest pay is in the San Francisco Bay Area / Silicon Valley, Seattle, and New York. You're unlikely to get the highest pay anywhere else.
Tech company - you'll make the most at a tech company, as opposed to a non-tech company that hires developers.
Seniority / level - this is the part that a lot of developers don't appreciate. Don't hyper-focus on the difference between $100k vs $150k as your starting salary - focus on the fact that each promotion increases your total compensation exponentially. Two promotions will roughly double your salary. Getting promoted to Staff can give you $500k and up.

Notice I didn't mention anything about specialization, because that hardly matters. You can get promoted in just about any specialization. Getting promoted has far more to do with deeply understanding the business, having great leadership skills, and being able to communicate to both technical and non-technical people.

At the same level, the difference in salary between different specializations is small.

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RaXven_Kr99@reddit (OP)

Thanks, any advice on improving my leadership and communication skills? Or does that depend more on the person's personality? And what do you recommend for better understanding the market and staying up-to-date?

Thanks again

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Unique-Media-6766@reddit

Andrew Tate specialization

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Hinameisbye@reddit

reinforcement learning: RLHF, RLVR, dynamic programming

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RaXven_Kr99@reddit (OP)

Thanks for the specific topics. Between RLHF and Dynamic Programming, which one do you think provides a better logical foundation for a first-year student? Any recommended resources to start with?