Software Development, a bright career path for young Black kids
By: Michael Antwi
Tags: Black People, Career Paths, Cbsdigitalliteracy, Software Development

Over the past 20 years, the world has seen rapid technological advancement that has impacted many industries including media, climate action and healthcare[1]. This advancement has happened alongside a steady increase in the complexity of code that is used to develop software. Over the past 10 years, the amount of code managed by programmers has increased significantly. In a survey conducted by Sourcegraph, a company specializing in universal code search, over 51% of software developers interviewed said the size of the codebase they are using today has increased 100-fold the amount they were using 10 years ago[2],[3]. This ever-increasing complexity of code along with the increased digitization of the world underscores the importance of coding as a basic literacy in the digital age. It is therefore imperative that children today are taught code from a young age so they are able to understand and interact in a meaningful way with the technology around them[4]. This imperative is many times more important for black children who, without developing such marketable skills, may be at risk for underdevelopment and perpetuating a cycle of generational poverty[5].

There is an abundance of research outlining the ails of growing up black in America. Specifically, black children are at risk of poor health outcomes, incarceration, social discrimination and lower incomes, among other challenges[6],[7],[8]. As insurmountable as these challenges may seem, much research has pointed in the direction of education as a key ingredient for exiting the cycle of generational poverty that plagues many black people in the United States[9]. Among the many educational directions that black children can choose to pursue, coding is the most promising because it offers a path into a well-remunerated career, it is in extremely high demand, and is less prone to some of the common challenges faced by black people in the workplace.

Coding-related careers are some of the most well-paid careers on the job market today. In 2019, Software Developers had a median income of $107,510, with the bottom 15% of earners, earning a median income of $82,430[10]. These salaries are remarkable when put into perspective. In the same year, the median household income in the US was $68,703[11]. These numbers suggest that in 2019, the average low-paid software developer earned approx. $14,000 more than the median household in the US. Securing this high a salary can help black people make a comfortable exit from the “poverty trap”[12].

Software developers are among the most coveted professionals in the workforce today. It was estimated that in 2020 there would be 1.4M unfilled computer science jobs with only 400k students projected to graduate and potentially fill these roles[13]. Moreover, software developer roles were projected to grow by 22% between 2019 and 2029, double the projected growth for other computer science jobs[14]. Considering the current trajectory of digitization in the world, these projects are very likely to pan out. Moreover, despite a steady movement towards “no code” software development, traditional coders will always be needed. Low or no-code platforms that currently exist are designed for non-technical users and only allow for a narrow range of less complex tasks to be completed. Most enterprises will still need traditional software developers with strong technical know-how to maintain system security and to build customizable solutions for their business needs[15].

Last but not least, coding- related jobs are often less prone to interpersonal racism than other jobs. This is primarily because much of the work done by coders is extremely technical and often done independently. The technical nature of coding jobs makes employee appraisals more objective than other lines of work. As a result, some of the challenges Black people face in the workplace regarding missed promotions and unfair appraisals may be less common in coding-related jobs[16]. In addition, software development work requires much time spent independently. This reduced frequency in human interactions makes the likelihood of developing interpersonal strife with co-workers limited. Admittedly, isolation is not a solution for racism, nor does it help employees establish collegiality and camaraderie with their coworkers, however, it may reduce the mental angst faced by black employees that prevents their progression in other fields of work.

All-in-all, learning code and ultimately pursuing careers in software development is a beneficial career path that can help black people enter the upper middle class and sustain flourishing careers. Though no career is perfect, there are few that offer the financial and social benefits that software development offers its practitioners.

[1] https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/11/heres-how-technology-has-changed-and-changed-us-over-the-past-20-years/

[2] https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2020/10/sourcegraph-devs-are-managing-100x-more-code-now-than-they-did-in-2010/

[3] https://interestingengineering.com/how-programming-has-changed-over-the-last-decade

[4] https://blog.learningresources.com/5reasonskidscoding/#:~:text=Coding%20is%20a%20basic%20literacy,math%2Cwriting%2C%20and%20confidence

[5] https://www.brookings.edu/research/the-inheritance-of-black-poverty-its-all-about-the-men/

[6] https://healthblog.uofmhealth.org/lifestyle/health-inequality-actually-a-black-and-white-issue-research-says

[7] https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2020/09/poverty-rates-for-blacks-and-hispanics-reached-historic-lows-in-2019.html

[8] https://www.naacp.org/criminal-justice-fact-sheet/

[9] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4108157/

[10] https://money.usnews.com/careers/best-jobs/software-developer/salary

[11] https://money.usnews.com/investing/news/articles/2020-09-15/us-median-income-rises-poverty-rate-drops-in-2019-us-census-data

[12] https://www.theguardian.com/advertiser-content/stand-together/how-to-escape-the-poverty-trap-for-good

[13] https://www.daxx.com/blog/development-trends/software-developer-shortage-us

[14] https://money.usnews.com/careers/best-jobs/software-developer/salary

[15] https://pandium.com/2020/02/whats-wrong-with-low-and-no-code-platforms/

[16] https://www.fastcompany.com/90520541/pay-black-employees-based-on-their-performance-not-your-bias