73 Percent of Coding Bootcamp Graduates Employed Full-Time, Earn Salary Lift
Coding bootcamps have surged in popularity in recent years. These accelerated, intensive programs attract tech-minded students looking to learn full-stack web, mobile and front-end development, as well as UX design, digital marketing and product management. Graduates are not only succeeding in the job market, but they are seeing a significant increase in salary compared to what they earned before enrolling.
Those are the main takeaways from a recent survey from Course Report, a centralized source for reviews of coding bootcamps. Course Report's third-annual “Coding Bootcamp Alumni Outcomes & Demographics Study” surveyed 1,143 graduates of 52 qualifying coding schools, finding that 73 percent of graduates are working full-time in jobs that utilize the skills acquired in bootcamps. The graduates also reported an average salary increase of 64 percent or $26,021 (compared to their salary before enrolling in a coding bootcamp). These numbers are up from the 2015 survey, which found 66 percent working in full-time positions and an average salary increase of 38 percent or $18,000 among 665 graduates.
A breakdown of the demographics reveals that the typical coding bootcamp enrollee is 30 years old with at least a bachelor’s degree (60 percent of respondents) and has never worked as a programmer (40 percent). Prior to enrolling in a bootcamp, many worked in hospitality, retail and tourism industries (153 respondents) and IT, web development and design (151 respondents). Nearly all of the respondents entered a bootcamp with the intention of landing a programming job (89 percent).
Other key findings include:
- Approximately 43 percent of bootcampers are women, compared to 15.7 percent in undergraduate computer science programs;
- Low-income students had a $39,190 lift in salary;
- The average bootcamper paid $11,792 in tuition;
- Coding bootcamp graduates working in San Francisco boast the highest salary average ($101,779), followed by graduates in Oakland ($101,731); and
- Graduates who learned Python earned the highest average salary.
For more information about the participating schools and outcomes of the survey, visit the Course Report site.
About the Author
Sri Ravipati is Web producer for THE Journal and Campus Technology. She can be reached at sravipati@1105media.com.