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Comment by yeureka | Hacker News Reader

I know a developer that earns well above 1500£ per day writing and maintaining x86 assembly embedded in C++ for finance applications.

That is higher than the going rate for Haskell in finance afaik.

So yes, still relevant.

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Is the going rate for Haskell in finance especially high?

I used to work with Haskell in finance, but as an employee not contractor. Money was OK, but not higher than for any other language as far as I can tell.

(I wouldn't be surprised if going rates for Cobol and Fortran were higher than for any sane language.)

Huh. Too bad it's finance. Is there anyone in a non-parasitic industry still paying that kind of money for assembly coding? Maybe I should get back into it. I always loved the low-level world, anyway.

Furthermore, is any non-parasitic industry paying that kind of money for any coding?

Further furthermore, is any non-parasitic industry paying that kind of money for anything?

Heads of co-ops or well-run businesses (eg Costco)?

I have difficulty believing that beyond the rare exception, those who earn over £1500 a day are nothing more than rent seekers who's staying power is more political than based on work and skill.

Oh I agree there.

If securing a $2300/day job through political means is easy why doesn't everybody do it?

Exactly. It certainly takes strength in the skill of politics. While some are naturals, it's an art and science that's anything but simple. The people on top were often groomed for it by experts (parents or whatever) over literally decades. They also get lots of practice during that time.

That's why I tell people who want to be rich or powerful to master people skills, maintain right image, go to right schools, get the right connections, and deal/negotiate their way to top manager by manger, boardroom by boardroom.

Finance is the "parasitic" industry that powers every big VC and every tech IPO - the reason that founders can pay programmers as much as they do these days.

I can see the guy in Saudi Arabia saying this now: royalty is a "parasitic" class that powers every big oil deal -- the reason that businesses can pay oil workers as much as they do these days.

(I'm not criticizing your conclusion, just your argument)

Thats a good point, thanks.

> Too bad it's finance. Is there anyone in a non-parasitic industry

Oh grow up

I can't comment on £1500 specifically but there's plenty of (IMO) well-paying demand for low-level dev work out there in the tech industry in general. (Whether you consider the tech industry parasitic is of course another matter entirely…; I've never worked in finance and I do alright.) I don't know about predominantly writing assembly code, but that probably exists, too (SIMD…). Personally, I read a lot more (dis-)assembly than I write.

General advice for deeply technical consulting: you need to have a lot of deep practical experience in a few specific areas and you'll generally need to hit the ground running no matter what project you're dropped into and rapidly start generating corresponding value for the client. And expect to be continuously fighting off offers of permanent employment once you start picking up work.

Still relevant for that developer? Yes, very much so.

For others?

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