RE: What's an RPG Programmer worth these days?

The answer, of course, is "It depends".  There are programmers with 20 years
of experience I wouldn't pay more than 35K and there are those with less
than five years that are probably worth 60K or more.  I'm speaking in terms
of "Richmond, VA dollars", which are worth considerably more than "Northern
Virginia dollars" or "San Francisco dollars".  Geography plays a role as
does the amount of programming talent in your area.  If there are a lot of
available RPG programmers in the area, your employer, in the typical
short-sightedness common to employers, may feel that if you leave for a
higher salary, another programmer can be easily found to replace you.  

If you believe you have the talent to make more than 35K, you should be
asking for a raise, and you're doing the right thing getting salaries of
comparable people.  Were I you, I'd be looking for another job anyway, as
your employer doesn't seem too interested in keeping you happy, which means
you're deemed expendable. 

Good luck.

Donald R. Fisher, III
Project Manager
Roomstore Furniture Company
(804) 784-7600 extension 2124
DFisher@xxxxxxxxxxxxx

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With over 4 years of experience programming in RPGIV, what do you think is
the minimum an RPGIV programmer should be making?
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