44, and yes, it's a concern on the horizon that there might be ageism - but so far I'm not seeing it.
> Do you have to go into management to continue progressing upwards in pay and influence
That depends on how much pay and influence you want. At some point, influence means managing. If not in title, certainly in actions.
> Is there a plateau in pay?
Yes and no. If you stay in the same qualification range at a given company, your pay will stagnate modulo annual increases. Move up or out to improve.
> Is there a drop in pay switching jobs after a certain number of years experience because places are looking for 5+ instead of 20+?
There can be. If you can, trade the drop for something you care about that advances your career. E.g. 2 jobs ago I took a pay-cut, but that translated into being given the responsibility to build a new team from scratch. It was something I wanted enough to take the cut, and it was a great learning experience. I subsequently traded back for money ;)
> Are older devs not looking for new jobs because they have families and want more stability/are focussed elsewhere?
Can't speak for all - I usually pick jobs I like, at companies I like, for pay I'm OK with. As long as the job comes with growth opportunities, I don't look for new jobs because I'm enjoying what I do.
If I don't, I'll probably switch.
But yes, I've also settled down a bit more. I wouldn't root up my family on a whim and move to a different continent any more, unless it was a stellar opportunity. Or maybe I'm not settled down, just pickier.
> And lastly: if you're in your late 30s, 40s, 50s, what are you doing at your job? What are the older people in your workplace doing?
I write code, and am trying to move into a bit more of a lead position, because that's what I care about. In general, the ones who want to write code do so. The ones who want to manage do so. And we've got people that are significantly older than I am.
In short, I wouldn't worry too much about being too old just yet :) Just make sure you keep your skills sharp.
> Do you have to go into management to continue progressing upwards in pay and influence
That depends on how much pay and influence you want. At some point, influence means managing. If not in title, certainly in actions.
> Is there a plateau in pay? Yes and no. If you stay in the same qualification range at a given company, your pay will stagnate modulo annual increases. Move up or out to improve.
> Is there a drop in pay switching jobs after a certain number of years experience because places are looking for 5+ instead of 20+?
There can be. If you can, trade the drop for something you care about that advances your career. E.g. 2 jobs ago I took a pay-cut, but that translated into being given the responsibility to build a new team from scratch. It was something I wanted enough to take the cut, and it was a great learning experience. I subsequently traded back for money ;)
> Are older devs not looking for new jobs because they have families and want more stability/are focussed elsewhere?
Can't speak for all - I usually pick jobs I like, at companies I like, for pay I'm OK with. As long as the job comes with growth opportunities, I don't look for new jobs because I'm enjoying what I do.
If I don't, I'll probably switch.
But yes, I've also settled down a bit more. I wouldn't root up my family on a whim and move to a different continent any more, unless it was a stellar opportunity. Or maybe I'm not settled down, just pickier.
> And lastly: if you're in your late 30s, 40s, 50s, what are you doing at your job? What are the older people in your workplace doing?
I write code, and am trying to move into a bit more of a lead position, because that's what I care about. In general, the ones who want to write code do so. The ones who want to manage do so. And we've got people that are significantly older than I am.
In short, I wouldn't worry too much about being too old just yet :) Just make sure you keep your skills sharp.