does anybody earn a living programming in python?

[Stuart Bishop]

walterbyrd wrote:

> My research of this subject was very limited, just looked at the major
> job boards, and compared demand for python developers to demand for
> other languages, such as java, c++, visual basic, or php. An
> unscientific test, I realize. But, it's not easy to get good data on
> such a subject: everybody has an agenda, it seems.
> 
> I don't count jobs where python is an "also ran" skill. For example,
> sys-admin jobs where python is listed with a dozen other skills.

I think you are getting skewed results. The companies I have been involved
in that use Python tend to be after top-tier (or as close as they can
afford) programmers rather than the sort of applications you get by the
truckload if you advertise a job on 'the major job boards'. You get a much
better quality of applicant if you target niche boards (such as
http://www.python.org/community/jobs/), use word of mouth, or posts to
highly targeted mailing lists like the ones run by your companies local
users groups or direct contact with visible community members with the
skillsets you need. The results get further skewed on 'the major job boards'
when one real job results in 100 job notices from 100 different recruitment
companies.

My personal experience is that there is a shortage of good Python
programmers. In Melbourne, Australia for example there is a continual need
for about 2 more - one Python shop there just hires clueful developers and
makes their first task 'learn Python'. We generally have a few positions
open at any particular moment too - http://www.ubuntu.com/employment (but we
are picky - it is hard to hand hold when the hand is several time zones away).

On a slight tangent, one of the appealing things about Python (and other
'non-mainstream' languages) in the past has been that the people who knew
Python also tended to be the people you wanted to employ - they generally
had experience in other languages but moved onto something they perceived as
'better' either at work or home. It indicated a level of care and pride
about their profession rather than someone who just treated cutting code as
a day job. That might be changing now that Python is becoming more visible
on peoples radar.

-- 
Stuart Bishop <stuart at stuartbishop.net>
http://www.stuartbishop.net/

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