Why there is huge difference between programmers salary...

Many programmers are slightly overpaid because some are heavily underpaid. Let me explain why.

The myth about the “10x” software developer is more than just a myth. Software is inherently scalable and leverageable. With internet, even more so. That means a really good developer is worth his or her weight in gold. In today’s environment, a developer can implement a brilliant feature and it can literally help billions of people in no time.

Unfortunately, most developers aren’t very good. They may create some value, but it often won’t be enough to justify their salary.

The market is weird, though. Most people don’t fathom how extreme the difference is between a mediocre developer and a really good one. In an effort to keep costs down and be fair to employees, developers are paid approximately the same, regardless of their skills. A 10x developer can forget about getting 10 times the salary of others.

$80k for a below-average developer? Overpaid.

$200k for an exceptional developer? Massively underpaid.

As a consultant, I see this phenomenon all the time. Customers will be all too happy to pay $115/hour for a junior developer, rather than $135/hour for a senior developer. Sometimes, the juniors and seniors are paid exactly the same, which is insane.