>>>>>>>>>Hi Morys ---
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>It swings around all over the place....depends on where you live, years of experience, et al....I've seen it as low as $40K and as high as $125K.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>Can someone comment about how much a VFP programmer making in these days (money)? Average?
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>As _low_ as $40k? I'd love to make that much! I make $28.9k. I dare anyone to come up with a lower figure for full time work. :)
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>-Michelle
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>Michelle, considering this, and some of the other things we've learned about your employer here, I have a single word of advice: run.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>I'm working on it, really. :) I'm not just whining and not doing anything about it. I've got a subcontracting job (if it ever gets here. Sigh.) and a lead on a possible full time job. So things are looking up. I just don't have anything concrete where I could actually quit this job and still have the same or better income. So here I stay for now. But not for long. :)
>>>>>>
>>>>>>-Michelle
>>>>>
>>>>>You desperately need to go to: www.realrates.com and be prepared for a shock.
>>>>>I am amazed at how many programmers underestimate their worth. Full employment, shortages due to Y2K, look at the H1B law! Any good programmer should be contracting, not an employee, and billing a minimum of $65/hour. Do not take my word for it, go to: www.realrates.com and examine the real_rate survey.
>>>>>
>>>>>It is YOUR skill that THEY need, not you needing the work!
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>I've been there. The problem is that all the salary surveys in the world don't change the fact that there's no VFP work in this town. My husband doesn't want to move, so my only option is telecommuting, which I'm working on. Things are starting to go, but I'm still not in a position where I can quit my job.
>>>>
>>>>-Michelle
>>>
>>>I hear that. That is why I also know and contract in PowerBuilder, VB, Cobol II, DB2, CICS, etc, etc. To be a contractor is to have MANY tools in your
>>>toolbox. I typically move from a FoxPro contract to a PowerBuilder contract.
>>>Lately, mainframe bucks are quite good also.
>>
>>
>>I'd like to stick with VFP as much as possible. I want to learn things that go with it, like SQL Server, but I'd rather be really good at VFP than a little good at a bunch of things. We'll see how things go. If I need to learn something else, I will.
>>
>>-Michelle
>
>I hear you. It is a VERY GOOD idea to master one tool before pursuing another.
>I first learned OOP when I bought and learned PowerBuilder on my own. What was
>a big surprise to me was that when I got into VFP for the first time, all the
>stuff I learned about OOP was easily transferable to VFP - only VFP was so
>much better! Learning a new tool is fun and adds spice to life, not to mention
>opening up more doors to contracts!
>
>Later

I'm maybe too set in my ways. I get comfortable in a tool and like to stay there. But I'm also practical. If the tool isn't sufficient for what I need to do, I'll find one that is.

-Michelle