When choosing a career path, there are plenty of questions you need to ask yourself.

Will I be happy in this job? Does it use my skills to their best advantage? Is there a long-term future in it for me? All important questions, but one concern often dominates above all others: how much money can I make?

This question is even more important for people looking into a life in coding, where opportunities are limitless. So why is there so much potential and where might it lead?

The Digital Skills Shortage

The UK is suffering a digital skills shortage. This means that there aren't enough people with the relevant digital qualifications (such as coding) to fill all the jobs that are available.

If things are left as they are, this won’t change any time in the future. In fact, it'll only get worse. As the world becomes more digital, the skills shortage will grow. After all, someone’s got to build all those websites and apps we use.

As Stephen Evans, chief executive of the LWI, said in 2021: “Our research shows that demand for basic digital skills is already nearly universal, and demand for more advanced digital skills will continue to increase. Helping young people develop the digital skills that employers need will be vital both to driving our economic competitiveness, and to ensuring young people can succeed in the labour market of the future.”

A report by professional services company Deloitte shone further light on the issue. According to them, only 16% of executives believe their teams have the skills they need to deliver a digital strategy.

"Digital is not just about technology. It is about what technology enables,” said the company's Oliver Vernon-Harcourt. "It can fundamentally change how work gets done, how organisations interact with their customers and how decisions are made.

"To realise the potential of digital technologies and benefit from these, it is vital for businesses to join together in addressing the digital skills gap."

The Digital Skills Opportunity

But where there are problems, there are also solutions and opportunities for those willing to help find them.

There's also money. Payscale estimates that the current average salary for a software developer is around £31,000, with the salary range starting at £22,000 and going all the way up to £50,000.

Of course, this figure depends on a number of factors, such as your location and the nature of the business you work for, so it shouldn't be taken as a final, definite amount.

Nor should it be taken as the amount you'll start with. Like every other career, coding is a job you grow into, and you shouldn’t try to rush anything.

To give an example of what you should look for, we here at Code Nation estimate that students who learn to code through our Master Course start their junior developer roles at around the £23,000 mark.

Even if you start at less than that, you’ll earn more as the years go by, you learn new skills and become an even more integral part of the digital workforce.

In summary

The Digital Skills Gap is a significant problem for businesses in the UK, but a real opportunity for people ready to jump into an exciting career.

Here at Code Nation, we believe anyone can code, that is why we offer various courses for all people starting their digital journeys ranging from our Explore short courses through to our Master 12 Week Skills Bootcamp.

Check out our Master Course and find out how you can go from novice to Junior Developer in just 12 weeks.

You can get on the road to a career in development by taking our 12-week Master Course. Learn more about our courses or visit one of our Open Evenings to get a taster.