In a world where technology is becoming increasingly relevant and integral to our lives, coding bootcamps offer an opportunity to gain the skills necessary for a career in tech.
But do these programs really get people jobs? It’s a question many potential students are asking as they consider whether or not to invest their time and money into attending one of these programs.
In this blog post, we will explore the statistics related to coding bootcamp graduates and their job prospects after graduating from the program.
We will look at data points such as job placement rates, salary outcomes, and other trends that can help you decide if it’s worth pursuing a coding bootcamp education. So let’s dive in!
What Are Coding Bootcamps?
Coding bootcamps are intensive, short-term educational programs designed to teach students the fundamentals of software development, web development, and other coding languages and principles.
Coding bootcamps differ from university computer science degrees in that they focus on hands-on experience, and often do not include any formal coursework. Instead, students learn by practicing their coding skills in a project-based setting.
These programs usually require a full-time or part-time commitment for several weeks or months, and are often quite expensive (albeit much cheaper than college degrees). However, when it comes to getting a job in tech, the investment is often very well worth it.
Do Coding Bootcamps Get You Jobs?
The ultimate answer to whether coding bootcamps are worth attending lies in the evidence of their success in helping their graduates find tech jobs. Let’s take a look at the data we have with regard to what proportion of students gain employment after completing their bootcamp education.
Successful job placement depends largely on each individual coding bootcamp out there. While some don’t publish their student outcomes online, others freely provide this information on their websites.
For example, these are the successful job placement statistics (employment within 180 days of graduation) for some of the most popular coding bootcamps in the United States.
- Grand Circus – 90%
- Flatiron School – 86%
- Hack Reactor – 79%
- Coding Dojo – 84%
- General Assembly – 74.4%
- Tech Elevator – 90%
- Codesmith – 82.8%
- Thinkful – 81%
If you don’t want to take the bootcamps’ word for it, there is also independent research data published by different organizations that report job placement success rates as well.
For example, Council on Integrity in Results Reporting (CIRR) has surveyed 46 different coding bootcamps and found that, on average, 80% of their graduates have found employment within six months of graduation.
Similarly, Course Report has surveyed 3043 graduates from 101 coding bootcamps and reported that 79% of them found a job within 180 days of course completion.
So do coding bootcamps get you a job? The data shows that the answer is yes—an overwhelming majority (80%) of graduates from these programs do find employment in the tech sector.
At the same time, it is important to remember that these numbers do not guarantee a job for every student. It is up to individual applicants to do their research, choose the right bootcamp for them, and make sure they have the skills and dedication necessary to succeed in the program.
What Jobs Can You Get after a Coding Bootcamp?
Coding bootcamps can lead to a wide variety of jobs in the tech market. Most bootcamps have focus programs that concentrate on such areas of coding as web development, software engineering, cybersecurity, or user experience (UX) design.
With that in mind, the following are the most common job titles that bootcamp graduates are hired for:
- Front-end developer
- Back-end developer
- Full-stack developer
- Software developer
- Software engineer
- Data analyst
- Data scientist
- UX/UI Designer
- Software Product Manager
- Cybersecurity analyst
- Mobile App Developer
- QA Engineer
As you can see, coding bootcamps offer much more than just a job—they open up an entire world of opportunities in the tech industry, from programming to product management and beyond.
If you’re ready to take the plunge and start your coding career, a coding bootcamp could be a great starting point for you.
What Companies Hire Bootcamp Graduates?
Coding bootcamp graduates can find jobs in a wide range of companies, from large tech giants to small startups to non-tech companies.
According to Career Karma’s 2023 State of the Bootcamp Market Report, the following are the top 9 companies that have hired the most coding bootcamp graduates:
- Amazon – 729
- Google – 697
- Facebook – 427
- Microsoft – 412
- JP Morgan Chase & Co – 270
- IBM – 258
- Apple – 228
- Accenture – 227
- Booz Allen Hamilton – 212
The report also reveals that bootcamp graduates are more likely to be hired by tech giants, FAANG companies, and startups than traditional companies.
Most bootcamps also proudly publish the companies their graduates have found employment in on their websites, so be sure to check your programs of interest for more information.
How to Ensure You Get a Job after a Bootcamp
If you’re looking to get a job after a coding bootcamp, there are certain steps you can take to increase your chances of success.
1. Pick the Right Bootcamp
There are certain bootcamps that have better job placement rates than others. It is always best to choose the programs that have published a successful record of career outcomes for their students.
Some bootcamps offer a job guarantee policy in which they will refund your tuition if you do not find a job within a certain amount of time after graduation. These bootcamps are usually more motivated to help you gain the skills and connections necessary to get a job in the tech industry.
Other bootcamps also have apprenticeship programs that guarantee internships after completion of their educational course. This ensures that students gain job experience alongside the program materials.
Lastly, make sure your bootcamp of choice has career services as a part of their program—they will help you prepare your resume, sharpen your interview skills, and find appropriate job opportunities.
2. Study Like Your Future Depends on It (It Does)
It is important that you do not take your bootcamp studies lightly. The more hard work you put in during the program, the better job opportunities you will have upon graduation.
Take the time to gain a thorough understanding of the materials and do your best to put what you learn into practice.
Practice as much as you can and work on side projects in order to build up and solidify your newly learned skill sets.
Learn new languages besides the ones you are taught in the bootcamps and do your best to stay updated on the industry’s new emerging technologies.
Coding bootcamps are often quite short in duration, so make sure to take full advantage of the time you do have.
3. Prepare for Job Search
To get a job as a bootcamp graduate, you will need to put together a great package of application materials, which, first of all, means a strong resume and an attractive coding portfolio.
Your resume should include your contact information, summary statement (if switching careers), education, work experience, projects, and skills.
Your portfolio, in turn, should include a well-presented variety of coding projects, including both projects you worked on during the bootcamp and any side projects you did on the side.
4. Practice for the Interview
Don’t forget about preparing for behavioral and coding interviews, as they are an integral part of the selection process and the ultimate determining factor for most employers.
Most bootcamps offer mock interviews and coding challenges as a part of their career services, so make sure to take advantage of those.
For technical interviews, make sure to practice LeetCode problems on the daily basis and deploy tactics for getting better at solving technical challenges.
5. Find a Mentor
A mentor can provide you with emotional and technical support throughout your coding bootcamp journey and beyond.
A mentor can help you stay motivated, give advice on how to approach coding as well as job search, and even open doors to new career opportunities.
To find a software engineer mentor, reach out to your bootcamp instructors, mentors from the bootcamp, or industry experts on LinkedIn for mentorship.
How Much Do Bootcamps Cost?
The cost of coding bootcamp programs can vary greatly, depending on the duration, type of program offered, and region.
On average, bootcamps cost $13,500 for the program, with a range from $5,000 to $20,000 or more.
One way to offset the cost of bootcamp programs is to look for schools that offer financial aid opportunities such as scholarships and loans.
Some coding bootcamps also offer payment plans, deferred tuition, or income-share agreements.
How Much Do Bootcamp Graduates Earn?
To consider whether it is worth attending a coding bootcamp, you may also need to know how much you can make as a developer being a bootcamp graduate.
From their first job post bootcamp, the average grad earns a generous $69,079 starting salary. Even more promisingly though, on average they earn an impressive $80,943 in their second role and then further increase this figure to reach a whopping sum of $99,229 in their third employment, according to Course Report.
Studies reveal that coding bootcamp alumni typically receive a salary boost of 51% more than their previous job, on average.
When it comes to income, college graduates are initially expected to outearn bootcamp grads by roughly $3,000 – $5,000 on average. However, this salary gap begins to diminish over time.
Are Coding Bootcamps Worth It?
Coding bootcamps are an excellent way to get a fast-track computer science education and quickly enter the lucrative tech market.
They charge a considerable amount in tuition; however, the monetary returns are most often very well worth the investment.
Coding bootcamps are especially convenient for career changers and those who need to acquire necessary skills to get a profitable job in a prompt manner.
Are coding bootcamps worth it? Absolutely yes. However, you need to understand that in order for them to pay off in a form of a job offer, you need to study intensively, work hard on your resume and coding portfolio, and practice your interview skills.
If you do all of the above, do coding bootcamps get you jobs? You bet! It will still take patience and persistence, as entry-level developer jobs are known to take some time to fruit. Usually, you have to file around 100 job applications to get a handful of interviews and only a couple of offers.
However, it is doable and the returns are worth it! So do your best, don’t give up and you will surely find success as a bootcamp graduate.
What Are the Alternatives to Coding Bootcamps?
If you are not sure whether a coding bootcamp is the right choice for you, we would like to present you some alternative options for acquiring programming education.
The most popular alternatives to a coding bootcamp include:
- Self-study
- Associate’s degree
- Accelerated Computer Science degree
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science
- Master’s degree for non-CS majors (for career changers)
If you are uncertain whether you should attend a coding bootcamp or get a university degree, we suggest reading our article “Coding Bootcamp or Computer Science degree: which route should I take?” for a detailed comparison of the two options.
Conclusion
Coding bootcamps do have a statistically significant impact on employment for their graduates.
According to the CIRR report, approximately 80% of graduates from coding bootcamps reported being employed in a job requiring the skills learned during their program within six months of graduation.
While this statistic is encouraging, it is important to do research and understand the employment outcomes of specific bootcamps before enrolling.
Factors such as school accreditation, student outcomes data, tuition fees, and program length should all be taken into consideration.
Ultimately, do coding bootcamps get you jobs? It appears the answer is yes.
It’s important to do your research and choose a coding bootcamp that fits your needs and offers the best job prospects. With the right program and dedication, coding bootcamps can provide a valuable foundation for your career in tech. Good luck!
Elmar Mammadov is a software developer, tech startup founder, and computer science career specialist. He is the founder of CS Careerline and a true career changer who has previously pursued careers in medicine and neuroscience.
Due to his interest in programming and years of past personal experience in coding, he decided to break into the tech industry by attending a Master’s in Computer Science for career changers at University of Pennsylvania. Elmar passionately writes and coaches about breaking into the tech industry and computer science in general.