The question posed in the title is a legitimate one and gives us the chance to take a closer look at the field of programming.
Short answer
Anyone can learn how to code for free, but becoming good at it (and having a high salary) does come at a cost and it is not that easy.
Longer answer
Why does it come at a cost? Although the internet offers an abundance of freely accessible, quality material (books, tutorials, university courses), it does not make learning effortless. It might be free in an economical sense, but it requires time investment and motivation. The key skill here is persistence, not giving up despite all the issues that you will face, and learning from both your successes and failures.
Why isn’t it easy? While it is easy to learn the syntax of a programming language and to write a simple “Hello World” program, no one will pay for that. What you will need to learn is how to solve useful problems using computers. Programming languages are just the tool. Real world problems tend to be complex, so you will have to learn how to manage complexity. How to take large problems and break them up into small pieces. Dealing with smaller problems, reduces your mental load and makes it easier to come up with a solution (the instructions needed for a computer to solve the problem).
A different question
Let’s look at an analogy. If anyone can learn how to play basketball for free, why are the salaries of NBA players so high?
This question posed in a very similar manner seems to have an obvious answer. Because NBA players are exceptionally skilled. They did not just learn the basic movements and the rules of the game. They have practiced for countless hours and mastered them.
Of course this question is more specific, it only refers to NBA player. There is a huge difference in skills amongst the wide range of basketball players out there, and so is the case for programmers. Out of these, only the exceptionally skilled get exceptional rewards.
Supply and demand
What drives salaries up in the field of programming, as in any other field, is that there is a far greater demand for good programmers than there are good programmers out there.
Low supply
While many people use computers and the internet on a daily basis, few of them have the skills necessary to convert this interest into a job. Furthermore, becoming a good developer means working on real projects and building up a problem solving experience, which takes years.
High demand
The vast majority of successful businesses, in every field, are now online or have an established online presence. This means that they need a reliable and easy to use web application or mobile application. The functionalities of these applications might play a critical role in getting new clients and retaining existing one. For example if your bank’s mobile application does not support paying with your phone, you might be tempted to change to another bank, which has support for it. To be able to offer these kind of software enabled services, a highly skilled team of software developers is needed.
Should you try programming?
Definitely. It is an essential digital skill, that will be useful in almost any career. Pixel Code House offers a 2 months long, full-time course this summer, to help you get started on this journey and get you through the first difficulties.
Source and inspiration for this article: https://www.quora.com/If-almost-everyone-can-learn-programming-for-free-why-is-the-salary-very-high
