What are the benefits of pursuing a coding bootcamp?

A coding bootcamp is an immersive training program aimed at preparing students for employment in tech roles such as software or web developer. Bootcamps offers several advantages to students compared with traditional academic programs: It’s an intensive learning experience for those who want to change careers quickly. Some bootcamps, including Fullstack Academy’s, offer online and part-time options, for students who want to maintain their job while they study. Fullstack Academy bootcamps focus on programming languages widely in demand by employers, such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, as well as tools like the Node.js environment, the React library, the Bash language, and Google Chrome Dev. Some, such as Fullstack Academy bootcamps, offer instruction from industry-experienced professionals. Most bootcamps offer career support services for students, such as career coaching or job search assistance. Four out of every five students get coding jobs after graduation, according to a 2021 survey by Course Report.

What is the typical salary for coding graduates?

Software developers earn a median salary of $98,936 a year, while web developers earn a median of $93,114, according to Lightcast™️ 2022.

How long is a coding bootcamp?

According to a survey by Course Report, the average bootcamp runs 14 weeks. At Fullstack Academy, our bootcamps range from 12 to 31 weeks in length, depending on the program. Online bootcamps offer a wide range of quality, lengths, depth, skills, and support. Short tech bootcamps may be fast, full-time intensives aimed at providing surface-level knowledge of a field. Longer bootcamps can offer more schedule flexibility and cover a wider range of material, as well as provide more opportunities for hands-on, project-based learning. When searching for a bootcamp, find a program that fits your unique educational needs and goals. For instance, Fullstack Academy offers part-time and full-time live online tech bootcamps with immersive curricula and career support to help beginners and seasoned professionals looking to gain the skills employers want. Although longer than average bootcamps, graduates of Fullstack Academy programs leave with foundational and advanced skills, receive job-search guidance, and have portfolios to show prospective employers.

Coding Bootcamps in New York City Guide

New York City has always been a special place for Fullstack Academy. It is not just the city where we began as a Manhattan startup in 2012. Throughout our history, we’ve had a close relationship of growth and partnership with the city, its people, and its government.

For example, Fullstack Academy partners with a New York City government program to offer no-cost beginner web development training to eligible residents.

The connection touches every aspect of our educational programs. As the city’s tech hub evolves, our New York City coding bootcamps are constantly evolving with it: keeping up with industry trends, emerging technologies, and top employer needs.

A closer look at Fullstack Academy’s coding bootcamps in NYC will demonstrate the benefits of this type of program and the kinds of salaries, jobs, and employers they open up in New York, along with other resources for coders in the Big Apple.

Coding Bootcamps in NYC: The Need for Coders

In New York, across the U.S., and around the world, companies need more coders—and they need them now. The world faces a shortage of 4 million software developers by 2025, according to forecasts by the tech consulting firm IDC. Here in the United States:

Firms posted 1.2 million job openings for software developers and engineers over the past 12 months, as well as 138,000 for web developers, according to the labor market company Lightcast™.
Positions for software developers are projected to grow by 26% a year between 2021 and 2031, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), and positions for web developers are projected to grow by 30% a year (compared with 5% as the average projected for all occupations).
The New York metropolitan area employed 93,000 software developers and 6,500 web developers in 2021, according to the BLS.

With such an urgent and continuing need for programming talent, business leaders across the country are calling on educators to make computer skills a priority. In 2022, a total of 800 business leaders signed an open letter from the organization CEOs for Computer Science, calling for “every student in every school to have the opportunity to learn computer science.”

An increasingly popular, rapid, and effective way to meet that need is the coding bootcamp: a specialized educational program in which Fullstack Academy has been a pioneer.

What Is a Coding Bootcamp?

A coding bootcamp is basic training for programmers. It’s an immersive, short-term training program designed to equip a student with enough skills and experience to get hired for a job in programming, either entry or next level.

How long is a bootcamp? Coding bootcamps can last from six to 24 weeks—the average is 14 weeks— according to Course Report, which surveys them nationwide.

They’ve become increasingly popular in recent years. In 2021, Course Report counted 600 coding bootcamps in 85 cities, graduating 25,000 students.

A major factor in their popularity has been the growth of online bootcamps. Online bootcamps allow students to attend from anywhere, whether it’s a residence in the same city or one that’s several states away. In 2020, three out of every five bootcamp graduates attended online, Course Report found.

Why Choose a Coding Bootcamp

It’s easy to understand why bootcamps have become a common route for entering the world of coding. For students with no experience, as well as those expanding their skill sets, they offer numerous advantages over conventional computer education.

Cost-Effectiveness

According to Course Report, bootcamps cost an average of $14,000—but they can pay off quickly. In Course Report’s 2021 survey, graduates around the country had an average starting salary of $69,000.

The expense can also pale in comparison to that of a college degree in computer science. Tuition and fees for a four-year degree range from $43,800 at an in-state public institution to $157,600 at a private one, according to the College Board.

Hiring Success

Coding bootcamps are highly successful in getting graduates into the workforce, with 79% of graduates getting jobs in programming, according to Course Report.

That’s partly because most bootcamps offer a combination of career coaching, networking opportunities, internships, and job placement services. They help students write resumes and post-professional profiles on sites like LinkedIn and GitHub.

In-Demand Skills

Top bootcamps teach the programming languages and development frameworks that employers are looking for, such as Ruby, Python, JavaScript, and PHP.

Students learn those skills by doing as well as reading. Top bootcamps offer project-based learning, in which students collaborate with others to create apps and design websites. Students graduate with not only a certificate of completion but also a portfolio of work that demonstrates what they’re capable of doing.

Accelerated Career Change

Most bootcamp students aren’t new to the workforce. The average student has at least a bachelor’s degree and seven years of work experience, according to the Course Report survey.

What they are new to is programming. Many bootcamp students are transitioning from careers in unrelated fields, and they’re looking to do it with a minimum of time and expense.

Financial Assistance

While bootcamps do involve a financial commitment, most help students research various payment options.

Scholarships may reduce the cost of tuition.
Employers may offer reimbursement for bootcamp tuition.
Local or regional government assistance programs may be available, depending on income and location.
For some Fullstack Academy coding bootcamps in NYC, veterans can get aid from the Veteran Employment Through Technology Education Courses (VET TEC) or Veteran Rapid Retraining Assistance Program (VRRAP) programs.
Personal loans may also be available to pay for bootcamp at the student’s discretion, either through various lending options or the student’s personal financial institution.

Typical Coding Salaries in New York City

Fullstack Academy’s New York coding bootcamps ask a student to make a financial investment in their future coding careers. However, such investments can begin to pay off as soon as a graduate becomes employed. That’s especially true for coders in the New York metropolitan area.

Tech employment firm Dice ranks Big Apple tech salaries as the third highest in the country, behind only those in Silicon Valley and Seattle, Washington.
BLS data shows that developer salaries in NYC run up to 10% higher than the national average.

The longer a programmer’s career, the higher dividends that self-investment in training can pay. Salaries for experienced software developers can be more than double entry-level earnings, according to 2021 data from the BLS.

Software Developers

Mean salary, NYC: $133,630
Mean salary, nationwide: $120,990
Entry-level salaries, nationwide: $64,000–$91,000
Experienced developer salaries, nationwide: $152,000–$169,000

Web Developers

Mean salary, NYC: $88,080
Mean salary, nationwide: $81,320
Entry-level salaries, nationwide: $38,000–$51,000
Experienced developer salaries, nationwide: $101,000–$130,000

Types of Coding Bootcamps

Another reason for the popularity of bootcamps is that they come in various types and formats. Whether students want to attend full or part-time, in person or remotely, they can find a bootcamp to fit their situation.

As the profession seeks to diversify, students can also find specialized bootcamps for demographics that programming has traditionally overlooked, offering programs and assistance tailored to their needs.

Fullstack Academy’s coding bootcamps in New York City are taught fully live online. A look at them shows several options to accommodate student needs and goals.

Full-Time Software Engineering Immersive

This 16-week bootcamp aims to help students of all skill levels accelerate their coding careers. It teaches advanced JavaScript, along with cutting-edge tools, such as the Node.js environment, the React library, the Bash language, and Google Chrome Dev. Much of the coursework includes mentoring, self-paced learning, and other forms of personalized instruction.

Part-Time Software Engineering Immersive

For students who need to balance class time with work or life commitments, this part-time bootcamp offers the same software engineering material as the full-time bootcamp, spread out over 28 weeks.

Women in Tech Coding Bootcamp

Named after the programming pioneer who helped develop COBOL, the Grace Hopper Coding Bootcamp works to close the gender gap in tech. In 12-28 weeks of full-time study, it prepares women and nonbinary students to become web developers.

Besides the same technical curriculum as Fullstack Academy’s other online bootcamps, the Grace Hopper Program provides a gender-allied experience. It offers support, such as career counseling, for overcoming systemic barriers and internalized doubts that women may face in tech, along with a supportive community of other students.

Future Code: No-Cost Coding Bootcamps for NYC Resident

In partnership with city agencies, Fullstack Academy’s Future Code: Diversifying the Future of Web Development in NYC prepares New Yorkers with no prior experience for careers in web development. It focuses on demographic groups that are underrepresented in technology, such as Black and Latino/Latina workers.

The program offers no-cost training, along with a weekly stipend during the 31 weeks that a student is taking full-time classes. It also provides career coaching to address the unique challenges and strengths of professionals in underrepresented communities. It concludes with Launch Day: a job fair in which graduates can meet recruiters for New York companies seeking to diversify their tech workforces.

Women in Tech Coding Bootcamp

Named after the programming pioneer who helped develop COBOL, the Grace Hopper Coding Bootcamp works to close the gender gap in tech. In 19 weeks of full-time study, it prepares women and nonbinary students to become web developers.

Future Code: No-Cost Coding Bootcamps for NYC Resident

Top Employers Hiring in NYC

NYC ranked as the top city for tech job openings in March 2022, according to data compiled by Dice. Although most U.S. tech giants are headquartered elsewhere, many have large NYC operations, because of the city’s central place in the U.S. and world economies.

Many of these tech giants have also hired alumni from the Fullstack Academy New York City coding bootcamps. Below are some major examples.

Google

Google, the chief subsidiary of Alphabet, began as a search engine but has branched into technologies from mobile phones to self-driving cars. The Google NYC campus is its second-largest outside the Bay Area.

Amazon

Although it canceled plans to move one of its headquarters to NYC, the e-commerce and streaming entertainment giant Amazon has continued its local hiring efforts.

American Express

Technology has always been key to both banking and travel, making American Express, headquartered in NYC, a major tech as well as a major financial one.

Etsy

Headquartered in Brooklyn, Etsy has evolved into a high-end global flea market. It provides a platform for artisans to sell both handmade and vintage items, from clothing and jewelry to furniture, tools, and art.

More Tech Employers

Other tech companies that have hired significant numbers of Fullstack Academy New York coding bootcamp graduates span a wide range of industries:

Spotify: Streaming music
Wayfair: Online retail
Facebook: Social media
BlackRock: Private equity
Datadog: Cloud software

Bloomberg: Communications and data

Coding Events in New York City

Employers and jobs are just part of the coding infrastructure in NYC. The city abounds with opportunities to meet other coders, both in person and online.

Such events provide opportunities to learn, find colleagues to code with, share moral support, and get leads on companies and possible jobs. Below is a selection of local coding events, groups, and meetups for students from coding bootcamps in New York looking to further their careers.

Events and Groups

Fullstack Academy Events: Free intros to Fullstack Academy bootcamps, along with career-focused seminars offering interview preparation advice and job-hunting strategies.
CodeDay New York: The NYC edition of a worldwide event in which student coders, actors, writers, musicians, and artists meet to collaboratively create apps and games.
CC Fest NYC: A free event held in person for NYC residents and online for others, with programming seminars oriented toward students and teachers.
NY Tech Alliance: A network that promotes diversity and inclusion in tech, sponsoring speeches by tech entrepreneurs and promoting other community events, from job-hunting advice to the salvaging of electronic parts from trash.
TechConnect: This program of the New York Public Library offers free introductory classes in coding and other computer-related topics.
TECHSPO New York: An annual tech expo that showcases innovations and provides networking opportunities for programmers and other tech enthusiasts.

Meetups

Hacker Hours: A network of expert coders who hold open “office hours” at scheduled times during the week, both online and in locations around the city. Coders of any experience level can bring their problems and get assistance.
LiveCode.NYC: A coalition of programmers and developers, who meet to not only discuss coding but also write code collaboratively in real-time.
NYC Codecademy: Codecademy, which offers free online beginners’ courses, sponsors meetups around the city in which students can compare notes and learn from one another.
Operation Code: NYC: A nonprofit that helps current and former military personnel learn about programming and break into the tech industry.
Women Who Code NYC: The New York chapter of the largest national group for women in engineering and software.

FAQs

A coding bootcamp is an immersive training program aimed at preparing students for employment in tech roles such as software or web developer. Bootcamps offers several advantages to students compared with traditional academic programs:
- It’s an intensive learning experience for those who want to change careers quickly.
- Some bootcamps, including Fullstack Academy’s, offer online and part-time options, for students who want to maintain their job while they study.
- Fullstack Academy bootcamps focus on programming languages widely in demand by employers, such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, as well as tools like the Node.js environment, the React library, the Bash language, and Google Chrome Dev.
- Some, such as Fullstack Academy bootcamps, offer instruction from industry-experienced professionals.
- Most bootcamps offer career support services for students, such as career coaching or job search assistance.
- Four out of every five students get coding jobs after graduation, according to a 2021 survey by Course Report.
Software developers earn a median salary of $98,936 a year, while web developers earn a median of $93,114, according to Lightcast™️ 2022.
According to a survey by Course Report, the average bootcamp runs 14 weeks. At Fullstack Academy, our bootcamps range from 12 to 31 weeks in length, depending on the program.
Online bootcamps offer a wide range of quality, lengths, depth, skills, and support. Short tech bootcamps may be fast, full-time intensives aimed at providing surface-level knowledge of a field. Longer bootcamps can offer more schedule flexibility and cover a wider range of material, as well as provide more opportunities for hands-on, project-based learning.
When searching for a bootcamp, find a program that fits your unique educational needs and goals. For instance, Fullstack Academy offers part-time and full-time live online tech bootcamps with immersive curricula and career support to help beginners and seasoned professionals looking to gain the skills employers want. Although longer than average bootcamps, graduates of Fullstack Academy programs leave with foundational and advanced skills, receive job-search guidance, and have portfolios to show prospective employers.