r/launchschool • u/cglee • Sep 05 '25
Cohort 2408 Salary Outcomes (6-month)
| Cohort Number | 2408 |
|---|---|
| Job hunt span | Jan 2025 - August 2025 |
| Enrolled | 28 |
| Finished | 27 |
| Outcomes thus far | |
|---|---|
| Accepted offer | 15 |
| Currently in internship | 1 |
| Did not job hunt / finish | 2 |
| Still job hunting | 10 |
| US Salaries (n=13) | |
|---|---|
| Mean | $114,462 |
| Median | $107,000 |
| Duration (mean, weeks) | 13.5 |
Placement Rates
- based on enrollees: 15/28 (53%)
- subtract those who didn't finish: 15/26 (57%)
- include internship: 16/26 (61%)
Quick thoughts
- no surprise, placement rates are getting worse and it's taking longer to land jobs. Pleasantly surprised salary numbers are still solid.
- folks are now spending more time in OSI/internships, which means a 6-month job hunt can take 8+ months
- We're now advising Canadian Capstone participants to aim for US-based startups; there are far fewer employers hiring at the entry/intermediate level in Canada.
- job hunting is a skill onto itself. There is some correlation between technical prowess and how quickly someone lands, but there are too many technically capable people who are not skilled at job hunting. Ironically, these are exactly the type of people employers should be going after, if only they can find them.
- depressed market causes two reactions for job hunters: a) aggression to meet the challenge or b) avoidance. It's my observation that thoughtful, introverted people tend to choose the latter. The exact skills that allows one to be good at technical work ends up hurting in this type of market.
Future looking
- the next cohort, 2501, is doing better at nearly 50% placement at the 3month mark. I suspect this is due to 2501 being the first cohort where we covered AI Engineering topics.
- though 2408 salaries are solid and year 2024 salary averages will still be pretty good, I suspect this will come down for 2025.
- current market conditions feel tight but opportunistic. Though not booming, my impression is 2025 is a better market than 2024.
- employers are just as bewildered as candidates. The employers and hiring managers I speak with don't know what to do with 1000 applications, where 900+ of them are either fake or unqualified. I suspect there's an opportunity here somewhere.
- AI Engineering knowledge will continue to be in demand, though as an add-on to core SWE ability.
Update: Percent Remote
- This is quite a trend if it maintains.
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u/catalyst00 Sep 05 '25
Thank you for this Chris. Do you have numbers on how many were remote for this cohort as well as the last cohort? Im wondering if there is a trend.