Goodbye, $165,000 Tech Jobs: Student Coders Seek Work at Chipotle
By Natasha Singer, The New York Times — August 14, 2025
For years, the promise of lucrative tech jobs has driven millions to pursue degrees in computer science. Growing up near Silicon Valley, Manasi Mishra was no exception. Now 21 and a recent graduate of Purdue University, Ms. Mishra embodies a growing trend: talented and enthusiastic computer science graduates struggling to find employment in the tech sector and forced to seek work outside their chosen field—even in fast food.
The Fading Tech Dream
Ms. Mishra’s story is emblematic of a broader shift in the tech job landscape. From a young age, she witnessed the tech elite’s message everywhere: acquire coding skills, earn a computer science degree, and land a six-figure salary in the thriving tech industry. These assurances were not empty. For much of the 2010s and early 2020s, high-paying roles at companies like Amazon, Google, and Microsoft seemed abundant, with generous perks and upward mobility.
Determined to follow this path, Ms. Mishra began coding websites as a child, took advanced computer science classes in high school, and enrolled in one of the nation’s respected computer science programs at Purdue. However, after graduating in May 2025 and applying to numerous jobs and internships, she found the market starkly different from what previous generations had experienced.
"I just graduated with a computer science degree, and the only company that has called me for an interview is Chipotle," she revealed in a candid TikTok video describing her job hunt, which quickly went viral, garnering over 147,000 views.
A Turning Tide in Tech Hiring
The challenge Ms. Mishra faces is shared by other recent graduates entering a labor market that has been reshaped by layoffs at major tech firms and the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence tools. Giants like Amazon and Microsoft have recently reduced their headcounts, citing increased efficiency as AI — including coding assistants — automates many tasks formerly reserved for human coders.
These developments have tightened the job market for entry-level positions, once seen as a reliable stepping stone for new graduates. The once-robust pipeline of positions offering salaries in the $100,000 to $165,000 range is no longer assured.
Pressure on New Graduates
The promise that coding would be a golden ticket to stable and well-paying employment is under strain. Advocates, including billionaires, tech executives, and even U.S. presidents throughout the last decade, encouraged young people to learn programming to improve both their economic prospects and the nation’s competitiveness. During that period, software engineers enjoyed unmatched job security and benefits.
Now, students like Ms. Mishra face a more precarious reality. The speed with which AI coding tools have entered the workforce, combined with economic adjustments, is forcing many recent graduates to reconsider their career paths or seek employment outside traditional tech roles.
Looking Ahead
Ms. Mishra’s experience highlights the urgent need for a reassessment of tech education promises and job market realities. While coding remains a valuable skill, the pathway to a lucrative tech career is no longer guaranteed by a degree alone. Aspiring technologists must navigate an evolving landscape marked by automation and shifting employer demands.
This development raises important questions for educators, policymakers, and industry leaders about how to support new graduates in adapting to these changes and preparing for a future where technology both creates and displaces jobs.
Manasi Mishra graduated from Purdue University with a degree in computer science. The challenges she and many others face reflect the complexities of the modern tech economy.
Related Topics: Artificial Intelligence, California’s A.I. Law, Chatbots for Financial Advice, A.I. Influencers, Open-Source OpenAI, The ‘Hard Tech’ Era.
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