Programming learning benefits

This page lists benefits of learning the subject programming. In other words, it tries to answer the question Why should I learn programming? |See all pages on the benefits of learning specific subjects

The following are some general benefits of learning programming:

Jobs that require programming: Learning programming opens the route to a number of jobs that require and rely upon programming skills, particularly jobs at software companies. In addition, research jobs in many areas of the mathematical, natural, and social sciences require some programming, though they may fall in category (2).
Jobs that benefit from the ability to maintain and diagnose code: Some jobs do not directly require people ot write code from scratch, but they still rely on people running existing code. The ability to understand the code can help with maintaining and improving it from time to time to tweak it better to changing needs. For instance, trading and investment companies often rely on in-house software to carry out their job. The software may be tweaked occasionally when the trading strategies are modified. Being able to do this oneself can reduce the cost and hassle of outsourcing.
Better understanding of computers and their operation: Computers are used for a wide variety of purposes. Even people who do not write code need to work with computers. Having a sense for how computers "think" and how to "communicate" with them, best acquired through programming, can help in other contexts.
Better general understanding of modeling behavior and practice at logical thinking

Jobs that require programming

Software engineering jobs

Leading technology companies have a number of jobs for software programmers. In addition, there are many lower-end software engineering jobs for people who work on backends for commercial systems.

Jobs that require skills sufficient to maintain and tweak existing code

Finance

Financial trading firms often rely on their own proprietary trading algorithms maintained using a codebase. Workers need to be fluent with the codebase and capable of making tweaks to the algorithms used. See the answers to this Quora question for more information.