Subject area for a web programmer?

Question

IT education

Hello!
After a bachelor's degree (geoinformation systems), I worked for a year as a web programmer in the React / Node..JS stack without a single reference to the profile of higher education. I managed to poke both the front and the back - as a result I was very pleased, although the back is much more interesting to me. Went out for a decent bet and everything seems to be going well. Just in case, I’ll note that I began to slowly gain experience in IT from the age of 16, so this is far from the first acquaintance with the profession :)

And now the crux of the matter. There was an opportunity and even an invitation (it does not, in fact, affect anything, but served as an occasion) to continue studying at the master's program in the photogrammetry/geoinformation systems profile. Interesting profile but...
1) there is not as much work as for a regular web programmer due to a narrower field (to paraphrase, a programmer with an up-to-date web stack)
2) they seem to be paid even less than a programmer (and they want this subject area + programmer). ..
3) it seems (?), companies usually need not so much a programmer, but a specialist who knows this subject area with _skills_ of programming (that is, a 100% chance of being "behind the times" in web technologies and having no real practice software development, which I like).

In general, it seemed to me that a web programmer (and, say, in the field of desktop and mobile software) does not really need a _concrete_ subject area. Algorithms, data structures, design patterns, understanding of architecture, experience in software development and the ability to communicate with the team - yes. But not, I repeat, a specific narrow area. Because according to it, as I see it, if necessary, they often give a specialist who understands this, but does not understand programming. It does not seem that it is possible to be able to do both in conditional "perfection". The focus will constantly shift to something. Either he doesn't program very well, or he doesn't know that much in his field.

On the other hand, it is:
*less likely to fly out of the profession from 35-40 years old (maybe a stereotype, but I like this job too much!)
*greater value of a specialist (will it not work like with good engineers who know a lot, but work for half / a third of the rate of an average programmer in Moscow?)
*more chances to move up the "career ladder" (it's hard to think about it, in fact - everything suits and even more)

The meaning of the question - what is your opinion about the meaning of acquiring a subject area?
Does it look like a change in career guidance from a programmer to a subject specialist with programming skills?

Thank you. The question is important for me :)

PS: I know that web programmer = programmer + web stack. I write this for convenience only.

Answer 1

Being a narrow specialist is not a sin, but an honorable opportunity.
You just need to be a specialist in the field where there is demand and no supply.
An abstract programmer is not interesting to anyone, you will always work in some subject area (ALWAYS!)