I think you're misrepresenting a few things, so I'll take a stab at it:
1. Senior software engineers at Google in Mountain View make over $200k all told.
2. Senior software engineer is in the middle of the Google ladder. The bulk of engineers at Google are senior level, so it's not special. The very best engineers make more.
3. You are vastly overstating the salary and difficulty of other fields.
3a. Doctor - You have to go through medical school and residency. Medical school incurs a ton of debt and residency pays shit. The average salary for a doctor in Silicon Valley is $200k.
3b. Investment banking and management consulting - first of all, in these fields, a few people make a ton of money, but most don't make nearly as much. Both of these fields are known for their horrendous hours. I'd rather work 40 hours at $200k than 80 hours at $500k.
4. There are also big winners in the programmer world. People who went to good startups early (Facebook, Google).
5. Many programmers _enjoy_ their work. How many can say the same about investment banking, lawyering, or management consulting?
1. Senior software engineers at Google in Mountain View make over $200k all told.
2. Senior software engineer is in the middle of the Google ladder. The bulk of engineers at Google are senior level, so it's not special. The very best engineers make more.
3. You are vastly overstating the salary and difficulty of other fields.
3a. Doctor - You have to go through medical school and residency. Medical school incurs a ton of debt and residency pays shit. The average salary for a doctor in Silicon Valley is $200k.
3b. Investment banking and management consulting - first of all, in these fields, a few people make a ton of money, but most don't make nearly as much. Both of these fields are known for their horrendous hours. I'd rather work 40 hours at $200k than 80 hours at $500k.
4. There are also big winners in the programmer world. People who went to good startups early (Facebook, Google).
5. Many programmers _enjoy_ their work. How many can say the same about investment banking, lawyering, or management consulting?