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<p>I think you are forgetting that in IT, there are new “technologies” created every year. The general public and corporations always want to be the the entity that has the technology first so those engineers who can provide that new technology will be in demand. Add to the fact that there are usually more job openings than available applicants makes the industry less competitive (depending on specialization). I am now in year 21 of software engineering and have been north of the $100K barrier for the last 10 years…albeit living in the DC area which can drain most of that in living expenses.</p>
<p>I will admit that I did somewhat “luck” out because the area of databases systems is STILL a “optional specialization” in many Computer Science programs. I don’t know how it is in other big cities, but in the Washington area, most Data Architects, Database Designers and Database Admins (DBA’s) are old farts like myself…while the more “cooler” stuff like Java, A.I., Graphics, etc are more likely to be of interest of the younger folks. Remember though…a corporation needs to store/retrieve information (databases) and that database usually runs on some operating system (Linux,Unix,Windows) so those who can keep those areas up and running will be vital to most corporations.</p>
<p>Some of the CS/IT areas that many younger engineers like probably pay more than databases and operating systems, but they also change more frequently and may involve more employee turnover so they end up giving more money over a shorter span. I prefer the “almost as good money but longer and more steady work career” path.</p>