[scribu]

I don’t think there’s any kind of software job that’s prestigious by itself. There are a handful of individuals that are famous within their circle, but that’s about it.

Regarding salary, a job pays more to the extent that: a) it needs to get done and b) there are fewer people able or willing to do it.

Examples:

* web development - high demand (every business needs a website), but also high supply (relatively easy to learn)

* security - low demand (except after a breach), arguably lower supply (pentesting isn’t everyone’s cup of tea)

* machine learning - high demand (at least from startups), low supply (need advanced knowledge of statistics)