[ccajas]

Software developers in the bottom 20-25 percentile of their local area make roughly half of the local median in most places in the US.

A lot of people seem to think you have it automatically made in the shade if you're a software engineer. But it doesn't guarantee a good income, not even in the US. Cue delusional managers seeking $15/hr full-stack web developers. Or the infamous "do everything with computers" one-man IT job that gives you no benefits or no strong future with the company.

There are a lot of people in this field that still struggle financially, even though they are not buying expensive luxuries.