[droopyEyelids]

Not related to your main point, but would you reconsider calling them 'exorbitant salaries'?

Engineering is one of the only professions that is paid commensurate to the value they provide

Calling our salaries 'exorbitant' leaves you without superlatives left to describe executives that get paid thousands of times our wage, and at least they do work compared to the owners of capital who are 'paid' incredible money without doing any work at all.

To call an engineer salary 'exorbitant' you must be comparing it to the salary of people who function as modern serfs, and are not paid commensurate with the value they provide, or even enough to live a safe and satisfied life. Being paid enough for modest freedom and security is not 'exorbitant' though- no matter what you're comparing it to.

[Avicebron]

Outside of software the majority of American's function as modern serfs. I'm an engineer who doesn't work in software and live as a modern serf