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Thanks to compound interest, the money you can save early in life is exponentially more important than the money you can make later in life.

Many programmers started making money to invest in their teens, and save those who pursued other careers before pivoting, all were making money to invest by the time they are in their early 20s. Meanwhile, the doctors were racking up the debt until nearing 30. That decade plus is a huge setback – never mind the debt burden on top, and how the tax code greatly favours those who build up savings over a long period over receiving large lump sums in a single year.

In other words, 55 year old programmers are talking about retiring because they can. 55 year old doctors on the other hand, even with a higher income, need to work decades more to financially catch up.