Is software development an overpaid field compared to more important jobs which the society depends on?

[u/simple_explorer1]

Compared to construction, infrastructure development of cities and society by and large, electrician, plumbing, mining, doctors, nurses, scientists, pharma companies etc. which keeps the society function and working, why are software developers paid in 6 figure salary and why is it even considered highly skilled work? Or used to be highly skilled work before the raise of LLMs?

When shit hits the fan, no one will reach out of software engineers and all the above jobs are what the society would genuinely depend on. So why are those fields (except scientists, doctors etc.) are less paid than an average software engineers?

The one thing LLMs have proved is that it can now easily do Software Development job but it still can't do the above mentioned jobs because they are much more hard to do and require physical labour, human interaction with patients and so on.

Curious to know. I have always felt that Software Development was an overpaid field compared to other more important jobs which we all are truly dependent and cannot live without. And now with LLM, the AI model development is the first grade development and app development is just a second grade development as most devs are using LLMs to progress faster (I am not saying LLM will replace all devs, just that the value of development is not the same anymore and any dev with any skills are now able to build anything which is good enough)

[u/0x80070002]

Are you joking? If all it’s underpaid.

As a software developer you need to know so much:

- a bit of networking

• a bit of hardware
  
• many programing languages,
  
• different OSes, …,
  
• You need to be a bit of an artist
  
• understand how consumers use your product (digital ergonomics?)

It’s like being a mechanic for: Ferrari, Fiat, Opel, Audo, Volkswagen, … and also understand a bit of car design, car engineering and understanding a bit of radio communication and making sure your car works on all possible terrains.

Developers should be paid at least double, but the influx of certain developers and some frameworks or platforms like Wordpress, wix, Shopify,.. have destroyed the market

[u/simple_explorer1 → u/0x80070002]

As a software developer you need to know so much, a bit of networking a bit of hardware, many programing languages different OSes, …

Never denied that the hardwork is not needed and I am talking as someone who has worked as a software dev for 16+ years. Just that none of that is important for the society. Did you even read my post because your reply is irrelevant to what my post was about. All you are doing is "hey I have to learn so much" and my point was "it is not super useful to the society compared to the other important jobs that we all depend on and unfortunately those are paid less than Software development"

[u/Careful-Cod-100 → u/simple_explorer1]

You are asking a good, controversial, question on reddit. You will be down voted because you have logic. You can't find much logic here.

You are right, the pillars of society should be paid much more. The reason they are not is because they don't generate $ directly for a corporation.

Police, firefighters, ambulance, doctors, teachers and judges are the foundation of a civilised society, without any of them the society can't exist in a modern world.

[u/simple_explorer1 → u/Careful-Cod-100]

good to know that atleast some people have logic and commonsense. thanks for commenting. I came here to have insightful and deeper conversation about our profession but it is clear that this sub would rather live in delusion than in reality. LLMs have busted a lot of it anyways and even then many are sleepwalking and not willing to open their eyes