I've been in IT since 1978 and although the pay is reasonable, I'm not paid as well as many salesmen or managers. I enjoy IT and don't want to be a salesman or a manager and the salary is certainly adequate for me. However, if I were 25 years old with a wife and family, a student loan to repay and a mortgage I'd be really struggling. I'm certainly not paid anywhere near what some lawyers, doctors and dentists are paid, let alone bankers and their questionable bonuses. No, working in IT is not a way to get rich unless you're in one of the relatively few top jobs.