A lot of STEM salaries are artificially inflated due to the second tech bubble and the now popped fracking bubble. Speaking to the latter group, we posted an entry level engineering job recently, which pays about $70k. We got about three dozen oil and gas resumes, many of which were making $150,000+ a year prior to being laid off.
The idea that a $125,000 Google programmer salary is waiting for you and will always be around is pretty dumb; it will be around, it will just be available for less than 1% of applicants (better be getting your CS degree at Stanford instead of East Buttfuck University). When the bubble pops and these salaries deflate by 30-50 percent, I'll enjoy hearing the anguished cries of people who couldn't believe such a thing would happen to them!
