I mean, there are a lot of things it could depend on. I'd like to say that it should depend upon the value that the programmers are creating--that more productive programmers should make more.
Unfortunately, if the article in the OP is true, these programmers were negatively productive :-( so it can't be as simple as just how much value a programmer produces. It's more complex than that.
Honestly, I've never gotten any good answer from anybody about what wages "should" be, for any job, programming or not. In reality, what happens most of the time is wages are simply determined by supply and demand, like anything else. There are plenty of people working for $9 an hour in very expensive cities in America--so whatever it depends on, it most certainly does not depend on standard of living.
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// Why do you think $9 an hour is shameful? Doesn’t that entirely depend on the cost of living? //
No. It does not depend at all on cost of living. It depends upon supply and demand, like anything else.
I’m not saying the rate depends on cost of living. I’m saying the fact that it’s “shameful” depends on cost of living.
I mean, there are a lot of things it could depend on. I'd like to say that it should depend upon the value that the programmers are creating--that more productive programmers should make more.
Unfortunately, if the article in the OP is true, these programmers were negatively productive :-( so it can't be as simple as just how much value a programmer produces. It's more complex than that.
Honestly, I've never gotten any good answer from anybody about what wages "should" be, for any job, programming or not. In reality, what happens most of the time is wages are simply determined by supply and demand, like anything else. There are plenty of people working for $9 an hour in very expensive cities in America--so whatever it depends on, it most certainly does not depend on standard of living.