That artificial barrier also happens to screen out a lot of unqualified people - which would be lowering the market clearing price otherwise. I posit that thes

That artificial barrier also happens to screen out a lot of unqualified people - which would be lowering the market clearing price otherwise. I posit that these barriers have no real effect on middle and top tier professionals in these fields. The top computer programmers also make as much as top lawyers and doctors - possibly more if you count entrepreneurs. It's not so much a price / cost issue as it is a respect issue. Can you imagine how the legal or medical profession would suffer if anyone off the street could claim to be a lawyer or doctor and get hired for the job?