I think a lot of tech jobs are vocational. I know they don't require a college degree. I have one. I'm good at what I do. I've worked with several people who d

I think a lot of tech jobs are vocational. I know they don't require a college degree. I have one. I'm good at what I do. I've worked with several people who didn't have one, only a HS diploma, and they were good. This is part of the meritocracy that is tech. As to the entry level. While that is low from a SF perspective, in Florida, that's pretty good, especially in a semi-rural area. If IBM is putting data centers and the like in similar areas, the price for the employee is a good fit. Edit: don't get me wrong. I'm not a huge fan of IBM. I have a love/hate relationship (15000 red book pages under my belt). I also call their self-checkouts Nazi Clerks given their past.