Interesting that they never mention law firms. Summer associates at top law firms generally earn the prorated salary for a first year associate, which can be e

Interesting that they never mention law firms. Summer associates at top law firms generally earn the prorated salary for a first year associate, which can be easily in excess of $15,000 a month. I'm bringing this up because it is important, when we're discussing "shortages" of engineers, to keep in mind the kind of options highly educated people have available to them in the US. Yes, law requires a graduate degree and passing the bar, but many of these interns at tech companies have graduate degrees, and the undergraduate prep for a STEM degree is considerably more rigorous than the typical poli-sci or economics taken by pre-law types (yes, Econ takes a bit more math, but not typically on a level of what is demanded of STEM majors). Generally speaking, Law school isn't a great idea, but for the top students at the top schools, it remains extremely lucrative. It really makes no sense to compare the top CS and Engineering majors at top schools to some average salary. You need to look at what the options are in other fields for elite students. Once you do, it is pretty clear why people with choice often decide to do something other than STEM, and why a bit part of the appeal of work visas such as the H1B is that they create a pool of workers who aren't allowed this free choice. Without that crutch for employers, I suspect salaries in tech would rise. And keep in mind, it wouldn't require denying talented immigrants entry to the US, all we'd have to do is let these talented immigrants make the decision about what to study and where to work for themselves. No more allowing Silicon Valley employers to dictate these choices for them.