I've been fortunate enough to work for companies that recognized programmer talent. If you're working for a big corporation, there are plenty of HR restriction

I've been fortunate enough to work for companies that recognized programmer talent. If you're working for a big corporation, there are plenty of HR restrictions that prevent dramatic salary adjustments. But even then, I've seen 2-3x pay differences - usually coupled with promotions. In the startup world, a very talented developer can usually get equity even as an employee if they join early on, which can increase the multiple way beyond 10x if the company is successful. And if you are capable of being a technical co-founder, obviously there's the shot of a lot more.