At least in Sydney, I found that bare-metal jobs typically paid far less and required far more experience. Some of the best engineers I know are being paid pean

At least in Sydney, I found that bare-metal jobs typically paid far less and required far more experience. Some of the best engineers I know are being paid peanuts but are just happy to be quietly amazing in their corner. I was proper bare metal at one point (even wrote my own crappy rtos at one point) but couldn't resist the better pay and better treatment that you get up the stack.