It was from an interview in New Yorker magazine, so it probably comes from a comparison of US to non-US labor rates. https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.ht

It was from an interview in New Yorker magazine, so it probably comes from a comparison of US to non-US labor rates. https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm Median hourly rate in the US ranges about $41/hr for 'Computer Programmers' to $70/hr for 'Computer and IS Managers.' In a state like New York the rates would be even higher, perhaps much higher.