The problem is the opposite is just as bad, if not worse: programmers can't go around saying "I make tons of money because I have a rare skill/high IQ", because

The problem is the opposite is just as bad, if not worse: programmers can't go around saying "I make tons of money because I have a rare skill/high IQ", because that sounds elitist (which is a very bad word these days). If programmers advertise themselves as a caste that you can only get into by luck/genetics, that only makes things worse.