I mean total compensation. My father made approximately $30,000 a year in wages in 1976. You have to remember that there was overtime pay. He also got high quality free health care, lots of vacation, 100% pension, and lots of other fringe benefits.

I estimate he made probably close to $200k, in 2016 dollars. And, he wasn't even a 'lead'. In total compensation, he made more than I do. And, IIRC, CPI inflation calculations don't account for home inflation, and we all know that housing costs as a portion of total household spending was much, much less than it is today.

TIL I make less than a steelwork in 1975.

Really? 31.47 * 52 (weeks) * 5 (days a week) * 24 (hours a day) = $196,372. In some place other than San Francisco (so pretty much guaranteed lower cost of living). Plus benefits, overtime, much lower likelihood of losing one's job, a pension...

24 hours a day 5 days a week is a pretty tough schedule.

What the fuck kind of job do you work for 24 hours a day? A third of that or $65457 is a much more realistic estimate, which is peanuts for a software developer.

Whoops, yeah, I shouldn't post while zoning out on a teleconf.

Who works 24 hours a day? Also most work 40 weeks per year iirc.

Here are the real numbers to show you why your comment was (rightfully) downvoted:

31.47 * 50 wks (2wks vaca) * 5 * 8 (a work day) = $62,940