Agreed, I don't think the 'average programmer' is writing new kernels or ... advanced job'. The average programmer is working at an SME or Agency, getting systems to run, sales to happen and be tracked.

I'm basing this on the amount of jobs and interviews I've been to where the tasks are normally completely uninteresting from a technical stand-point. I now work at a government science and technology research agency and much of the work here is still quite rote.