In my area of expertise and location, there are slim pickings. I moved to stay with my SO while they pursue a PhD. "There's always a choice" is a weak argument. I could move to a tech hub and get an easy cushy job in an ethically bankrupt field. I won't. I am not making life choices that maximize profit. I am also not acting irresponsibly, "living beyond my means", or making bad financial decisions.

You don't see a problem with a motivated, hardworking, educated individual meeting the market at a price that keeps them below what previous generations consider middle class? That is not indicative of an issue to you?

Why do you posit that your only options are "tech hub" and "research job"?

> You don't see a problem with a motivated, hardworking, educated individual meeting the market at a price that keeps them below what previous generations consider middle class? That is not indicative of an issue to you?

I think people are trying to understand if you are working at or below your regional market value. That said, it sounds like a problem local to your region. I think if you look at Glassdoor you'll find that you're well below the national average, and I don't think it's just Silicon Valley inflating the national average. (I have an EE degree as well and on graduation it seemed like $75K was a pretty reasonable starting salary most places with lots of room for growth).