I make good money now (not tech) but didn’t always and yeah, the vast majority of the population (where I was born and the US - both developed countries) get by on very little. They aren’t necessarily poor (in the sense they can’t afford necessities) but rather never financially secure. Having $2000 sitting in a bank account would be a major win for them.

I remember working a box factory when I was in college. For me and a few other students it was a great summer job. Unionized, paid double the minimum wage, etc. For the non-students I realized they were lifers - this was a really great job, would pay the bills with some left over and it was unlikely something better would come their way. They weren’t poor, but they had hit a ceiling in terms of their financial situation.

Very eye opening.