I started as a dev in the 2010s at 32k/yr. My next job was with a cohort of 60 at 42k/yr, and roughly half of them didn’t have the personality type to negotiate pay raises or be mercenary if the company didn’t give them an increase.

If you didn’t go to college for comp sci it’s kinda hard to get your foot in the door. There’s coding boot camps now but those are pretty new