Except for the fact that banks do pay a shit load of money for quality programmers...

regardless of absolute terms of high pay within the industry, if they are concerned about a shortage then it can't possibly be high enough.

They're concerned about the top talent going to silicon valley, because the salaries are still high there (Google and Facebook, after all make as much or more money than most banks), and banks don't need many programmers, they just need good ones...

>They're concerned about the top talent going to silicon valley, because the salaries are still high there

High demand

>banks don't need many programmers, they just need good ones...

Low supply

Quality is the key word. I work for a North American bank (not an engineering role) and at least in my experience you really have to be insanely exceptional junior talent or exceptional in a senior role to command something high

arent these guys supposed to know a thing about valuation?

I've seen this again and again, where some alpha-male exec who knows nothing about programming just angrily asserts, "Those guys aren't worth $100,000!" with nothing concrete to back it up.

Yes, they know something is only worth what somebody will pay for it ;)

Will they at least respond to email? Because that would be awesome.