I do think a career in IT/CS can be very rewarding (money wise and personally) if you approach it correctly. Like in any field, there are a wide range of options, but IT brings with it a somewhat different set of challenges. In particular as you start out with your BS/MS degree, don't overspecialize. This is the time to create a broad foundation to later built and expand on, in particular if you try to make it past the age of 45 cited before.
As was mentioned by others, IT has in part become a field comparable to the manufacturing industry that is looking for commodity skills that can easily be outsourced or sent to the "lowest bidder". In the end, it is important to distinguish yourself from the crowd to get the job and the pay that you are interested in. I personally have been involved in a couple of "in-sourcing" processes where companies realized that outsourcing to India wasn't the best move. Outsourcing works great for "assembly work": A company has a strict set of specs, and needs them implemented quickly and cheaply. Outsourcing fails if the company expects creative work and understanding of its business processes. If you want to make it in IT/CS, don't just focus on the technical part. Take some business/management classes. Learn how to communicate. One great opportunity in IT is that you can always go out and open your own shop. I found that even if you don't, the mentality of a "consultant" can work very well for you even in a full time job. That for example includes a solid education and the credentials to show people not familiar with your field that you know what you are talking about. And most of all, keep learning. As for salaries: In the end, the average wage doesn't matter, but the money you bring home at the each month. There are wide ranges for a particular job description, and if you approach it correctly and know how to distinguish yourself from the "crowd", you can do very well in IT.
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