> it doesn't translate to engineering careers.

'Shortage' of US engineers is same as 'shortage' of developers - artificially engineered by off-shoring and importing foreign labor via H1B etc.

There are jobs, there just aren't jobs that want to pay well..

I don't think it's just pay. There are so many clueless administrators involved no one can actually communicate and collaborate with eachother.

The independent maker thing is probably the solution to this.