I for one, agree that engineers, for all their expertise, are underpaid. But then again, its the same old demand supply theory again. Not everyone in banks are paid so highly. Join the ops department and you'll get a monthly paycheck just over 3k, similar to what an average engineer earns in an MNC.

Remember the report on the highest earners in Singapore and their academic background? The fact is that most of them possess an engineering degree. And the next fact? They are mostly working in banks as well. So am I contradicting myself? Probably. But my point was demand and supply.

Engineers and finance graduates are highly sought after in banks and the limited number of places in front office positions mean that only a selected few get the golden paychecks. Thus the question is: should engineers get similar pays in their respective industries then?

I'm not sure if it's up to us to say. Everyone wants big money in their respective careers. And the reason why banks are paying such big bucks is because they are the primary tool of financing the economy. Without them, companies would have difficulties in hedging against risks, taking loans for expansions or evaluating their shareholders' value.

You can say that engineers create innovations of efficiency, govt bodies manage inflow and outflow of foreign investments and scientists and doctors improve and save lives. But which industry should earn the most? Who actually have an answer to this? I know I don't.