<p>The question at hand here is not a black and white one. Salary certainly plays a factor in choosing a career but saying that engineers are only in it for the money is not entirely true. The bottom line is that you have to enjoy or at least tolerate your profession considering you will likely be in the workforce for 30-40 years. What others have said is true that this issue is not unique to engineering. It is surely the case that many lawyer, doctors, and other professionals certainly consider their paycheck before investing the time and money in a rigourous education.</p>