I think the fundamental problem is that companies want a "Sr. Software Engineer" with >7 years of development and >4 years of development in their particular language, who also is young enough to think that "Nerf guns" and "xbox's" [sic] are an appealing "Benefit" and that aren't going to ask anywhere near $115k a year. (a totally reasonable salary, by the way, but I think you lose edge in negotiations by putting tha…
I can do no better than to quote the inestimable David "Pardo" Keppel: There's no shortage of smart, hardworking engineers. There's a shortage of smart, hardworking engineers willing to work for very little money. If you're having trouble hiring, it's probably because you're not paying enough. It turns out that talented people are worth paying a lot for.
But if you reward hard work and expertise then the shareholders won't make as much money just for being rich ...