In reply to:

I find it surprising to learn that ordinary network administration skills can demand a higher salary than someone who can fix "sodding big" diesel engines...



Interesting point. If you think about it, in the old days mechanics were easier to come by and cars were easier to work on. It seems the opposite now. And computer freaks seem to be popping up everywhere now, and computers are getting easier to use. So may it will be different in the near future?