Even in the US I started at 65k which was normal back in the early 2010s for a junior dev. I didn't reach 6 figures until I'd been in the industry for 5 or 6 years, after changing jobs and then getting promoted. It's not that different from other stem jobs.

It's a good job and I can't complain much, but the Ivy League brats who bragged about their ridiculous starting salaries created a false impression of the industry. They were always a tiny minority and they're basically non-existent now.