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>Writing code doesn't have a notably higher (if at all higher, vs lower!) IQ requirement compared to some of the basic components of EE

Average IQ of Electrical Engineers: 121

https://www.iqcareerlab.com/tools/iq-for-profession/electric...

...which is the top 10% of the population.

https://www.desperateminds.com/blog/iq-120.html

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Do you believe these numbers? Is there a cite somewhere in the literature for valid, proctored IQ tests being given to representative samples of different professions for these kinds of comparisons? The link you've provided is to a company selling online IQ tests.
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Is the argument that electrical and mechanical engineers are not smarter than the average person? How about figure 8 (PDF page 86) of:

https://web.archive.org/web/20120905095856/http://www.ssc.wi...

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Doesn't this basically make the argument I'm making, that there's no well-defined band of IQ test scores for different professions?
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I'm not seeing any other posts of yours on this comment thread. Maybe you forgot to hit the "reply" button (or accidently outed an alt?) My only point was that majormajor saying that programmers might only be roughly the same smartness as electrical or mechanical engineers would put them comfortably above the average person.
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Salaries are a product of supply AND demand. Supply of good programmers and EE/MechE is low because it requires above average intelligence and a lot of education, while demand for software has been much higher than demand for EE/MechE. Now that the demand side might invert.
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While you are directionally accurate, the flaw in your thinking is revealed by the fact that bad programmers also have high salaries, and plenty of five year olds have no problem being bad programmers, so there is clearly no need for above average intelligence or education to be a bad programmer.

As hard as it might be for this audience to comprehend, supply is limited simply because it is an undesirable profession. The majority of the population couldn't think of anything worse to spend their time doing. Much as the same reason why they don't want to go work on oil rigs and other such work that is high paying but what most people are unwilling to do.

High compensation is actually not as strong as a motivator as you might think. It can tip the scales if someone is already on the fence, but it doesn't suddenly make someone who absolutely can't stand something to change their mind.

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