Engineers work their tail off to master their craft, build scalable products, etc. while the firm they work for potentially makes millions off the product. I fail to see why engineers shouldn't try to command a very high salary. Engineers are, and will be for quite some time, in very high demand.

Also, how does wanting to be paid well imply that he's out of touch with "humanity"? Are you comparing the engineering salary dilemma to those who lack food and shelter? That's a pretty silly comparison.