well, it is evolving... a dying art - for sure, the "golden" days are long over, however that does not mean its not a viable job anymore..
The software ecosystem is so much richer and it’s possible to accomplish so much more per hour by past tedium avoided (and the resulting pay is so much better) that I think if we’re exiting the golden age, it’s towards a platinum or diamond age rather than a silver or bronze.
In a word, performance. You know how when you were a kid and turned some device like a TV on it worked instantly but these days you might have to wait a minute before anything interesting happens? That's one thing that can happen when layers and layers of abstraction and generic software replace highly specialised firmware designed for each product. Of course building all those layers might be cheaper, faster or easier. Unfortunately that doesn't always mean the end result is better for the user.