I'd never work at EA, either. Although they're the other side of the same economics, because young nerds who don't know any better and like video games will work there for less than an average tech firm, and less still than it would take to get them into finance.

As far as people who take low salaries screwing up your salary: If they're willing to do the job for that and they're not appreciably worse than you at that particular job, maybe that's what you're worth for that role, too? Almost every industry out there has it much worse than software when it comes to the 'race to the bottom'.