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As for being over paid, any person with higher education would fit that bill. Its the favored mantra of the corporate types in an effort to pit the lesser paid/lesser educated against the higher skilled/higher paid.

A typical undergraduate education in the US can run an easy $100k for 4 years, if you include housing and not for a state school. That bill normally must be paid back within 5 years. Prior to the low interest rates, the normal rates were 8%. That will run you at least $2027/month. Put on top of that the rent/mortgage in the area you will work at around $1200/month (tech work is usually not in rural areas). Add an additional $250/wk for food and incidentals. Car payments of at least $200/month. Toss in your car insurance, being sub 30 male no tickets, roughly $1200/6-months. Now add your cable modem and broadband (you are a techie, so you need it for work), $90/month. Phone costs are at a minimum $40/month, and electricity will run at least $100/month.

cost:

2027.00 school loans
1200.00 rent
250.00 food/incidentals
200.00 car payment
200.00 car insurance
100.00 electricity
90.00 cable modem
40.00 phone
--
4107.00 basic monthly expenses
Of course, this is after taxes and assuming you did not go to graduate school and have not decided to get married and have kids. Now factor in taxes:
4107.00 + state tax(8%) + fed tax (33%)
--
6961.00 minimal gross monthly salary
Factors out to be around $83,532/year. And this is without any savings, just paying bills and taxes.