This is a huge sweeping statement and one I believe to be utter nonsense. After 35 years in the industry I've not had to play chess or checkers, I don't read logic problems or do crosswords.

If you break down all the areas of programming available a lot of them don't touch any form of math at all, it's about process. The algorithms are basically set from 50 years ago, we don't need intimately how they work. We don't need to know the internals of machine learning to process a form on a website.

Days and Nights at the Computer

It's a job, I work 8-10 hours a day at my desk, I take regular breaks away from the screen. It's what I do. Focus and concentration are fine. It's a trainable skill, it takes time but it can be done. It's not a negative, it's part of the job.

The second reason, Money.

You quote an average, it's just that an average. Those who do the hours at the desk and the continuous learning (that's actually key to effectively doubling that $5 you talk about).

Josef, may I ask what areas do you code in? Is it all web based? Is it backend?