Quote from misterno:
The reason pharmacists and nurses and doctors make so much money has nothing to do with the importance/contribution to the society.
The only reason they make so much money is because there are not so many of them around. This is not because people don't want to become pharmacists or nurses but because board of nurses and board of pharmacists has a powerful lobby in DC to prevent additional schools offering these programs. So they keep a tight lid on how many nurses should graduate. Therefore supply /demand is always tight within a percentage. That is why they make so much and never become unemployed.
I wonder why other professions did not start this mafia style control over DC.