People criticize 80 hours and then I wonder about all the financial analysts in investment banking... aren't they putting in 100+ hour work weeks, at least for the first year or two?
Yes, they often are, but it's for a promise of money that would make even a Googler feel like a pauper. There's also less chance of the company disappearing out from under you, and there's a mostly-known end point. It's a very different risk/reward scenario, in which "paying dues" for a few years might make a lot more sense.
They're getting payed accordingly. These engineers? Probably not: