A recent study (wish I could find the link) found that the average work week for programmers in the US is approx. 50 hours. Not a big deal as far as I'm concerned, I love my job and the extra hours go right by. :) But if you want the 40 hour week and the high pay, go for it. If you practice, get good, and aggresively go after what you want, you can make it happen. Good luck!