>Some times the programming part really is very hard even when it’s easy to know what needs to be built

Sometimes. Most programming jobs out there just need a button on a website or a 2 line fix for some off-by-1 error, though. Those who are working on novel, cutting edge problems are relatively rare.

As you said, most software enginering is connecting existing frameworks together and being in meetings on how/when best to do it. Not necessarily a bad thing at all, but that's why the metaphor of the mechanic or doctor works out here, where the labor to know where and how to fix something is worth much more than the actual part (or medicine's) cost.