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If you're saying unskilled laborers who are trading their physical strength for a paycheck should be paid the same as someone like myself who has 35+ years of experience in a tech field as well as two masters' degrees, I say, BS. Ditto with someone who is a skilled plumber, HVAC worker, etc. If an unskilled laborer wants to make more money, he/she can get the training to do so. If he/she chooses to remain unskilled, that's their choice.
And if you're looking for a country where things are more "just", you might try your agenda in Cuba or Venezuela or North Korea where I'm sure it will get a better welcome.
What about an equal comparison then. Teachers and Investment Bankers. Both generally require a bachelor's degree and a certain degree of specialized labor, yet one pays much better and requires less physical exertion. Teachers have to deal with corralling noisy kids and standing on their feet all day, whereas an investment banker likely sits at a desk. One might even argue the intrinsic value of the output of a Teacher is far greater than that of the investment banker.
What about an equal comparison then. Teachers and Investment Bankers. Both generally require a bachelor's degree and a certain degree of specialized labor, yet one pays much better and requires less physical exertion. Teachers have to deal with corralling noisy kids and standing on their feet all day, whereas an investment banker likely sits at a desk. One might even argue the intrinsic value of the output of a Teacher is far greater than that of the investment banker.
It's not about value. It's funding sources. Schools are funded via property taxes. Low taxes equal lower paid teachers. The average teacher in NYC makes 65k a year.
Investment bankers generate millions of dollars of revenue and they get a piece of that.
What about an equal comparison then. Teachers and Investment Bankers. Both generally require a bachelor's degree and a certain degree of specialized labor, yet one pays much better and requires less physical exertion. Teachers have to deal with corralling noisy kids and standing on their feet all day, whereas an investment banker likely sits at a desk. One might even argue the intrinsic value of the output of a Teacher is far greater than that of the investment banker.
So? If money's your prime motivator, go into a field that pays a lot. If working with kids is your prime motivator, become a teacher.
Of course, we can always hope and pray for a government directive that will level the playing field and make sure everyone makes about the same regardless of skills or market needs. I think before we all forgot what the term meant in the 20th century that was called a "Marxist Paradise".
Is it just me, or does it seem like the more actual exertion a job requires the less it actually pays? This is a realization that I have made after being exposed to a variety of different work environments and wage scales throughout my life. I currently work in an office and make a considerable salary, and most days I spend probably half my day actually having to exert my brain in a real sense. Yet everyday I drive to work and see construction workers, general laborers, fast-food workers, etc. committing hard labor for a wage that is likely a fraction of mine. It just seems so bizarre and unjust to me. Why do we have an economy that in many cases rewards less tangible output with better pay?
There's a reason everybody uses the phrase "Work smart, not hard"
Because somebody works harder, doesn't mean they got more work done than a smart person that found a way to get twice as much work with 1/2 of the work.
I have worked everything from entry level to highly skilled technical jobs. In my experience, the easier the job, the higher the pay. It's not your imagination. All those people who make more money than you also have easier jobs. And here's the biggest difference. The best jobs employ you because of your skills, education, and thought processes. Thinking is part of your job. The worst jobs employ you to do/produce.
What about an equal comparison then. Teachers and Investment Bankers. Both generally require a bachelor's degree and a certain degree of specialized labor, yet one pays much better and requires less physical exertion. Teachers have to deal with corralling noisy kids and standing on their feet all day, whereas an investment banker likely sits at a desk. One might even argue the intrinsic value of the output of a Teacher is far greater than that of the investment banker.
The majority of teachers work for the government in some form, so their paid wages are not reflective of those who work the private sector at a bank or financial institution. A local government determines wages, while in the private sector it's very different.
Investment bankers tend to work for quasi-"private" companies, so this comparison you are pointing does not really work as a "fair" comparison. About the only thing that teachers and investment bankers have in common is having college degree (and certifications) to get the position.
Wages for various jobs are all over the map, nothing really is "fair." Comparing within the same field of work is somewhat easier to do, but still.
The majority of teachers work for the government in some form, so their paid wages are not reflective of those who work the private sector at a bank or financial institution. A local government determines wages, while in the private sector it's very different.
Investment bankers tend to work for quasi-"private" companies, so this comparison you are pointing does not really work as a "fair" comparison. About the only thing that teachers and investment bankers have in common is having college degree (and certifications) to get the position.
Wages for various jobs are all over the map, nothing really is "fair." Comparing within the same field of work is somewhat easier to do, but still.
^^ This. The political process often puts downward pressure on these wages, which are often very publicly discussed, since wages are dependent on taxes. Its a sometimes duplicitous situation when political decision makers talk so much about how teacher pay needs to be raised, but then complain that taxes are too high.
With an investment bankers, there's much less transparency and accountability (maybe not to all of the regulators involved in banking but for the general public) as the investment banker is whisked up to their Class A office suite with all of its perks and bonuses. Of course, the public does pay indirectly for much of this in the form of junk fees and near zero interest rates on CDs, bank accounts, etc.
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