I agree, but this isn't as bad as you might think once you're a senior engineer at a top-end company. A lot of your compensation is in the form of stocks that

I agree, but this isn't as bad as you might think once you're a senior engineer at a top-end company. A lot of your compensation is in the form of stocks that will appreciate in value with inflation, so assuming you're in good graces with your director and VP, it's possible you'll fall behind the market rate very slowly