Generally speaking, there are hard, concrete pay bands associated with roles. As you progress through the pay bands there's less room for raises. There isn't an

Generally speaking, there are hard, concrete pay bands associated with roles. As you progress through the pay bands there's less room for raises. There isn't an idea of "an exception" to this rule. There aren't special employees in the rank and file. More frustratingly, for example quasi-governmental places, the total comp raise any individual can receive is a hard limit written in their rules. Even if you skipped 5 levels you couldn't even get that raise. That's why new employees are hired at a higher rate than existing employees. The only solution is to quit for a time and then come back to the org. Though maybe once every 5 years they'll do a realignment of pay bands.