I currently work at a company where this isn't the case, and I have experienced a significant jump in earnings and responsibility, and it's refreshing, but it's

I currently work at a company where this isn't the case, and I have experienced a significant jump in earnings and responsibility, and it's refreshing, but it's sort of the exception that proves the rule. Internal mobility and hiring/promoting from within is an explicit tenet of the company culture. I think if you don't explicitly set it up that way, a company will default to the dysfunctional situation you describe.