pay is aligned to hierarchy in the first approximation. people have a hard time accepting that they are overseeing someone who has a higher pay and the other wa

pay is aligned to hierarchy in the first approximation. people have a hard time accepting that they are overseeing someone who has a higher pay and the other way around. At the end of the hierarchy, skill (& experience/age) counts. Engineering is one of the best paid "worker profession", i.e. you are not involved in managing the work of others. Some jobs can be easily replaced, which usually means they are paid less. Some jobs require trust by the employer (e.g. manager) and are better paid, because changing jobs would harm the employer. Also some industries pay more than others, simply because their industry is more profitable than others.