> Pay isn't necessarily about the tangibles but more about how the company values you (scorecard). If your salary gets out of line with market by a substantial

> Pay isn't necessarily about the tangibles but more about how the company values you (scorecard). If your salary gets out of line with market by a substantial amount relative to skills, experience, and value generated, that indicates the company doesn't necessarily value you as much or isn't willing to expend the capital necessary to keep their employees satisfied. The other angle one could take with this argument is that while intangibles are nice, they cannot offset the increase in price of other things like housing, and food. Without pay raises over time, the percentage increases in basic cost of living will eat into the paycheck more and more. Induced pressure from external sources can undermine intrinsic motivation, especially if there are dependents, and increase the importance of the paycheck amount. Wow, that said it better than I did.