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Comment by collyw | Hacker News Reader

Me. I think I am underpaid (actually I think most devs in my country are underpaid) so i don't do it with the exception of when I made a major cock up and the team was waiting on me.

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Serious question: why do you think you're underpaid? Why do you feel you should be making more. The market has said that you're currently worth/getting paid X. So... why think you're Y?

People are often underpaid compared to market rate because jobs are not a perfectly liquid market. This is due to a number of factors: family situation, workplace social bonds, confidence in one's abilities, fear of change. It is very naive to believe that the labor markets are efficient. This is why some companies are able to take advantage of employees and get away with underpaying them.

Why would you assume that what he is being paid is his current market value? It's entirely possible that he is being paid well under his market value, thus creating feelings of being underpaid.

He said "actually I think most devs in my country are underpaid".

They also said the words "cock up"

They're very likely in the UK.

They are very likely getting underpaid for dev work, unless they're a contractor. Our salaries are definitely lower here than in the states.

I am from the UK working in Spain, I think the UK pays better than here, though depends on the location.

Then you're discussing different markets. There are very significant barriers to moving between countries in the global market.

I'd agree with your premise if each side in a negotiation had perfect information, there was no power asymmetry between parties and humans were perfectly rational actors 100% of the time.

"The market has said that you're currently worth/getting paid X"

Has it? Seriously, who is this all powerful "market" that one can go ask and get an exact answer? What does "market" have to say about employers simply giving anemic raises, if they give any at all, to employees they believe will have trouble finding new employment?

Someone's current wage is not correlated with the market wages for their current position.

I see what people in other places earn. Last time I mentioned I was in Spain a number of people said that the salaries sounded low. Still the quality of life is decent here or I would move.

Its often the case that nurses and teachers are considered underpaid as well. While bankers are overpaid. Would you agree with that?

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