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Yes, I did leave. The real problem is: the only method of pay increase is leaving. Well, so now I am the "new guy" every two to three years. I have no real investment in the company, and they have none in me. Right or wrong, is that the workforce that we want to cultivate? I have not been at any company more than a few years because of this (literally, not boasting, I do something great, they recognize wow this person is great, and I receive nothing so I leave)... the problem is that as one ages, this gets old (no pun intended). Job hopping as an old person in an IT/tech field is not pretty, and probably not fashionable.

My concern is, how do new, young(er) people get raises? I would use my time as a cautionary tale... job hopping seems to fine at the start, but as you progress it gets worse. My issue is that I am still underpaid by a long shot. If I stayed at the first company I would still be making 1/3 of what I am now, but I am also making 1/2 of what the "new guy" makes. Not sure where this is all going (on a large scale, not my story), or how this is helping the country/economy.