[mandelbrotwurst]

Surely there must be some value in a more educated and capable population in and of itself?

[sudosysgen]

Salaries are not determined by the value employees create on the downside. They are determined on the minimum by the minimum your employer can get away with paying you, which is a function of scarcity.

On the maximum, they are determined by value, in that your employer will never pay you more than the value you create (otherwise, why hire you?)