[BizarroLand]

It's really a nicety for them.

It saves them time so they can move on to the next target who may be more likely to give up a full time 6 figure salaried position with PTO and healthcare to take a contract job that requires a BS degree and 5 years of experience but only pays 150% of minimum wage, no PTO and no healthcare.

I get past the introductions and then say straight up, if this position doesn't consider mid 6 figures +/- $20,000 as its pay range then I probably won't be a good fit for it, and add $20,000 to that if it's not a direct hire.

They typically respond with, "We were hoping to pay more like $40,000" every time. I'm sure you were, but you need someone with an AA degree for that. With a BS they can make more, hell with a HS diploma they can make $40,000 a year working at a gas station. That's not even $20/hr. This is IT. You don't get to hire under $25/hr in a major city without either exploiting the newbies or tripping over the desperate.