[qgin]

That's true, but the question is why is the market doing that? What is it about the new hire that is worth more?

[xetplan]

There is no mystery here. It is expensive to bring someone new on and train them.

There is an arbitrage too by the company that once most people are comfortable, they chose stability and the known quantity they have over the unknown opportunity they would have with changing companies.

The real question is how can someone not understand that a company is not going to pay more if they don't have to? Seems kind of obvious.