U.S.News & World Report gives us a list of the most overpaid jobs -which aren't necessarily jobs that pay the most. It's a subjective list in which a person is well-paid for work that's not all that difficult, involves little stress, and provides little benefit in the end. Even some of the people in these occupations agree. Here's a sampling:
Consulting software engineer (median mid-career salary: $123,000). These high-end programmers design and maintain sophisticated computer networks for big companies and other large organizations. But the work can be dry and many such engineers question the value of what they do. Other types of programmers and software engineers rank high on the overpaid list as well.
Brand strategist ($90,700). These advertising or marketing specialists work to improve the image and reputation of companies and their offerings--whether deserved or not. Brand strategists rate the importance of their own work poorly compared with other professionals.
Patent attorney ($170,000). We tend to think of patents as the breakthrough insights of revolutionary inventors, but they're increasingly a form of warfare among corporations seeking to prevent each other from gaining a technology edge. The lawyers who fight those battles are among the highest-paid professionals PayScale surveys.
Read the rest of the list, which is ranked in no particular order. Link -via BroBible
Competition works both ways; corporations who want the best and brightest are willing to provide pay and benefits that will sway workers to their sides. This would constitute a race to the top, but it’s only logical that there be a plateau that would keep income from astronomical rates as no company is going to pay an infinite amount to land their dream employee. Even if they had the funds, they would need to account for other expenses involved in production, which limits the amount of money they can shower upon one person. As for the scenario of a company paying employees next to nothing, they’d end up with a defective product or service no one desired because an employee earning a deficient salary will not put forth their best effort. Employers know that and most wouldn’t want to deal with that situation because it would lose them customers, market share, or both. It also hinges on the belief that bosses are of the cruel and inhumane type one finds in bad fiction.
The argument that every dollar give to an athlete or executive detracts from the income of others falls into the zero sum game trap. For me to find that valid, I would have to believe that neither one provides any benefit to their organization. We do agree on one thing, a small amount of money makes more difference in the life of a person of meager means than it does to someone with a fortune. What I don’t see is the reason to take from the rich and give to the poor other than a desire to end income inequality. I would like to reiterate that I never called for the abolition of the minimum wage.
Perhaps the most efficient free market in the world is Hong Kong. With few natural resources it rose from an Asian backwater to an economic titan in no small part due to the lack of government regulation by the British. It is far easier to open and run a business in Hong Kong than in the U.S. so many more people take advantage of that opportunity and then have the ability to enrich themselves and provide jobs for their countrymen. In the process, the average income of all of its citizens, not just the upper crust, rose dramatically.
I shudder when anyone considers it a good thing that the government would force its citizenry to do anything. Regarding these companies that are made to cut the salaries of their highest paid employees, what’s to keep them from raising the prices they charge their customers and causing inflation, eventually erasing the gains of the poor, instead of biting the bullet? Sure, the employees in the lower income brackets will get a cut of that increased price but will the customers be willing to foot the bill? Even if we assume that it’s an inelastic product or service, customers won’t be able to buy as much as they once did. What’s to keep these companies in the U.S., instead of jumping ship to a country that lets them spend their money largely as they wish? As for the employees, why would they not vote with their feet and leave the country to go somewhere with lower or non-existent income taxes? Regarding that 20%, some of it is going to have to go to the government in order to pay for the eyes and ears that would regulate these companies.
Conversely, the only reason we can pay the janitors, vendors, etc. their wages is because of the highly-paid athletes. No one is going to come to a stadium or arena without athletes and those who do are going to pay much less if there are no stars to see. If less money is coming in, there is less to be shared with all. I’m not stating that one class of employee is better than the other just that neither is a parasite. It eludes me as to how the market is failing to pay people what they are worth. It has been shown without a shadow of a doubt that there is a disparity between the incomes of the two groups; I do not dispute this, but I don’t believe in redistributing income solely because some people make substantially more than others. Before we posit one more law regulating business we should consider its potential unintended consequences very carefully. The Affordable Health Care Act Tax has led to an increase in part-time workers and limited the growth of businesses as they strive to stay under the 50-member limit. The Americans with Disabilities Act led to a decrease in the employment of disabled men because businesses were scared that they would be unable to fire someone with disabilities if they turned out to be ineffective in their position. What would more rules and regulations of business lead to? The only thing that is worse than an unfettered invisible hand is one guided by the monstrous tentacles of government.
With all due respect, neither of us is going to agree with the other, the gulf between us is much too far, but thank you for the discussion.