Thoughtful and well expressed article Annie Lowrey. Thank you.

Low compensation gets bundles with low skilled and drifts into all kinds inaccuracies, nonsense and social stereotyping. Was Van Gogh low skilled when painting cornfields? I guess he was. He had the double whammy of both lows -- although, later gave the world such enjoyment apart from making hundreds of millions of dollars for others.

A point though. Compensation is not directly to do with skills but is connected directly to current demand -- for whatever.

A key issue surfacing in your piece is that we waste talent because there is inadequate base to allow it be either developed or positioned -- the child (or adult) not receiving the education and your architect not able to practice. I had a lawyer friend who sold African art on the pavement outside MoMa in New York until he finally returned to New Zealand to be hired by the best law firm in Auckland. The U.S. lost talent and money by failing to give him the OK to stay.

I think there are good arguements in favor of some kind of UBI that would serve everyone better. I talk about it in "Wings to Fly -- a Platform for All" here on MEDIUM.