Comment by dominicrose

I've worked 10+ years as a developer in France where salaries weren't too high to begin with, but I certainly noticed the added competition as it was harder to find a job. I stopped "fighting" for a high-paying role so my experience didn't provide net gains but it still protected me from inflation. The net "gains" rather came from spending less by moving from a rent to a mortage and then making it smaller.

I'm OK with this now, it is what it is, but these years weren't smooth as there were ups and downs and a down after an up can be stressful if you're not ready for it.