That's assuming you work in a place with upward mobility or the ability to advance. At my last job, I worked in a place being a new hire meant you were pretty much on the same level as a senior engineer who had been there 10, 15+ years(not including the clout and reputation, though). The only way up from there was to become a manager, which meant waiting for someone who had been there 20 or even 30 years would have to quit or retire.