Unless you are working in a country where compensation is not that great. Not everyone is working at Silicon Valley or even in States so compensation between working in a well-funded start-up and big Co. is not that different. This is at least the case in Finland. Average developer in Helsinki from what I've learned might get paid 4-6k € per month equal to 48-72k year. Underpaid? Maybe. But this is how things are at the moment.

It's easy to lose perspective looking at the world from Valley/States but the salaries are generally much lower elsewhere.