See, ultimately, this kind of reflects a major issue in American corporate society. It's affecting me too, or rather my husband. He can never get promoted because he has no desire to be a manager.

He is excellent at his job. But to get more money, so we can actually afford the life we want in the city his job has us trapped in, he would have to give up the things he is excellent at and become a manager, which he would be bad at.

We need to come up with ways to financially reward senior people, especially in technical careers, that isn't promoting them out of what they do well!