To give some background. I use to work for this horrible Youtube Channel (maybe 200k subs, but dog shit content) and it was literally hell – unrealistic expectations, terrible treatment, unfulfilled promises of raises and bonuses, forced 16 hour work days with no OT. I cried every day on the way home. Thankfully I'm out of there now but a lot of my old co-workers/friends are still there.
One of my old co-workers just called me absolutely livid. The new guy who started there last year left his W2 out on the desk they share, for all to see, and old coworker glanced at it and saw new guy was making 20k more than him. (60k vs 80k) This new guy didn't go to school for anything related to video, he bought a transitions package and then youtubed “how-to-edit-videos”….which good for him honestly. But he's been in the industry for maybe 2 years (this might be his first job outa college tbh) and honestly, he isn't as nearly as skilled when it comes to editing/shooting/etc as old co-worker. I told old coworker he should straight up quit, walk out and not look back. Although, I kinda doubt he will…which is sad.
But let this be a lesson to everyone and I cannot say it loud or often enough. Your work does not care about you. You are not friends. You are not family. They do not value your loyalty or seniority or even actual skill. It's easy to stay somewhere you aren't happy because it's scary as hell to make the change. But I promise you, if you don't value yourself and your work/skillset – no one else will either. You are missing out on happiness and potentially better pay by staying somewhere that you're unhappy. And life is too short for that nonsense.