Think most of y'all don't realise that not all tech companies pay very high. Yes G, FB, Bytedance can afford 7-8K starting cuz they are looking for the best. They have recognised long ago that its not about what the fresh grad can do now, but the potential they have in the future. They know that a rockstar software engineer can potentially bring in millions. There are also other lower tier companies that pay 4-5K.

Isn't all this also similar in other industries like finance, investment banking, consulting. Higher tier companies can poach talent with their higher salaries, while lower tiers pay lesser? Whats so surprising here?