Not the original poster but if you joined one or two years before covid, or during covid itself, it's real. The increments were absolutely pathetic during the period where the largest salary jumps in one's early career are supposed to happen.

Geo4s who are drawing way below 6k do exist. The ones who get hit the hardest were ironically the high performing ones with fewer YOE (therefore lower pay) who got promoted geo3 to 4 during covid.