Well, salaries are justified by the contributions (e.g. sales generated, or worth of portfolios managed) by the individual to the company/university.

For the teacher to be paid 100K, its believable if there is significant contribution to the scientific committee as this will in turn raise the school ranking (e.g. papers published).

For junior staffs earning 100K plus doing normal work, you have to ask urself if this person is worth paying that much? Can you hire 2 more person doing the same job? Well unless he is managing a significant portfolio of clients or doing serious work, which is not basic btw.

Thus rule of thumb is if your work does not justify the contribution you give to the company why will the company pay you so much? The org structure of companies these days (MNCs) are structured in a way that nobody is indispensable. Even the president can be replaced by a vice president.

If i am a sales person bring 200K sales per quarter, I can ask for 100K - 200K gross per year as hiring me based on my track record will ensure 800K plus minus 300K of profits to the company.

If i am doing basic stuffs, do you think I will be paid that much? Most prob I will be on the list of staff to be retrenched for getting such obscene pay.

bottom line is to put urself in the bosses shoe. But thats what I think imho.