There is a huge pool of exceptional junior engineers

My experience, real work is what a junior dev does, without an exception. Senior developer creates over-engineered version of what junior dev made.

Senior devs gibber about database systems, sql, nosql, clustering, etc. The real work storing the input in text file, querying with a simple loop.

Plus there is an additional huge misconception in industry, if something is realtime, it is a senior dev thing. It is something like a plague.

TCO and YOE?

I don't understand these acronyms.

I have 14 YOE and its the opposite. Really brilliant jrs don't have the experience to know the consequences of their designs, they build fast under pressure. They reinvent things that already exist (they don't know because they a Junior).

Seniors have PTSD and push back.

Sorry, Total compensation (salary + equity) and years of experience