I recently applied for a job that seemed like a perfect fit for my 10 years of experience in a niche field. I was excited when they reached out within a day to set up a phone screen. The interview went well, but things took a turn when we discussed salary. The job posting listed a range of $24-34 per hour, and I mentioned that I would need to be closer to $33-34, especially since I was making nearly $36 at my previous job before leaving amicably for family reasons. To my surprise, the recruiter said they couldn't pay that much due to equity concerns for existing employees and that the starting pay was capped at $25 per hour. I felt frustrated and confused—why even advertise a higher range if they weren't willing to offer it? Is this a common practice in the job market? It seems misleading and a waste of time for candidates like me.