There's a simple reason Certifying Engineers pay across the industry continues to fail to reflect the responsibilities involved (plus the work and experience required to qualify (and keep qualified!)......Pilots generally stick together as a group and have decent unions. Engineers are a fickle bunch who often fail to consider the overall picture and will simply do what is thought best for an individual or small group. Poor Union representation where LAE's are often bundled in with a greater number of unskilled or semi-skilled trades doesn't help either!