<i>Seniority should not be the sole way you advance in that profession.</i><p>It's not.  Pursuing a masters or a doctorate at some point in your career is probably the <i>best</i> way to advance.  Here, for example, is the salary schedule for a school district in silicon valley: <a href="http://www.mvla.net/Personnel/salaryschedules/Pages/CertificatedSalarySchedule.aspx" rel="nofollow">http://www.mvla.net/Personnel/salaryschedules/Pages/Certific...</a>