Pretty much every company I’ve been in or know of values a vertical trajectory instead of a horizontal one for its employees i.e becoming a manager nearly always means a faster salary progression than becoming an expert in one or multiple fields.
Why is expertise valued less?
Because leadership is the key to accessing expert labor. Capital interfaces with leadership leadership interfaces with experts. Experts are lower on the totem pole. We never stopped being a feudal society. Some of the rules changed around capital but the existing power structures absorbed them
“Carl over here is really good at making wheels. But he’s only made the 4 of them. Won’t make any more unless we give him a reason to… Ideas?”
Annnnnd 5000 years later; mortgages, wage slavery, and “let’s have an all hands to realign with our core paradigm”
None of that is because of middle managers. No matter what, someone will need to job of coordinating with various departments, prioritizing tasks, selling ideas, motivating, and overall being good at coordinating. Idk if I’ve personally met a manager good at those things, but I know I would be worse at it.