system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: How exactly are wages for jobs decided and why can the wages for similar jobs differ so much across different companies?

Is there a law that states a basic amount for every type of profession or is it entirely up to the employer? While looking for jobs I noticed that in many cases the same or similar jobs would have different wages depending on which company I chose to work for. ie, one place that needed a truck driver was offering $17/hr while another that also needed a truck driver offered $19/hr.

Why not just have a standard for every type of job? All doctors make so and so, all teachers make a certain amount, all laborers make so and so, etc. Before raises of course depending on how long you worked.
gpt
Honestly, a standard pay for different types of jobs would be really hard to implement. There is just so much variety even within the same group.

Take teachers for example. Can you really compare a high school and an elementary school teacher in terms of salary? Should the salary of a teacher who teaches a regular class of kids be the same as the salary for someone who teaches an advanced class or even a class of kids with learning difficulties / disabilities? Should a teacher in New York make the same amount of money as a teacher in Idaho, even though their expenses will be very different?

Generally wages are decided by supply and demand. The more people there are willing to take the job, the lower the wages are. The less people there are, the higher. This is further influenced by the exact nature of the job (okay, it is driving a truck, but what type of truck? what distance? during which hours? how long away from home are you?) and the area people live in (people like, you know, actually being able to afford stuff so the standard of living will influence what pay people are willing to take). Other benefits might also influence the wages people are willing to take. for example, someone might accept a lower paying job if that job offers better hours or more training on the job. And, we cannot forget that frequently, wages are something to be negotiated. Not in all fields / job types, but if you have a unique skill employers want, you can make your own wishes known, which can result in higher wages if that is what you want. It can also result in a lower wage but certain time off arrangements.