A doctor.
A Lawyer.
A McDonalds employee.
A Barista.
A plumber.
A waste management specialist.
An artist
etc....

Is any one of these occupations more valuable than another?

Dont they all provide a service to our society that is valuable?

Everyone provides us with something that makes our society run, be it either food, entertainment, arts, etc..

If they are equally valuable, then why are the wages so different?

Because one works more than the other?

Nah, I dont buy that.

Perhaps because of the work it took to become what one is.
Thats a possibility.

What say you?

I've found that people who make the least amount of money tend to work the hardest and/or put up with more crap from people on a day to day basis.
I make half of what my boyfriend makes a month, but I have to run around at work, deal with unrulely, drunk, unreasonable etc. customers on a minute to minute basis.
The difference in pay is because of the schooling required to get to certain jobs: programmers, lawyers, doctors, mechanics, etc. You don't need schooling to become a server, a McDonalds worker, a salesperson, etc.
But yes, they are equally valuable, because without doctors, lawyers (well, we could do w/out them lol), salesmen, and servers, the world wouldn't run like it does.

lol.

...4 years.