The HR person let it slip to me one day that I was making $5k less than my boss. My boss had made comments about my salary given my position. We wanted to hire an Engineering Manager from outside the company, this person would not hire someone very qualified because he lacked a degree. I mentioned something in passing one day, joking, saying I wanted to be the CTO - this person told me 'fine, go get a PhD'. No one was going to advance to be equal to or beyond this person without an advanced degree.