My dad has always been in the nuclear power industry. He's done moves across the country to a different utility where they paid $40,000 just to move him and all his crap, gave him a sign on bonus, and paid him more than he was making at the other company. Also, lots of places will take a H.S. grad on as an employee, and then pay for them to get a degree on the side, with no reduced pay as a consequence of getting the degree.

I don't buy the cost of training one bit as an explanation for the low first year pay.