In the context of an employer paying an employee, worth/cost/price/value are all interchangeable. What did it cost to have that pipe fixed? Was it worth it to use contractor A versus contractor B (implied is was the price for A better than price for B given output)?
Value is always subjective. That's why both the seller and buyer gain in voluntary transactions. Eg. If you sell your used car for 2000, it means that you value 2000 in cash more than the old car. The buyer thinks the old car is better than holding 2000 in cash.
Thus the exchange benefits both. Adding value to both. The price is the same, but there are no losers. The same logic applies to voluntary job contracts ( non slavery). You don't have to like the salary, but that's your least worst option. economics has a term for it called 'substitute'. We all prefer to use the better substitute among choices in front of us. Doesn't mean the choice is the perfect one or a dream job.or even a living wage, just that that's the least worst option. also wages aren't determined by the capitalist plutocrats, it's determined by among others, competition between workers and their opportunity costs
