Co-ords in profile put you just outside Chicago, USA? 😄 Helpful to know rough location on career questions.
From my limited European experience I don’t think Junior Developer is an excuse to underpay but instead a response to the urgent need for many companies to employ developers who they are willing to train (due to a shortage of experienced ones). Often requirements are low and opportunities a plenty so it is a great foot-up for many.
Having said that, no doubt there are companies out there with ridiculous expectations looking for some value labour.
I would expect to start at junior if I didn’t have any ‘real-world’ experience regardless of qualification or perceived knowledge.
Fortunately it is a relatively high (over?) paid industry as it is so even at ‘junior’ you can command a fairly good salary from the right company.
With quality skills I would expect to drop the junior within a year or two.
Take with a grain of salt though, hopefully someone with a more US-centric experience can chime in with their experiences! 😄