How valuable is a designer in business?

After working 3-4 years in the “Graphic Design” field, I have come to the conclusion that we designers, ranging from junior, middle-weight to even senior graphic designers are taken for granted. I have gone through many companies, with more frequency than a nappy change and have found that “most” companies seem to deem us as either the lower of the salary bracket or a person expected to bend over backwards due to the high cost he exposes the company to.
After graduating from Wits Art & Design School, I began my career almost immediately with a job, starting off an In-House design department where I began the grueling process of learning all the software available to begin one’s career as a Graphic Designer. I moved on to a Design Agency and discovered my specialty lied in Corporate Identity while being paid a modest salary.
It was unfortunate that the company was restructured and I was forced to move on to another company of reputation dealing with “big name clients”. Needless to say that they were not an agency as such but more a PR company who felt that upon offering the job to me that they don’t like to buy designers from other companies but were willing to give 10% more than the previous company I worked for however to my shock, they excessively abused the rights of their employees by making them work almost every night until extremely late hours.
It was time to move on…
After doing some freelancing, I to discover that one would have to have contacts in the business world, and search for the right person in order to get paid.
Another travesty in the life of a designer, unfortunate to say is a very frequent mistake which I believe is going to create controversy, which is the common thought that DTP operators and Graphic Designers are one and the same thing. I will have to disagree with this whole-heartedly.
I do not look down on the work of a DTP Operator but feel that while they are much wanted specialists in their own field, graphic designer also have their own niche. Each has their own course at respective colleges/ technikons while each having a specific criteria/ portfolio. They both work together towards the same goal but within different regions. It would be like comparing (in the I.T field) a programming engineer to a network engineer, ones keeps the computer running at full potential whilst the other connects it to the world in a larger capacity. Disagree if you may, but this thought has long bothered me and many other designers whom I know.
I now work for a reputable company (In-House), getting paid substantially more than all the previous companies as Creative Director in the sense that I lead all projects allowing me to mix all the creativity I have with hard work while being paid to do so and within respectable working hours (at my own discretion).
I have one quote for all aspiring junior graphic designers which I learned from hard experience, “If you want loyalty, get a dog!” I believe that until you find your niche in your advancing career, keep on moving otherwise you will find yourself being slave-driven for pennies!