I don't quite understand this post. In my experience lab technicians in academia are highly valued (however I mostly have experience with clean room staff), however they are support for the researchers, who drive the research agenda (well actually it's the funding primarily). What exactly do you expect to not be what you call "a second class citizen"?

The problem is that it isn't just about pay, it's about everything: autonomy, flexibility, culture, work quality, respect... If an organization can reliably convince—show, not tell—that it will be a much better place to work overall, I'm certain they can hire highly skilled engineers even if they can't compete on pay.

My experience is that most non-tech organizations can't or won't.

If you go to academia, you're certainly are not going for the money.

People can work for less if they are visibly valued, or where they are doing some heroic stuff that appeals to them personally.

People can for some time withstand being treated as second class, being overworked, etc, if they are paid a lot.

But if it's neither, why would anyone bother?

And three of them are FAANG. They could certainly afford it.