AZ – another well written post, thank you.
To add, not argue your last point, I don’t believe that shadchanim are under compensated because of what you stated (under appreciation etc) I can’t speak for anyone outside of my own experience (though many feel free to do so) but I think that many of us do not believe we are under compensating. I think that for so many of us who do NOT promise thousands to the couple, and do NOT make weddings for tens of thousands of dollars, we believe with all our hearts that a thousand dollars, which is a treasure in our eyes, is something HUGE to give someone. So is $500. If halacha allows it, but you feel it isn’t enough to make a shadchan feel worthwhile, I am sad for them. Truly. Many of us do community work that requires at least as much time and trouble, but if someone handed me $1000 for something I did for them, I would be overjoyed at my good fortune, I would not feel under compensated.
And trust me, with the work I do dealing with people who are hungry, I get how much time is involved, but I would never make it your responsibility to pay my bills.
I’m hoping this gives you another viewpoint, we do appreciate, we just have different views on what we need to feel well compensated.
So it may be the low end of the range, but I would NEVER think of it as under compensating, because to many of us it is a fortune.