As a general rule, go by the second item, which should whatever follows "than". Once you've established what the second item is, go back and hunt for the right first item.

In your sentence above, It helps to focus on the part outside of the underlined part: whatever we compare must eventually be compared to "wages", so we're looking for an answer choice where the first item is something akin to wages: not increase in wages (answer choices A, C, D) nor the percentage of increase (Answer choice B), but the actual pay itself, which is a synonym to wages (answer choice E).

Does this answer your query?

As in all these kind of questions involving comparisons/ellipsis, where few words are omitted, always try to frame the ideal sentence:

Ideal sentence:

In 1990, the pay of senior executives increased by a larger percentage than the wages of other salaried workers increased.

Essentially, following two events that occurred in 1990 are being compared:

1. The pay of senior executives increased

2. The wages of other salaried workers increased

Comparison: #1 above was more than #2.

A has a big issue. At worst, it can be interpreted as: Senior executives had a larger percentage increase in pay in 1990 than (in) the wages of other salaried workers.

B is illogical, since it reads: ..pay increase was larger for the wages of other salaried workers..

C would read: The 1990 increase in pay for senior executives was larger in terms of percentage than (in terms of) the wages of other salaried workers.

D would read: In 1990 senior executives had a larger pay increase in terms of percentage than the wages of other salaried (had a pay increase) - Seems to suggest that wages had a pay increase!!

Thanks - this plugs the hole !!

Hmm - This was a good strategy - but I think I messed up again. tried using it to solve this SC

42. According to a survey of graduating medical students conducted by the Association of American Medical Colleges, minority graduates are nearly four times more likely than are other graduates in planning to practice in socioeconomically deprived areas.
(A) minority graduates are nearly four times more likely than are other graduates in planning to practice
(B) minority graduates are nearly four times more likely than other graduates who plan on practicing
(C) minority graduates are nearly four times as likely as other graduates to plan on practicing
(D) it is nearly four times more likely that minority graduates rather than other graduates will plan to practice
(E) it is nearly four times as likely for minority graduates than other graduates to plan to practice

OA : C

I used the strategy:
1) Find the Comparison signal : Than
2) Identify the items being compared : minority graduates are vs are other graduates
3) Eliminated C since : minority graduates are did not seem parallel to other graduates

Looks like I haven't grasped it completely! Any pointers?