RetireeFirst interview questions

I had a short phone call and was told that next steps included an assessment and in person interview. During the phone call, the interviewer disclosed that they were looking to hire for 5k under market value for the role and were willing to "go up to" market value but nothing more. The interviewer also pressed me on why I was worth more than market value. When I surprised them with a good response, citing certifications and specific accomplishments that demonstrated my value, they let it slip that their salary offers are based on what others at the company with the same role make. This indicated to me that they don't makes alary offers based on YOUR skills and experience but instead based on their current payroll. The interviewer seemed off-put when I asked if I could ask some questions at the end of the call, so I limited it to one question about next steps and anticipated hire date. The next week I got a rejection email, which is fine, but surprising given that the phone call went well. My guess is that they didn't like that I advocated for myself on salary or extended the conversation by asking about the interview process and hire date, and were looking for a cheap/competent hire and not a quality candidate.