Your Salary - Do you share or keep it private?

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thedynasty1998's avatar

thedynasty1998

Senior Member

6,844 posts
Dec 1, 2009 10:46 AM
Obviously asking someone how much they know is one of those questions that is usually rude to ask someone.

Well anyone that works for the state, you can search their salary and I've been looking at the database and looking up just about everyone I know who is either working for the state or is a teacher. I've shared the site with some people and they said they feel uncomfortable looking at someone's salary without them knowing.

So what say you. Do you openly share your salary? Do you think someone's salary is a private thing that shouldn't be researched?
Dec 1, 2009 10:46am
LJ's avatar

LJ

Senior Member

16,351 posts
Dec 1, 2009 10:47 AM
I'll share my salary, I don't care.

As for if it should be public knowledge, it should be for any gov't employee.
Dec 1, 2009 10:47am
C

cbus4life

Ignorant

2,849 posts
Dec 1, 2009 10:49 AM
Government Employee, yes, it should be publically available.

If not, then it should be private, and up to the individual to decide whether they want to share it or not.
Dec 1, 2009 10:49am
justincredible's avatar

justincredible

Nick Mangold

32,056 posts
Dec 1, 2009 10:52 AM
My salary for running this website is in the tens of dollars.
Dec 1, 2009 10:52am
Q

queencitybuckeye

Senior Member

7,117 posts
Dec 1, 2009 10:52 AM
The salaries of public-sector employees should be public as we collectively pay those salaries. The salaries paid at my business are my business.
Dec 1, 2009 10:52am
Websurfinbird's avatar

Websurfinbird

Chosen Person

656 posts
Dec 1, 2009 10:57 AM
What about sharing your salary with co-workers? I feel like some companies, mine included, guilt you into not talking about it, lest you learn someone of the same experience/skill level is making more and might (Gasp!) want a raise.
Dec 1, 2009 10:57am
se-alum's avatar

se-alum

The Biggest Boss

13,948 posts
Dec 1, 2009 11:01 AM
I work for the gov't, so anyone can find my salary. As far as co-workers go, I could pretty much guess what their salary is, based on position and years of service. Just cross-reference it w/ the GS pay scale. It's easier to look it up though!! :)
Dec 1, 2009 11:01am
Heretic's avatar

Heretic

Son of the Sun

18,820 posts
Dec 1, 2009 11:02 AM
I keep mine on the hush-hush out of pure shame.
Dec 1, 2009 11:02am
LJ's avatar

LJ

Senior Member

16,351 posts
Dec 1, 2009 11:03 AM
Websurfinbird wrote: What about sharing your salary with co-workers? I feel like some companies, mine included, guilt you into not talking about it, lest you learn someone of the same experience/skill level is making more and might (Gasp!) want a raise.
Our contractors have a privacy clause in their contracts that if we hear any word of them discussing what we are paying them they lose the contract immediately.

In the oil business sometimes it's hard to get contractors and sometimes it's easy. You can have 2 crews out working and 1 is making 20% more than the other just because of a shortage of crews when you had to start drilling.
Dec 1, 2009 11:03am
Websurfinbird's avatar

Websurfinbird

Chosen Person

656 posts
Dec 1, 2009 11:04 AM
GS pay scale only refers to federal employees. I think?

Ehh moral of the story is I'm broke! Better work on my golddigger strategy ...
Dec 1, 2009 11:04am
OneBuckeye's avatar

OneBuckeye

Senior Member

5,888 posts
Dec 1, 2009 11:04 AM
justincredible wrote: My salary for running this website is in the tens of dollars.
Dec 1, 2009 11:04am
se-alum's avatar

se-alum

The Biggest Boss

13,948 posts
Dec 1, 2009 11:05 AM
GS pay scale only refers to federal employees. I think?
Yea, I was referring to my co-workers, my bad!
Dec 1, 2009 11:05am
Cleveland Buck's avatar

Cleveland Buck

Troll Hunter

5,126 posts
Dec 1, 2009 11:05 AM
Heretic wrote: I keep mine on the hush-hush out of pure shame.
This.
Dec 1, 2009 11:05am
J

jmog

Senior Member

6,567 posts
Dec 1, 2009 11:06 AM
Most of my family knows how much I make, and not just my wife. My parents, in laws, sister, a few cousins/uncles (not all), just the people I'm close with.

No one at work knows how much I make unless they are my boss or HR.
Dec 1, 2009 11:06am
ZWICK 4 PREZ's avatar

ZWICK 4 PREZ

Senior Member

7,733 posts
Dec 1, 2009 11:07 AM
I make 1 dolla.
Dec 1, 2009 11:07am
LJ's avatar

LJ

Senior Member

16,351 posts
Dec 1, 2009 11:07 AM
I can't get the ohio database to work. Got a link?
Dec 1, 2009 11:07am
McFly1955's avatar

McFly1955

Senior Member

1,441 posts
Dec 1, 2009 11:18 AM
Only my wife and I know really...No need for anyone else to, none of their business.
Dec 1, 2009 11:18am
C

Con_Alma

Senior Member

12,198 posts
Dec 1, 2009 11:20 AM
I share mine with those who are close to me and inquire.
Dec 1, 2009 11:20am
G

gut

Senior Member

15,058 posts
Dec 1, 2009 11:32 AM
Interesting question.

No, I don't share and it's a double-edged sword. It is often very difficult to determine your market worth, and the few not so great sites that accumulate less than perfect data usually charge too much for a private individual to get.

Smart companies don't have wide disparities, but new people always come in at market value and so can often be making as much or more than the guy hired a year or two earlier (quickly levels out with annual and merit increases). If I was underpaid, I'd want to know so I can make a case for a raise or start looking for someone who will pay me what I'm worth. On the other hand, if you're happy with your job and what you make, you might not want to know that the C player next to you makes as much or more than you.

I'm speaking mostly about co-workers and people of your salary grade. I don't share with anyone, really, but have often thought about it with co-workers.
Dec 1, 2009 11:32am
Glory Days's avatar

Glory Days

Senior Member

7,809 posts
Dec 1, 2009 11:35 AM
The salaries of public-sector employees should be public as we collectively pay those salaries. The salaries paid at my business are my business.
what about your business clients? since people feel they are entitled to know what government workers make, shouldnt a client be entitled to know what his service provider makes? that way he doesnt think he is being overcharged for a service if he knows the service provider is paying their employees too high? just a thought.
Dec 1, 2009 11:35am
G

gut

Senior Member

15,058 posts
Dec 1, 2009 11:36 AM
Websurfinbird wrote: What about sharing your salary with co-workers? I feel like some companies, mine included, guilt you into not talking about it, lest you learn someone of the same experience/skill level is making more and might (Gasp!) want a raise.

Some companies definitely rely (hope) their employees don't share that info. Forget exactly, but I think I've seen research that claimed co-workers should be open about what they're making because you deserve a market wage. It should be noted, however, that you don't want to make your case for a raise just based on the fact "Suzy makes more than me and I'm at least as valuable as her"

Some companies probably also have policies against sharing this information, or at least many believe they do and thus are afraid of sharing that info.
Dec 1, 2009 11:36am
LJ's avatar

LJ

Senior Member

16,351 posts
Dec 1, 2009 11:38 AM
Glory Days wrote:
The salaries of public-sector employees should be public as we collectively pay those salaries. The salaries paid at my business are my business.
what about your business clients? since people feel they are entitled to know what government workers make, shouldnt a client be entitled to know what his service provider makes? that way he doesnt think he is being overcharged for a service if he knows the service provider is paying their employees too high? just a thought.
Well see, that is what makes up part of the difference between the public sector and the private sector.
Dec 1, 2009 11:38am
se-alum's avatar

se-alum

The Biggest Boss

13,948 posts
Dec 1, 2009 11:38 AM
Oh, and my salary won't be raising much this year thanks to d-bag Obama.
Dec 1, 2009 11:38am
gorocks99's avatar

gorocks99

Senior Member

10,760 posts
Dec 1, 2009 11:38 AM
Anyone that asks, I'll tell. NBD.
Dec 1, 2009 11:38am
GOONx19's avatar

GOONx19

An exceptional poster.

7,147 posts
Dec 1, 2009 11:41 AM
Yessir. I make $1.74 million quarterly. And I take that to the bank.
Dec 1, 2009 11:41am