This is a dang interesting topic that I have came across the last couple of days. In NY, employers that have a job posting are required to list a salary range for the specific job they are hiring for. This seems to be an obvious requirement that should be done on all jobs, but since this is a new requirement some interesting issues have developed along side the requirement. Jobs are being listed as higher salaries than they are currently paying similar workers and the workers are seeing it.

Now generally, I am 100% in the camp, you get what you negotiate. But as a younger professional, knowing whether you are getting a fair wage versus your coworkers would have placed some aspects of being new to a job in perspective. I have always been open about my salary level to anyone that asked, before becoming a business owner. As a grunt.... I would openly talk about salary level, bonuses, etc unless my employer directly discussed that I was getting more of a bonus than other people and to keep morale high, don't advertise it. Now, even with that, grunts know the production value of other grunts in the office. If someone is on par with you, you would expect that they would be compensated similarly to you and in that case I would openly discuss it with those people.

Now, most people are not this realistic. Most grunts always see themselves as the TOP Grunt and believe they should make more than everyone else. Those people are going to have a hard time at listed salary ranges.

As a business owner, I can see the issues with posting potential job salary levels. First, salaries do not tell the entire story. Bonuses in my field may double if not triple your salary level in good years. Second, experience, production value, and market connections trump everything else in the office. We may pay someone 2X salary level for their position if they have specific experience needed or can add to the marketing aspect of our office.

All in all, I believe knowing what your co-workers make have both positives and negatives. Transparency helps to equalize the pay gap, but it can be a source of issue if the worker feels like they are being slighted. My mom has worked for the same company for 20 years. Hourly. Just now getting to 22-24 dollars per hour. People getting hired in at 19 because people refuse to do the work for any less with Amazon and other companies starting out at that rate. My mom continuously talks about how it is unfair that 20 years experience is worth only 3 dollars an hour. And I agree with her disappointment. She started at 9/hr and now makes 22/hr. Gaining only 3 per hour over the starting rate. What she doesn't realize, in her position, her experience doesn't pay off that much for the company. It is the hard truth, and her value at 22/hr is barely the minimum to keep her there.

So, transparency in job pay is going to shake some stuff up, and there will definitely be people pissed when they find out their co-workers may get more pay for the same work. I will be interested in how it unfolds.