by Ashley
Wage Transparency in Public Establishments
As a state worker at a public establishment, all wage data is a part of the general public report. This degree of transparency might be extremely helpful, particularly when negotiating a elevate. Accessing concrete information permits workers to advocate for equitable pay by instantly evaluating their salaries to these of their friends.
Whereas I don’t usually sift by means of the wage archives, I do examine them often to make sure I’m being pretty compensated. The 2025 wage information had been simply launched, so it had been on my thoughts once I not too long ago attended a convention and bumped into an previous colleague and grad faculty buddy. Out of curiosity, I appeared him up – and was shocked by what I found!
A Surprising Wage Bounce
About 5 years in the past, this colleague and I had been incomes roughly the identical wage. That in itself was a bit shocking since he held a better rank on the time, which means I used to be really being paid fairly properly (yay!).
However the actual shock got here once I noticed how his wage had skyrocketed in only a few years. From 2022 to 2025, his pay elevated by practically $100,000. A kind of jumps – a $25,000 elevate – coincided with a title change and promotion, which made sense to me. However the different $75,000? That got here from two separate raises: a modest $5,000 enhance in 2023, and an enormous elevate simply this 12 months. No title change. No apparent clarification. Simply an enormous leap in wage.
The Taboo of Speaking About Cash
After work that day, I discussed this to my husband, expressing my pleasure for my colleague and curiosity about how he managed such a major pay enhance. My husband’s response was easy: “You understand him…why don’t you simply ask?”
And that’s the place I hit a wall. I, personally, love discussing any and every thing cash associated – budgeting, debt, financial savings, investments, salaries, raises and promotions, taxes, aspect hustles, scholar loans, and so forth. and so forth. and so forth. It’s seemingly why I’ve loved running a blog right here a lot! Besides, it’s not simple to ask others about their funds. It’s one factor to be open about my very own monetary scenario; it’s one other to inquire about another person’s. Cash stays a taboo matter, particularly in skilled settings.
Ought to I Attain Out?
To offer some background, this colleague was a couple of years forward of me in grad faculty and acted as an unofficial mentor early in my profession. After I first began in my present function in 2015, he gave me beneficial recommendation on navigating the place. Whereas we’re at all times pleasant once we cross paths, we’ve drifted aside and now not keep up a correspondence usually.
So now I’m left questioning: Ought to I attain out?
I’m contemplating asking for a Zoom assembly and framing the dialog round profession recommendation. By expressing curiosity in how he has progressed in rank and title, I’d naturally open the door for him to share insights into his profession trajectory. I wouldn’t carry up wage instantly, as that feels inappropriate and impolite. However I’d be hoping the dialogue might steer in that path, as that’s the place I’m genuinely interested in how he was in a position to attain such success.
What Would You Do?
Would you attain out to an previous colleague to ask for profession recommendation, hoping to achieve some perception into wage development alongside the best way? Or would you let it go and transfer on? I’d love to listen to your ideas!
Hello, I’m Ashley! Arizonan on paper, Texan at coronary heart. Lover of operating, running a blog, and all issues cheeeeese. Freshly 40, married mom of two, working in academia. Making an attempt to lastly (lastly!) repay that ridiculous 6-digit scholar mortgage debt!
