I can't really articulate why, but to me my salary and compensation is extremely private. I'm not ashamed of my compensation and I could justify it (compared to my peers for example), but it still seems like something that is extremely private. When I ask myself why I would care if my coworkers, family, friends, etc knew my compensation I can't come up with a solid answer. I am in my early 30s, if that matters.
If we think of compensation being directly and only related to the value that that person brings to a company, it seems like we're neglecting half the equation. The flow of value goes the other way as well - I would require higher compensation for the same value delivered if I did not like the company or the work environment for example. I could also require lower compensation if I really liked the company or work environment. How does this discrepancy have any bearing on compensation compared to a peer who is (for the sake of argument) delivering the same exact value to the company? This half of compensation is extremely personal and subjective.
If transparent compensation becomes the norm (or legally required), I can see myself migrating back to consulting work where I would charge by project or deliverable which would totally obscure my hourly compensation even if the contract itself was public.
If we think of compensation being directly and only related to the value that that person brings to a company, it seems like we're neglecting half the equation. The flow of value goes the other way as well - I would require higher compensation for the same value delivered if I did not like the company or the work environment for example. I could also require lower compensation if I really liked the company or work environment. How does this discrepancy have any bearing on compensation compared to a peer who is (for the sake of argument) delivering the same exact value to the company? This half of compensation is extremely personal and subjective.
If transparent compensation becomes the norm (or legally required), I can see myself migrating back to consulting work where I would charge by project or deliverable which would totally obscure my hourly compensation even if the contract itself was public.