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    Employee finds out coworker makes $6/hr more than them despite same job and similar background: 'I feel like I've been underpaid for years without knowing it'

    Author image for JR Atkinson
    JR Atkinson • Writer and Editor
    Sep 27, 2025 10:00 PM EDT

    For some reason, it's become gauche to talk about how much money you make. In American culture, we feel that it's impolite lest you alienate someone or seem like you're bragging. In reality, it's just another piece of information and it need not define us. Plus, it can be super helpful to talk about how much money you make, so you can arm yourself with at least anecdotal data. Maybe you're gone years thinking you're making an average amount, and then you find out all your friends who are in similar situations are making more than you. 

    You might then feel like you're being taken advantage of, and maybe it spurs you to have a conversation with your boss. Information is power, and we shouldn't be shy about sharing it with other people. Honesty is always the best policy, especially in the workplace. But this is much easier said than done, given how employers like to discourage discussion of wages. They do that to keep us from situations like this one, where an employee found out some pretty upsetting information.

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    • 01
      A woman oversees a male coworker at their workplace.
      via Unsplash+ (Getty Images)

      The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

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    • When they accidentally saw a coworker's pay stub, they found out that they were being way undervalued at their company, and they weren't sure what to do with that fact. So they reached out to commenters online to see what they might have done in that situation. Read on to see what they said. 

    • 02

      Found out I'm paid way less than my coworker...

      Accidentally saw a coworker's paystub on the printer. Turns out they're making $6/hr more than me for literally the same role, same responsibilities, and almost identical experience. We even started around the same time. It's not like they negotiated some rare skill either it's just random luck that their offer came from a different manager. I feel like I've been underpaid for years without knowing it. Do I bring this up to HR or is it just another reason to update my resume and get out?
      via u/Flashy-Culture6696
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    • 03

      Commenters gave their takes on the situation.

      Lower_Jaguar_3201 2h ago . Update your resume and be prepared to leave when they refuse to pay you more. They're going to have every excuse in the book as to why they pay him more than you, just don't believe any of the crop lol.
      via u/Lower_Jaguar_3201
    • 04
      This_Ad_6381 • 2h ago And asked your reasoning for leaving, tell them exactly how you feel doing the same job as your colleagues and got paid less.
      via u/This_Ad_6381
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    • 05
      • shylocky 2h ago Eh, OP, don't even give them a chance. They've told you what they think of you by what they're paying you. Be sure to tell them why when you leave.
      via u/shylocky
    • 06
      vt2022cam · 1h ago • It isn't always nefarious, but in addition to updating the resume, go to HR and point out that you're concerned about "internal equity". Don't tell them how you know, it's none of their business, but tell them this other person is paid more for the same work. The other employee might have had more years of experience, but more often, married men get paid more and that could be what happened.
      via u/vt2022cam
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    • 07
      Olfa_2024 2h ago Wait until you're in an engineering role and you find out the sales guys (especially the pretty ones) get paid 3-4 times or even more what you do just to sit around and promise the moon.
      via u/Olfa_2024
    • 08
      Every where I've ever worked the focus has always been on making sure those guys make big bucks and the rest of us slave away to deliver the ridiculous sh they sold.
      via u/Olfa_2024
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    • 09
      A woman checks a tablet at work.
      via Unsplash+ (Getty Images)

      The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

    • 10
      spookydooky69420 2h ago • I had this happen to me years ago and I lost my sh on my manager when I found out. It did force them to give me a raise but that just made the manager dump more responsibilities on me. The job didn't get any better (it actually got much much worse) and I ended up leaving.
      via u/spookydooky69420
    • 11
      AdAccomplished6870 • 2h ago If you mention it to HR, the three possible out comes are 1) nothing happens, 2) you get reprimanded or fired, or 3) You get a pay raise to bring you up to the same level as your coworker. 1 and 2 are orders of magnitude more likely than 3.
      via u/AdAccomplished6870
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    • 12
      Your best bet is to start a job search, but also concurrently talk to your boss about 1) the value you bring to the company and the job you do, and 2) the fact that you feel like you want to stay here for a while and provide stability, but you think you are being paid below market. Do not threaten to leave, always couch things in terms of value to the company. The odds of this working are low, but not zero (the odds are better if you are a good employee)
      via u/AdAccomplished6870
    • 13
      Pianos_for_Clowns • 1h ago You should speak to them and let them know that you need to be paid X amount to continue in the role. DO NOT mention the co-worker. That always makes people seem desperate and could inadvertently put some stress on that co-worker.
      via u/Pianos_for_Clowns
    • 14
      Obviously, be prepared to leave. Start applying elsewhere. immediately. You may even luck out and have a higher offer elsewhere. Good luck!
      via u/Pianos_for_Clowns
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    • 15
      1nfinityLantern • 2h ago . Find a better gig. Looking while having a job is less stressful.
      via u/1nfinityLantern
    • 16
      Rabid_Dingo • 2h ago Ask first. You might just get the raise. If not move on. Always keep the resume updated though, regardless of office shenanigans.
      via u/Rabid_Dingo
    • 17
      Appropriate-Bid8671 2h ago • I had a co-worker with a decade more experience, and demonstrably more skill discover they were getting paid almost half what me and one other guy in our department were. When she went to management about it, and they fired her on the spot.
      via u/Appropriate-Bid8671
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    • 18
      MrButterscotcher 2h ago . Just remember when your work bu ies you into the culture of not sharing your salary with others, it's not to help team cohesion, it's to help the company.
      via u/MrButterscotcher
    • 19
      kyle1234513 • 2h ago i negotiated an extra 3$/hr for one job over my coworker, but he was from NJ and i was from NY so our take home was exactly the same after taxes. perhaps they live in a higher cost of living area.
      via u/kyle1234513
    • 20
      bubbasass • 2h ago . They're not going to give you $6/hr more. Be prepared to leave. Negotiate harder next job.
      via u/bubbasass
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    • 21
      Cutlass_Stallion • 2h ago Are you in a union? If so, have a word with your rep. If not, it's time to have a conversation with your boss.
      via u/Cutlass_Stallion
    • 22
      Unhappywageslave ⚫ 2h ago • If you bring this up and they decide to not give you the same pay, then you can negotiate lower work load. It's only fair. No point in going above and beyond what you're getting paid if the other person is getting 6 dollars more
      via u/Unhappywageslave
    • 23
      BlueWater321 • 2h ago Both. This is great news. It means they are willing to pay you 6/hr more. All you have to do is demand it.
      via u/BlueWater321
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    • 24
      maeve117 1h ago This happened to me a decade ago and it was only a difference of about $1.50. I called the HR of the very large company I was working for and complained about it and it actually ended up triggering a site-wide review of people's pay rates and like five of us got raises for parity. It ended up working out for me,
      via u/maeve117
    • 25
      but I can see 1000 different ways it might have ended differently, especially if I'd been at a small or medium business or had a less responsive HR department. The coworker who was making more wasn't happy that I learned how much money he was making, but it really had nothing to do with him.
      via u/maeve117
    • 26
      Honey Badger302 · 1h ago . I'll take that and add some extra on top of it - recently our HR finally fixed their systems and my direct reports salaries were finally visible to me (should have been done 1.5 years ago when they were moved under me, but - small company dragging their feet, and only my supervisor could see everyone's pay).
      via u/HoneyBadger302
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    • 27
      Anyways, come to find out out - one of my direct reports, who was hired about 6 months after me (for the same role/level at the time), trained by me, hand held by me, and eventually I got promoted over, who now reports to me along with the rest of that team - actually makes several thousand a year more than I do - still.
      via u/HoneyBadger302
    • 28
      They hired this person for significantly more than me (after denying my negotiation attempts), and this person has consistently gotten larger raises - but consistently has carried similar and now significantly less responsibility than I do, but still makes more than I do, and has always come to me as the
      via u/HoneyBadger302
    • 29
      next level of escalation when a problem was encountered. They do not have skills or years of experience I don't have. They have held a certification longer than I have, but we both have the same certification, which isn't really needed, and is more of a pretty piece of paper/proof of experience than anything.
      via u/HoneyBadger302
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    • 30
      I've never stopped applying, but as I want fully remote (I would be okay with hybrid but these days don't trust any local company not to go pull a 5 day RTO and I'm not willing to accept that when I have full remote work) it's harsh - the job market is BRUTAL right now, even with personal referrals I'm
      via u/HoneyBadger302
    • 31
      not getting traction beyond interviews I've made it to some - 2nd and 3rd rounds, but no offers on the table for anything with an actually competitive pay rate, probably because there are WAY overqualified people willing to accept a lower-for-them pay rate right now :/ which screws anyone looking for a competitive
      via u/HoneyBadger302
    • 32
      pay rate :( Not that I blame them if it's that or no job - been there, done that, part of why I'm in the position I'm in to begin with - I took this job during CO ID when it was this or bankruptcy even though it was way below my skills and experience but at least in my career field - so I've been that person too I guess.
      via u/HoneyBadger302

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