what you ask over there but don't over here.....(in my experience)

How much do you earn?....bbc2 now!!

How much do you earn?....bbc2 now!!

Really? I've always found the English much more open about discussing salaries than Americans.

Really? I've always found the English much more open about discussing salaries than Americans.

I have found that as well.

I'm happy to discuss if asked but would never ask. Every time i go to the states the conversation always turns to what i do which is fine and then how much i make. Never get used to that.

I'm happy to discuss if asked but would never ask. Every time i go to the states the conversation always turns to what i do which is fine and then how much i make. Never get used to that.

Wow, I'm an American and I would never dream of asking someone what they make.  I am always surprised when people are willing to tell me and to be honest I really don't want to know!!

Where were you? I've never had that happen in the US. To this day I still don't even know how much most of my family make or my best friends. I was shocked when I had English people ask me!!

I used to spend two months a year there on business - mainly mid west, Detroit, Indy, Milwaukee and sometimes LA.

Wow, a guy doing organ removal for autopsies - £55 a day!!

I was never asked my salary in the US, but it's common knowledge here.  Everybody at work knows what everyone else makes (or at least which salary grade they're on).

Where were you? I've never had that happen in the US. To this day I still don't even know how much most of my family make or my best friends. I was shocked when I had English people ask me!!

That's the same for me.  I still don't know how much my dad makes at his job he has been at for 28 years. The only thing I know is he makes triple pay if he works on holidays.  At work here whenever we get our paystubs, everyone always seems to be looking at each other's and comparing things like taxes, bonuses, etc

Well as i said in the title i can only go on my experience. I don't wear a T-shirt that says ''Go on, ask me what i earn'' when I'm in the states but it used to happen each time i was there. As it was from people i met in a social situation and did not really know i always found it strange as I've never asked anyone that.

With regard to the programme, i read a lot on UKY that what costs a $ in the US costs a £ here - how do the wages compare job for job? Anyone here got a job in a mortuary....lol

I was never asked my salary in the US, but it's common knowledge here.  Everybody at work knows what everyone else makes (or at least which salary grade they're on).

Maybe within the same company, but I wouldn't think people know what their friends/neighbours/etc make. I have never been asked how much I make in either country, and I think I'd consider it pretty rude if I had been! I do think that people in the US are more likely to ask, "What do you do?" than are people in the UK, though. That's one of the first questions I'd get asked on meeting someone new! As if that's anything to do with who I am!

I agree - no one on either side has ever had the tactlessness to ask me how much I make. But I will say that I find it very refreshing that the first question out of people's mouths here (UK) is NOT "so what do you do?" In fact that's one of the last things most people ask. I love that you're less defined by your job here....

I agree - no one on either side has ever had the tactlessness to ask me how much I make. But I will say that I find it very refreshing that the first question out of people's mouths here (UK) is NOT "so what do you do?" In fact that's one of the last things most people ask. I love that you're less defined by your job here....

Ditto Anne. I too, think the Americans are much more discreet about salary. They're happy to say "I got a 5% raise or two month's salary bonus" but never the actual number. I was so appalled at my first job here when someone started discussing my salary... especially since it was peanuts!

All I can say is, please don't ask me my salary.  Ever.  In any country.

With my job here, it's all about banding so if you are in 'band x' then people automatically know in what range your salary is.  In North America, it is much more arbitrary, I find and thus people are much more reluctant to talk about it.  I've had jobs where we were forbidden to reveal our salaries - grounds for firing.