8 Ways to Find Out What Coworkers Earn

Trying to find out what your peers earn may seem like a morally reprehensible act, but it can also be a defensive move if you suspect your employer of pay discrimination.

Now that the Supreme Court has ruled that employees need to file discrimination complaints when they first receive lower pay (as opposed to when they finally realize they're getting lower pay), women and other protected classes have a good reason to find out what their employer pays others to do the same job.

How far you're willing to go depends on where you draw the line between your need to know and your coworkers' right to privacy, says H. Keith Melton, author of The Spy's Guide: Office Espionage as well as the more serious look at professional sneaks, Spycraft: The Secret History of the CIA's Spytechs, from Communism to al-Qaeda, which goes into more detail on spying techniques.

Keeping what Melton said in mind, here are eight ways to find out what others earn, starting with the least morally reprehensible.

1. Check the Paperwork

If you work for the federal government, pay grades are published. If you work for a nonprofit, the salaries for high-level employees will be listed in the tax returns, often found online at GuideStar. Check the company intranet for salary ranges, as well as external Web sites and Monster for job postings that include salary.

2. Keep Your Eyes Peeled

Even the most timid employee can inadvertently stumble across salary data. People often leave ATM deposit envelopes on their desks and salary spreadsheets on the copy machine, says Roberta Chinsky Matuson, CCP, president of Human Resource Solutions.

3. Ask Your Coworkers

This is a great solution if you're young enough to pull it off, says Annette O'Connor, president of Clearhead Consulting. Gen Y kids will just tell you what they earn, and they have no qualms about asking others about their pay, she says.

4. Talk to Your Boss

You can't ask your boss what others make, but you can ask related questions. Try this one: "I'm making $35,000 now. What do I have to do to get to $45,000?" If no one is making $45,000, the boss will say so.

5. Ask a Recruiter

Recruiters know what a lot of people make. "Whether or not they're willing to share this information with just any candidate is debatable," says one recruiter who asked not to be identified. "But if you've got a long-term relationship, they'll guide you as to what is market rate."

6. Encourage Loose Lips

Take advantage of the fact that people love to talk about themselves, Chinsky Matuson says. If a peer buys a house, tell them you'd love to buy one, too, and add: "How much house do we qualify for?" as though you know he makes what you make so you both qualify for the same amount.

When a coworker drives a new BMW to work, ask if he leased it or bought it.

When a coworker complains about child support, try to get a number. If you know the state formula for minimum child support, you'll have a minimum estimate of that person's take-home pay.

When bonuses are passed out, ask: "What are you going to use yours for?" Is your peer buying a speedboat while you only got enough for a Speedo?

As you pry, know that some people lie, some people have generous parents, and some people save for big-ticket items or pay way more child support than the law requires.

7. Seek Advice

Pretend you're trying to figure out your flexible spending account and ask a peer to explain how it works. "She'll likely start out by saying, ‘Suppose you make $40,000,' and without thinking, she'll use the amount she makes," Chinsky Matuson says.

8. Cultivate Those Who Know

Pry information from a work friend with access to salary data. "The boss's secretary, the payroll assistant and anyone who puts together an annual budget knows what people make," Melton says.

Before You Put Your Job on the Line

Melton knows other methods for uncovering salary secrets, but they go beyond what many would consider ethical and could cost you your job if you are caught. These include pretexting -- for example, having a friend call your coworker pretending to be a headhunter to get salary info -- and stealing the information.

While you can find tips on the Web and in books for both of these tactics, is finding out your colleagues' salaries worth losing your own salary if you get caught?

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