Hi there, I wanted to first thank you for reading my post. I also wanted to mention that I tried posting elsewhere on reddit and got very hostile and unhelpful replies so I deleted it. Due to that experience I wanted to lead with this: I am asking this question and describing this situation earnestly. I am not at all trying to sound ungrateful or egotistical. I have never been in this situation and I simply do not know how to think about it. I am unsure if I am concerned about my pay for no reason, or if my pay is justified. I am really thankful for any replies I get that can help me navigate forward.
With that said, here is the situation:
I was hired on to my current company five months ago. I was asked when I was in discussion with my supervisor what kind of salary I was looking for, and I responded 85k. He told me that there would not be a negotiation of my salary, and said that he could not provide anything higher than 70k. I have never negotiated a salary before, and I needed another job, so I accepted although I was unhappy about the salary.
There are two other people in my office and they have openly discussed their salary with me (I did not ask them, they asked me what I was making). They have both been here for a little over a year. One began as the intern. They both were hired straight out of their undergrad. At the time of these conversations, both were making the same amount as me.
I started thinking about this and comparing our background. They were both hired with no experience just out of their undergrad. I was hired with 2.5 years of experience and a masters degree in the field. It made me feel concerned that I was making the same as my coworkers (who are lovely people that I really enjoy and care for) who have less experience and less education than me. I started wondering, why did I spend so much time and energy on graduate school if it didn't even help me get ahead? How is it that I have 2.5 years of experience and am making the same as someone who had 0?
Yearly bonuses came around this month and they are now both making more than me. I completely understand that I do not qualify for the yearly bonus because I haven't been here for enough time. And that is totally fine. But what I am concerned about is that I am now making less than my coworkers who have less experience and education than me.
I want to ask my supervisor about this, but he is somewhat verbally abusive and has indicated that he doesn't want us speaking about our salaries. I have looked this up and it is legal to do in my state. I know that asking this question is going to seriously upset him and I am really anxious about it.
I want to know if he overlooked my resume when he hired me. I want to know if I am overthinking this situation. I want to know how to word this entire thing without sounding like a petulant brat, “WAHHHHH, why am i making less than my coworkers?!?!” Is there a way to gracefully articulate that I have more experience and education, and am wondering how it could be that I am making less than them now?
I think I might feel better if I am told that my yearly bonus might factor in my previous education and masters degree…?
Can someone please help me? I feel very wrong inside.
Also, I applied to a federal job over a year ago and they randomly finally got back to me and offered me 110k and really great benefits, but I can't take that job anymore. Is it appropriate to discuss this with my boss somehow?
Im sorry if I sound like an idiot.
Also, I wanted to mention that I am looking for a new job. It's just that this current job that I am at has brought me to a weird part of my state that I don't particularly want to be in, and Im stuck in an expensive year long lease which I am only five months into. I am looking for new jobs for sure. uhgg