I’m open about telling friends how little I make, but I do think this trend diminishes as people move up tax brackets.
ARIELLE GREEN, a publicist in Manhattan, knows what most of her friends earn, whether it is $28,000 a year or $100,000. And she does not seem particularly shy about disclosing her income ($30,000 a year, plus overtime).
At 22, Ms. Green, like her friends, is less afraid to flirt with what many over 35 consider the last taboo in American life: discussing salary openly with friends and colleagues. “There’s just more of a feeling of openness in discussing what you make,” Ms. Green said.
Her friends, she said, consider frank talk about income a valuable tool. It helps them strategize — when to push for a raise, when to start looking around. It even helps them figure out plans for a Friday night, whether the assembled cast is better suited to a brick-oven pizzeria or Buddakan.
