Same role, $18K less pay: Top performer thought he was making ‘decent’ progress, learned colleague's salary and unknowingly found a way to work less

Few workplace revelations sting quite like learning that the person sitting next to you earns significantly more for doing the same job. That was the dilemma facing one employee who turned to Reddit after discovering a coworker makes $18,000 more annually despite holding the same title and having joined the company only a few months later.

Employee learns coworker earns more for same job

In a post on Reddit's r/work forum, the employee explained that both workers share the same position and perform similar responsibilities. What made the discovery more frustrating, they said, was that they had actually been with the company longer.


After learning about the pay gap, the employee said they returned to their desk and struggled to focus. "I just sat there for about twenty minutes pretending to work while doing nothing except staring at my screen," they wrote which some Reddit commentatoters pointed out as a new way to work less.

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The revelation prompted them to rethink years of extra effort and commitment to the company. "I was thinking about every time I stayed late, every project I carried and every performance review where I was told I was doing great and that hard work gets noticed here," the employee explained.

A coworker they can't blame

Despite the frustration, the worker says that they do not hold any resentment toward their colleague. "The part that's messing with me more than the number itself is that I like this guy," they wrote.

Rather than blaming the coworker, the employee believes the difference likely came down to stronger salary negotiations, better timing during hiring, or a combination of both. "He's not the problem. He just negotiated better than me or got lucky with timing or both."

The discovery also changed how they viewed their own finances. The employee revealed they have around $4,000 in savings, something they previously considered an achievement. "I used to think it was decent progress and now it just feels like a symbol of how long I've been undervaluing myself without realizing it," they said.

How Reddit reacted

The post sparked a lively discussion, with many Reddit users encouraging the employee to focus on securing a raise rather than dwelling on the coworker's salary. One commenter advised, "Don't complain. Talk to your manager about getting an equitable raise," adding that the employee should emphasize their own value and market rate rather than bringing up a colleague's compensation.

Others cautioned against using a competing job offer as leverage. "I would not use another job as leverage. It rarely works long term," one user wrote, arguing that even if an employer matches an outside offer, the move could affect the relationship going forward.

Several commenters also noted that factors such as prior experience, education, or stronger salary negotiations can sometimes explain pay differences and encouraged the employee to focus on their achievements when making a case for higher pay.