If you’ve ever felt uneasy asking about pay early in the hiring process, a recent Reddit post captured why that discomfort still exists.
In a thread titled “CEO says asking for salary is a red flag. Interview makes a LinkedIn post that goes viral” on r/recruitinghell, a user shared screenshots from LinkedIn showing a candidate’s exchange with a hiring contact. The job seeker replied to an outreach message with a simple question: “Can you please let me know the salary range for this role?”
The reply came back in a single block of text. “Base is up to $135k with bonus potential, 401K, full benefits, equity consideration. Range is dependent upon validated candidates with proven track records. Asking that as a first question though is a red flag for me. So disregard invitation for call. It’s a fair question but lacks good judgment an introduction first.”
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On LinkedIn, the candidate wrote, “Since when did asking for a salary range become a red flag? Raise your hand if you’re utterly floored by the current circus that is the employment market. Feedback welcomed (not that anyone asked). Hey LinkedIn, how about making salary ranges mandatory on job postings? Or is transparency still on backorder.”
Reddit commenters quickly reacted to the exchange. One wrote, “That’s like me saying, ‘Come help me mow my lawn and I will compensate you in some undisclosed way…I promise.'” Another added, “I ask [about pay] in the first message they send me. If I don’t get an answer, I reclaim the rest of my time.”
Others focused on the imbalance this kind of response creates in the hiring process. One comment read, “It’s an unethical way of establishing an asymmetry of information that advantages the employer over the applicant.” Another said, “0% chance I’ll do more than a phone screen without a salary number. I’m probably not even doing a phone screen.”
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Several users shared personal stories that echoed the frustration. “I interviewed for a position in Portland where the employer refused to mention the salary range until I’d flown up there and completed a technical interview. Seemed like a red flag to me. I declined.”
Although the pay range was provided, the immediate rejection based on the timing of the question left many frustrated. The candidate didn’t negotiate or push back—he simply asked, and was shut down before even getting a call. For many readers, that raised a bigger question about who’s allowed to ask what, and when.
In a 2023 LinkedIn Workplace Confidence Survey, 91% of U.S. workers said seeing a salary range would impact their decision to apply. That number jumps even higher among Gen Z and millennial respondents. The takeaway: job seekers want transparency, and lack of it can be a dealbreaker.
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Legally, some states are catching up. California requires companies with 15 or more employees to list pay in all job ads—even remote ones. New York mandates that employers with four or more employees include minimum and maximum salary ranges in any job, promotion, or transfer opportunity. Colorado, meanwhile, continues to lead with its Equal Pay for Equal Work Act, which enforces some of the strictest pay posting rules in the country.
Asking about pay shouldn’t feel risky, but as this exchange showed, some hiring gatekeepers still treat it that way. Until policies and attitudes fully align, candidates may be left guessing where the line is—and whether crossing it will cost them the job.
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