Yeah I find it odd that it's so private. (I've heard this is a very American thing--not so much the case in a lot of European countries. Not sure if that is true.)
I think I've seen some articles/studies about how people actually end up making more money when there is openness about salaries at work. People are probably more likely to ask for a raise (and get one) if they know what other people at their same seniority level and with similar evaluations and such are making. (Which, of course, is why businesses wouldn't want you talking about it!)
I'm a grad student at a public university and the salaries of all faculty here are publicly available (and I've looked!). My non-fellowship salary is also available for anyone to find.
It might be part of the whole "we're all middle class" thing (funny all these threads are going at once!). When you don't know what other people's income situation is, it's easy to think that you're in similar types of economic situations (e.g. both "middle class.") But maybe when you actually know what you are making compared to others, you start seeing some pretty major differences. (I don't think it's just income that could make one aware of these differences, but also lifestyle, spending, etc.)
For instance, a friend of mine A did discuss actual numbers with a friend of hers B (who I don't really know). So A now knows exactly what B's annual income is--at least twice what A's is. And B--being in her mid-20s and having really generous parents--gets a lot of extra support from them; she has very few bills other than very minimal living expenses (and not even all of them) which she pays on her. Yet B likes to complain to A about how she doesn't have any money and she can't manage to save anything and she's so poor. A (who is living on half the money B is and actually paying *all* her living expenses on her own), doesn't have much sympathy for B and in fact is pretty annoyed by her constant complaints.
I've also seen some threads here where DISers have mentioned some numbers, saying things like "well $50,000--that's poor!." And people who are making $50,000 respond and say "Really--I don't think of myself as poor" and get sort of insulted. (Of course there are COLA issues there.)
