Who's Earning What

We might not want to admit it, but a lot of us are keenly interested in how much others earn, whether it’s our boss, our kid’s orthodontist or the road construction worker holding the "slow" sign.

Are we just nosy? That might be part of it, but we have more reasons for wanting to learn what others make. "People equate their work as a sign of their value, and they want to see how they size up with others to make them feel good about the work they do," says Libby Anderson, president of Naples-based EDA Human Resource Services.

A practical motive for ascertaining others’ incomes is to use the intelligence for salary or pay-raise negotiations. "It’s about gathering your information so you can be confident in a conversation with [a boss]," Anderson says.

Despite their curiosity, most people are reluctant to ask others what their paychecks are. Frankly, people are just as unwilling to share the information, so Gulfshore Business has done the asking for you. Through an informal survey, we gathered the most recent available salary and income figures of a variety of positions through public records and personal queries. Here is a snapshot of what people in different jobs make in Southwest Florida.

Stacy Barbera
Age: 29
Position: administrative assistant
Employer: E J Gardner Enterprises Inc.
Years in position: 1.5
Annual pay: $31,800

Bill Barnett
Age: 67
Position: mayor
Employer: City of Naples
Years in position: 4.25
Annual pay: $30,000

Phil Ciccarello
Age: 34
Position: agent
Employer: Private Client Insurance Services
Years in position: 6 months
Annual pay (to start): $30,000

Rob Delaney
Age: 23
Position: pitcher
Employer: Miracle Professional Baseball
Years in position: 3
Pay (for six-month season): $9,000 (works off season as a high school teacher in New Jersey)