Do you worry about what others earn?

[stoofa]

Got into a silly argument with somebody last night - before the alcohol started!
Mate told me he recently applied for a job and during the application it asked for "desired salary". I jumped straight in and said that in those situations I always worked out what I'd want to earn, so a salary that I was happy with and then maybe add a little to it, so around 10% and see how the negotiations went.
Also said that it was just a number so that they knew if you were in the right "ballpark" - I myself have applied for jobs and then received a response "We would be unable to offer your desired salary" and that was the end of that.
Mate started telling me he'd have to know what others were on, he would be researching, seeing what averages would be etc.
I said surely it doesn't matter what others earn - just earn a salary you are happy to, something you're happy getting out of bed for....
But apparently I'm leaving myself open to "worry and depression my co-workers are earning more than me...."

So, do you care what others are earning?
Personally, I don't. So long as I'm getting the salary and benefits I want, what somebody else is getting is firstly none of my business but secondly not something I'm worried about.
How do you guys feel?

 

[stoofa]

Thanks all for your responses - made for an interesting read this morning.
I definitely look to see what I'm worth - I don't think I ever undervalue myself and I think you'd be silly to go into a job pitching yourself far too low.
However many positions have quite a varied pay grade. I work in IT and doing the same job for say a School, small company, large company, multinational would all pay quite different amounts. However I have that figure in mind and that is where I pitch and begin my negotiations.
It's just I couldn't give a damn what anybody else is earning. If I suddenly found somebody doing the same job as me was earning more, I'm sure anybody would suddenly feel something in the stomach, but as long as I'm earning what I want to be earning, I refuse to let life stress me

Cheers all.

 

[stoofa]

I think most people know what they are worth - as I said at the beginning, personally I don't care what others, doing the same job as me are earning. That doesn't mean I don't know what I am worth to a business. I take this into consideration when I am negotiating. So if the average salary for the job I do is, in my opinion, around the £40k mark and I am happy at that salary then that is where I am going to be happy.
If I subsequently fine someone else doing the same job as me but earning £50k then I'm not bothered - I am at my market rate, or rather what I perceive is my value to a business and I am on a salary that I am happy with.
What my mate was effectively saying was that if I'd valued myself at £40k, and I was happy working for £40k, then the realisation that somebody else was on £50k for the same job would be devastating to me and be the cause of numerous nights without sleep - which I very much disagreed with.

Of course the salary I'm happy on is going to be "within the expected salary for a person doing my job". I'm not going to be happy doing my job for less than I want and I want to be earning a good, fair salary. I'm just not necessarily bothered if there are others doing the same job as me, earning more money.