Employee learns that employer is hiring at $18k more than what they're earning for the same job, prompting a defensive response from their manager: 'Someone walking in off the street with zero knowledge of our systems is worth 15k more than me?'

Author image for Brad Dickson
Brad Dickson • Managing Editor
Feb 6, 2026 12:00 PM EST

An employee discovered that their employer was recruiting for the same role that they were working, but the job advertisement was offering $15k-$18k more than they were earning.

There's nothing like feeling undervalued in a job where you've put in a lot of hard work, done the hard yards, and put in hard work to learn the systems and be as proficient as you can possibly be. Sure, you're underpaid for the work you're doing, but you have this prevailing sense that it is leading you somewhere, toward growth and improvement and that next phase of your career.

Then, whether it's presented to you by a friend or coworker, or you just come across it through your own curious searching, you find a job listing from your employer. This job, it looks an awful lot like your job. In fact, it is your job, right down to every letter of the job description. There is one marked difference thought: the compensation. 

The compensation doesn't resemble at all what you're being paid; in fact, you're earning considerably less.

Whereas you had, until now, felt confidant and competent in the work, you're faced with a sudden reality where you actually feel like a bit of a joke, as if someone has been laughing at you behind your back the entire time. 

The next time you return to work, it feels like an unpleasant awakening from a warm, saturated dream into a muted, cold reality. Suddenly, nothing is how it was. You're still doing the same tasks, but everything feels somehow… heavier?

And this is all too common; modern organizations will almost always hire for better rates than they are paying their current staff. 

It isn't fair to veteran staff who know and have often even created and optimised the processes through which the business successfully operates. And, for this reason, it really doesn't make much sense. Why hire someone externally with less skill and organizational knowledge?

It's a bit like when your phone or cable company tells you they're putting up the price of your phone or cable package, but it's a higher rate than the rate that they're currently offering to new joining members. It has long been the best course of action to simply threaten to leave your provider so they give you the true market rate that is the new-joining rate, or to swap to another provider if all else fails.

Like that phone and cable company is counting on its captive userbase not realizing they're being overcharged or bothering to look into changing providers, employers, too, are counting on their captive workforce not realizing they're being underpaid or being otherwise unwilling to look for other work and navigate the treacherous stress and uncertainty of the hiring process.

On an organizational and leadership level, there must be great care taken to ensure recruitment is orchestrated in a way that will not cause greater widespread issues that might lead to higher turnover and even higher costs, possibly even leading to the loss of top performers who are worth far more than their pay grade would otherwise suggest.  

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  • An employee resting his arms on his desk holds his glasses in his hand and rests his forehead on his hand in exasperation.
    via Curated Lifestyle

    An employee resting his arms on his desk holds his glasses in his hand and rests his forehead on his hand in exasperation.

    The image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • This employee seems resolved to leave their role, finding the reality of the amount they're being underpaid simply too much to process.

    The suggestion that was made to simply quit and reapply for the position is a somewhat comical one that would be interesting to try if one had the security in place to make it happen. At any rate, it might be a bit cheeky, but otherwise, it shouldn't hurt to simply submit an application to the open role. Hey, why not?

  • "Found out my company is hiring for my exact position at $18k more than what I make"

    I've been working as a logistics coordinator for this mid sized distribution company in Ohio for almost 3 years now.
    via PositivelyIrrespons
  • Started at 42k, got bumped to 45k last year after basically begging for a raise. They told me budget was tight and that was the best they could do.
    via PositivelyIrrespons
  • Yesterday I was showing my friend some stuff on Indeed because shes job hunting and I decided to search my own company name just out of curiosity.
    via PositivelyIrrespons
  • And there it is, my exact same position, same responsibilities I do every single day, listed for 60k to 63k.
    via PositivelyIrrespons
  • I literally do the exact job they're advertising. I brought it up to my manager this morning trying to stay calm about it and he got all defensive saying "thats the market rate for new hires" and "we cant adjust everyones salary every time we post a new position." Like what??
    via PositivelyIrrespons
  • So you're telling me someone walking in off the street with zero knowledge of our systems is worth 15k more than me who literally trained the last two people in this role?
    via PositivelyIrrespons
  • They've been saying for months theres no room in the budget for raises. I have money saved up in case something like this happened but I didnt think it would actually be this bad.
    via PositivelyIrrespons
  • I'm done. Already updated my resume and im applying to every competitor in the area. If they can pay someone else 63k to do my job they can figure it out when I leave.
    via PositivelyIrrespons
  • An employee concentrates on his work while sitting at his desk with his laptop placed in front of him.
    via Getty Images For Unsplash+

    An employee concentrates on his work while sitting at his desk with his laptop placed in front of him.

    The image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • NoContribution9322 Quit and reapply for the position...
    via PositivelyIrrespons
  • NODsBlackHand There is also a chance they are looking to hire someone for the same salary as you and are using bait and switch to lure people in.
    via PositivelyIrrespons
  • RJRoyalRules Similar thing happened at my job years ago, they told us for two years they couldn't afford any raises, then they hired a new guy to do the same job as the rest of us and we found out he was getting almost 20k more than everyone else. When we confronted them they hemmed and hawed but nothing happened until I quit and they suddenly had the cash to give me a big raise. Best thing to do is get out of there as soon as it's feasible.
    via PositivelyIrrespons
  • high_throughput "Hmm.. You're saying that this company punishes loyalty and rewards job hoppers?"
    via PositivelyIrrespons
  • Nemesis_Destiny It's just like when the phone or Internet company offers better rates to new subscribers. You want the best deal? Shop around.
    via PositivelyIrrespons
  • ConsultantForLife "There's no money in the budget for raises" actually means "We didn't put money in the budget for raises".
    via PositivelyIrrespons
  • CollegeNW Apply!!
    via PositivelyIrrespons
  • Bored_Eastly They are probably lying about how much they will pay the new person, but still it's messed up.
    via PositivelyIrrespons
  • Stolen Wishes To be paid what you're worth, job hopping is the best way - perhaps the only way.
    via PositivelyIrrespons
  • Tall-Ad-1386 They clearly said you need to leave
    via PositivelyIrrespons

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