Glassdoor rejects worker's real salary because it was 'excessively below market average'

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JR Atkinson • Writer and Editor
Jun 16, 2026 10:00 AM EDT

Sometimes the truth only sinks in when someone else points it out. 

Have you ever been talking to someone and realized something about your life that you didn't realize before? That's what happened to the worker in this story, which they shared on the Mildly Infuriating subreddit. They thought they were being fairly compensated, but when they did some further investigation, that couldn't have been farther from the truth. We have a weird silence around talking about money in our culture. We think it's uncouth to ask people how much they're bringing in, even if we all secretly want to know. As workers, it also helps us know our worth if we know how much our coworkers are making. Knowledge is always power, even if it hurts your feelings in the moment. That's what happened to this worker when they went on a popular job website to gather a little information. When you're applying to jobs, you start to get a feel for what the market rate for certain positions is. Sure, there is a range, but you can start to tell what you should be earning for different positions. If you're being devalued at your job, you should know that. You should be able to speak up for yourself and ask for more. The person in this story, though, took a while to learn just how little they were being valued at their job. It took a pretty comical situation for that to pan out. 

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    Cheezburger Image 10639260160
    via Vitaly Gariev

    A man with glasses looks stressed at his desk

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    Glassdoor said I was making up my salary, because it was too low when I reviewed my employer.

    Our moderators evaluate each salary to determine whether it complies with our Community Guidelines. We have determined that your salary submission does not meet these guidelines because it is well or excessively below the market average.
    via Jewsusgr8
  • 03
    If you wish, you are welcome to edit your salary here and your edited review will be reevaluated within 24 hours of receipt. If you have any questions, please visit our Help Center. There, you can learn more about our policies or contact us. Kind regards, Glassdoor
    via Jewsusgr8
  • 04
    I always knew my salary was well below most companies paying for the same role. But I'm fully remote so I haven't complained too much, and it's more than I've ever made.
    via Jewsusgr8
  • 05
    But as I'm looking to leave (C- level execs got replaced and now we are a sweatshop) I went to review the current state of my employer, and Glassdoor just decided to slap me in the face with a "nuh-uh, you can't be making that low of a salary, don't lie to us."
    via Jewsusgr8
  • 06
    So it's good to know that Glassdoor doesn't have accurate salaries, only market based competitive salaries. EDIT: I contacted their help center, and sent them a year end compensation report. Unlike my w2 it doesn't have PII attached, but only has my first, last name, and company signature. I don't know how they can rebuke that.
    via Jewsusgr8

  • Sometimes it takes an outside perspective to figure out what is really going on in your life. Have you ever been shooting the breeze with your friends, and salary comes up, and you realize you should be making a lot more money? It's a pretty common phenomenon. That's what happened to this worker, but in a pretty roundabout way. Keep scrolling to read what happened to them and see what commenters had to say about it. It's not easy out there, and this is a prime example of that.

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    Commenters shared their similar stories.

    Mother_Passenger8589 Phoenixsnot @phoenixsnot2 Replying to @hansdickie I was playing a scratcher on my lunch break (100,000/yr for life if you win). My boss came in, asked what I was doing. I told her I'm about to quit my job. She replied with "100,000/yr isn't enough to live on". I asked how much she thought she paid me. She left without a word.
    via Mother_Passenger8589
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    Cheezburger Image 10639260672
    via Vitaly Gariev

    A man looks frustrated at his laptop at work

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    RestaurantSilly6598 I swear employers report fake salaries or people lie about their salaries to feel better about themselves.
    via RestaurantSilly6598
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    The last time I looked at glass door it said I was underpaid by like $6 an hour.... I was a unionized employee with a capped out salary and everyone's salary was publicly posted in the work shop to make sure no one was being paid unfairly.
    via RestaurantSilly6598
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    Wraeclast66 That entire website is garbage. Everytime i try to use it, it locks me out unless i write an employee review. Which ive already done. I havent changed jobs how tf do you want me to keep writing these new reviews lol
    via Wraeclast66
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    QueenFrostine15 Yes, and companies can also pay to have negative reviews removed. Screw that website
    via QueenFrostine15
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    Mysterious_Mango_3 I feel like on principal I would reach out to their help center. Obviously, you can prove your salary. They may still refuse because companies now pay to keep that kind of negative information from being displayed, but it is worth a shot.
    via Mysterious_Mango_3
  • 14
    FormalTotal9684 All sites that give "unbiased" reviews are paid for advertising by business and corporations Rotten Tomatoes Glassdoor Yelp Travel Sites (all of them!!!)
    via FormalTotal9684
  • 15
    They started out with good intentions. Now they are bought and paid for by advertisers, movie studios, businesses and corporations that they claim to objectively review
    via FormalTotal9684
  • 16
    Producer1701 So your company is paying Glassdoor to suppress reality instead of paying its. employees a fair wage?
    via Producer1701
  • 17
    holepart2 Had multiple posts on my last job taken down for being too critical. But then when I report the only positive review they had as being made by the owner that gets kept up.
    via holepart2
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    BOHICA_0-1 Yeah, lemme just go ahead and add a few more zeros for ya. How does that even happen?
    via BOHICA_0-1
  • 19
    ElishaAlison Glassdoor is such a scam my website. You have to have a verified company email in order to even write a review. So my company only has reviews from store managers and corporate, since sales associates don't get a company email.
    via ElishaAlison

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salary antiwork workplace-stories job bosses work coworkers working toxic-work-environment
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