Hannah Williams encourages you to discuss your salary details with others.
At just 24 years old, she was a government contractor in Washington, D.C., earning $90,000 annually—a sum she exclaimed was “More money than I had ever seen in my life!” It wasn’t long before she discovered she was earning nearly $25,000 less than the typical salary for her role.
Recently, Williams had taken on significantly more duties after a co-worker departed, which effectively doubled her workload, yet the company had no intention of hiring a replacement. Feeling overwhelmed and exhausted, she recognized the need to take initiative. After researching, she found that a role with her expanded responsibilities commanded a considerably higher salary. Spoiler alert: It was much more.
Encountering Unfair Pay
When she presented her salary research to her manager, he stated that she needed to remain with the company for at least a year to even be eligible for a pay raise, and any increase would be limited to just 3-5%. This was a “rude awakening” for Williams, who realized she was not being adequately compensated and that once an offer was accepted, it was often tough—or virtually impossible—to negotiate any changes.
Determined, Williams started searching for a new position while also preparing to negotiate her salary for the very first time. During her initial interview, a recruiter asked her for her salary expectations. Initially, she was about to say $105,000 but decided to pause and inquire, “What is your budget?” When the recruiter responded with “$115,000,” it hit her that she could have shortchanged herself by $10,000.
“That was the pivotal moment… I was significantly influenced by the concept of pay transparency,” reflects Williams, who is now 27. She appreciated her new position and felt fairly compensated. “However, I couldn’t shake the experience and I wasn’t able to move past it,” she explains.
Motivated to assist others in receiving fair pay, Williams began producing content on her personal TikTok account, detailing her journey, sharing her salary, negotiation strategies, and how she determined her market rate. Her videos quickly gained traction.
The Rise of a TikTok Star
“I had this brilliant idea,” she recounts. “Why not take to the streets and inquire about people’s salaries—because there is obviously a curiosity surrounding this—and what better way to showcase the importance of transparency than by engaging with strangers?”
On April 16, 2022, she and her husband, James Daniels, filmed her inaugural interview in Georgetown, D.C., and uploaded it later that same day. By the following morning, it had already begun to go viral. Three weeks later, she left her job to focus entirely on her new influencer path; her husband joined her a month thereafter. At the time of publication, her TikTok account, Salary Transparent Street, boasted 1.3 million followers, and she typically releases five to six new videos each week.
Williams managed to connect with an audience that was eager for this elusive information—data that corporate gatekeepers have concealed for far too long: Just how much are people realmente earning?
Challenging a ‘Taboo’
“Pay transparency has become a taboo subject because corporations have deemed it so,” she states. “I consider it a reflection of how working individuals have been subjugated by capitalism and corporate America, as employees are the ones who truly benefit from knowing salary information.”
In fact, women and minorities stand to gain the most from pay transparency. “If you belong to any group that experiences bias in any form, there’s a high likelihood you’re affected by pay secrecy,” Williams claims. By openly talking about salaries, individuals gain insight into wage disparities in their industries based on gender, race, disability, age, and other factors. This newfound awareness can empower marginalized communities to advocate for themselves and negotiate more effectively.
Williams believes that institutional pay disparities arise from the subjective nature of salary determinations, rather than from companies implementing clear, predetermined pay scales that ensure a fair playing field. She argues that establishing pay structures offers greater transparency and equity. “Many organizations perceive [calculating salaries] as ‘Houdini Math,’” she notes. “[However,] it’s simply about understanding the pay bands across various roles in your organization, ranging from the top to the bottom.”
She points to companies like Buffer, a software firm that has maintained complete salary transparency since 2010, openly sharing their salary and compensation formula on their website. Meanwhile, in response to those businesses that are slow to adapt, many local and state governments are enacting laws to compel them to change.
Establishing Pay Transparency Legislation
Currently, numerous states and areas have enacted pay transparency laws. Williams identifies California, Nevada, Washington, and Colorado as leaders in this initiative. Furthermore, she was invited to provide testimony in support of new legislation in Washington, D.C., aimed at promoting pay transparency, which was signed into law by Mayor Muriel Bowser in January. This law mandates that all employers disclose salary ranges in job postings and prohibits them from inquiring about an employee’s past salary history. Williams also testified regarding a similar law in Virginia.
Williams views pay transparency as a nonpartisan concern. “[It’s] not an issue of the left or right,” she asserts. “It’s fundamentally a pro-worker issue.” Williams aims to engage as much as possible with various legislative efforts; she intends to visit some conservative states to advocate for representatives to acknowledge the merit of such legislation as a bipartisan issue.
Advocating for Pay Equity
Even for those residing in states lacking pay transparency laws, Williams has set up a useful resource to support earning more. With her team, she launched a comprehensive salary database in July 2023, accessible for free on her Salary Transparent Street website, which enables users to search through over 10,000 salary records—from nursing to IT director to accounting positions—spanning all 50 states.
According to Williams, this database acts as an extension of their street interviews, as they “can only be in so many places at once.” She elaborates, “Our database is especially valuable because it incorporates the contextual factors necessary for accurate market analysis.” Relevant data includes parameters such as years of experience, educational qualifications, geographical location, industry, and company size, with all submissions remaining fully anonymous to protect individual privacy.
“[The database] represents our effort to elevate pay transparency, evolving our brand into more than just a media entity,” she explains. “We want it to function as a technological tool that aids individuals in conducting their market research…. The confidence to negotiate stems from this market research…. It significantly simplifies negotiations, as it helps you discern a fair offer from a subpar one. Once you are confident in your worth, negotiating within that range becomes much more achievable.”
Achieving the Salary You Merit in Your Next Negotiation
Here are Hannah Williams’ three primary recommendations for securing your ideal salary:
1. Simply do it.
A multitude of job seekers hesitate to negotiate. Whenever a salary is proposed to you, whether for a new position or a promotion, consider the first offer merely a suggestion. Accepting the initial offer almost always means forfeiting potential earnings.
2. Arrive at every discussion armed with market research.
Be aware of your market value for both your role and location. If unsure, consult with others in your industry and refer to the database at Salary Transparent Street. You should have a range of approximately $20,000 between your mid and top market value. This flexibility allows you the necessary leeway to negotiate.
3. Begin with a high figure.
It’s simpler to negotiate downwards from the top of your salary range than upwards from the bottom. Therefore, set your sights high.
Bonus: Do not concentrate solely on base salary. Smaller organizations may have limited budgets, yet they can often enhance compensation through alternative benefits such as paid time off, 401(k) match programs, and flexible work arrangements. Think creatively.
