Pay Transparency: 68% Distrust Companies That Omit Salary, and 25% Won’t Even Apply

More gig workers are setting firm boundaries when it comes to applying for a job. If a listing skips the salary, many won’t even bother. What matters most is knowing the pay upfront.

A quarter of side hustlers would never apply to jobs that don’t list pay. When reviewing job listings, salary transparency is the top priority for gig workers at 51%, beating out benefits (44%) and remote work (40%).

Still, some try to push for answers. About a third of applicants have confronted a hiring manager about missing pay details, but only 31% got a straight answer. Others say they received a vague reply (29%) or were told salary would be discussed at a later time (26%). Another 8% say they were ghosted after asking about compensation.

What makes someone apply despite no salary listed? Most gig workers would then rely on the company’s reputation (76%). Being really interested in the job is also a top motivator for 68%. Gen X would most likely rely on referrals from people they trust. Gen Z and millennials are more likely to take a chance and apply if they believe the job could pay well.

When it comes to choosing between gig work and traditional jobs, millennials are the most eager for side hustles that pay well. Nearly half (47%) say they’d stick with freelancing or gig work as long as the pay beats what traditional jobs offer.

Job perks and stability were more important to younger hustlers. Half of Gen Z respondents say they’d trade a side hustle for full-time work if the benefits and job security were strong enough.

Salary transparency isn’t equally valued or practiced across the board. Here’s a look at who’s the best (and worst) at it.

Government jobs came out on top, with nearly 80% of roles in the sector clearly stating pay upfront. Finance and banking lag behind. Only 55% of their listings always or often disclose salary, while the other 45% rarely or only sometimes do.

Some industries are trending in the wrong direction. About 1 in 5 workers say pay transparency in their field has declined over the past year. However, tech seems to be moving the needle in the right way, with respondents naming technology and IT as the industries showing the most improvement.

Across all sectors, the call for change is loud and clear. Nearly 4 in 5 gig workers (79%) want salary transparency to be legally required. Millennials are the most supportive group at 85%, followed by Gen Z at 81% and Gen X at 68%.

Hidden salaries don’t just annoy or discourage job seekers from applying for work. They can also damage company trust and reputation.

More than two-thirds of gig workers (68%) say they flat-out don’t trust companies that omit pay. Many assume that it means the job pays poorly (74%), the company has a high turnover rate (49%), or the culture is toxic (35%). And they’re not wrong. After applying to a job with an unlisted salary, 40% learned the pay was worse than expected by the second interview.

That delay in transparency often costs companies qualified candidates. Over a quarter of workers (28%) have dropped out of the hiring process because a recruiter dodged their pay questions. Another 11% walked away because the salary still hadn’t been disclosed after the interviews began.

Overall, 64% believe salary-free job posts stay open longer, while 72% think this kind of secrecy hurts a brand’s reputation. More than half of respondents (54%) have felt burned by a job listing that didn’t report the pay upfront.

We surveyed 742 workers who either did freelance work alone or in addition to a full-time or part-time job to explore how salary transparency is shaping their job-hunting perspectives and actions. The generational breakdown of respondents is as follows: Gen Z (17%), millennials (59%), and Gen X (25%). Baby boomers were excluded due to low sample size.

The industry breakdown is as follows: Technology/IT (25%), healthcare (13%), education (9%), retail (9%), finance (8%), manufacturing and logistics (6%), arts, entertainment and media (6%), government or public sector (4%), hospitality or food service (4%) and construction or skilled trades (4%). Marketing/advertising, business management and admin, transportation, and legal were excluded due to low sample size. Percentages may not total 100 in this study due to rounding or not all answers being shown. The data was collected in April 2025.

SideHustles.com is your go-to resource for flexible income ideas, gig economy insights, and actionable advice on building a better financial future. Whether you’re juggling multiple gigs or exploring your first side hustle, we help you make smart choices with your time and energy.

If you’d like to share our findings, feel free to do so for noncommercial purposes. Just be sure to link back to SideHustles.com and give proper credit.