"Why Don't They Disclose Salaries?"... Half of Job Seekers Give Up Applying

37% Say "Salary Is the Hardest Information to Find in Job Postings"


50% Have Given Up Applying Due to Lack of Salary Disclosure


Significant Psychological Barrier to Asking About Salary During Recruitment Process

A recent survey found that 8 out of 10 job seekers support the disclosure of specific salary levels or ranges in job postings, enabling them to check detailed wage information.

Photo by Getty Images Bank

On September 18, JinHaksa Catch, a recruitment platform, released the results of a survey conducted among 1,180 job-seeking Catch members from August 25 to September 9. According to the survey, 80% favored a policy mandating the disclosure of salary levels or ranges in job postings. Meanwhile, 9% were opposed and 11% responded that they were unsure.

When asked which information matters most when choosing a company, 53% of job seekers selected "salary/starting salary." This was followed by "work environment and organizational culture" at 16%, "job and career growth potential" at 13%, and "benefits and perks" at 7%.

Despite this, 37% answered that salary and starting salary are the most difficult information to find in job postings or corporate information. In fact, 50%—half of all respondents—said that they had given up on applying to a company due to the lack of disclosed salary information.

On the 1st, a student is looking over the list of participating companies at the second half hiring fair held at Seoul National University. Photo by Yonhap News

When applying to companies that do not disclose salary information, 49% said they referred to estimated salaries provided by the recruitment platform. An additional 20% searched on YouTube, social networking services (SNS), or online communities, while 19% inquired with acquaintances, seniors, or current employees. Only 12% said they applied without seeking out any salary information.

Some 88% of respondents said they have never directly asked a company about salary information when it was not provided. The primary reason, cited by 43%, was concern over being perceived as applicants who only care about money. Another 27% were concerned about possible disadvantages in the hiring process, 25% felt it might be impolite, and 19% pointed to a workplace atmosphere that makes such questions difficult to raise (multiple responses allowed).

Asked which method of salary disclosure would be most appropriate, 45% responded that the exact salary amount should be disclosed. 19% preferred the disclosure of minimum and maximum salary ranges, 15% wanted to know the average salary for the specific role, and 11% felt that only the minimum salary should be revealed. Just 9% supported withholding salary information from job postings and informing candidates only at the interview stage.

A total of 95% answered that salary disclosure would influence their actual application decisions. Of these, 53% said it would have a "very significant impact," while 42% said it would have "a certain degree of influence."

A JinHaksa Catch representative commented, "For job seekers, salary is a key factor in deciding whether to apply, but there is a significant psychological burden that makes asking during the recruitment process difficult. More transparent disclosure of salary levels or ranges by position at the job posting stage would not only enable candidates to make more rational choices but would also help companies reduce unnecessary mismatches in hiring."

Currently, there are no regulations in Korea that require mandatory disclosure of salaries in job postings. In an initiative announced in 2024, the government stated that it would encourage companies to disclose conditions essential for job seekers' application decisions—such as pay, working hours, job details, and benefits—in new job postings as part of its plan to improve social mobility.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.