Are salary transparency tools actually helping people make better career decisions?

Over the last few months, I've been building salary calculators and researching compensation data across different industries.

One thing surprised me.

People often say they want "more salary transparency," but in practice, raw salary numbers rarely answer the questions people actually have.

For example:

• Is a $120k salary in one state actually better than $95k somewhere else?

• How much will taxes really change take-home pay?

• Is hourly work, salaried work, or contract work the better financial choice?

• How much does overtime actually add over a year?

It made me wonder whether we've been solving the wrong problem.

Maybe people don't just need more salary data.

Maybe they need better tools that help them understand what those numbers actually mean.

I'm curious how everyone here thinks about this.

If you've negotiated compensation, changed jobs, or relocated, what information do you wish you had before making the decision?