Are we just nosy? That might be part of it, but we have more reasons for wanting to learn what others make. "People equate their work as a sign of their value, and they want to see how they size up with others to make them feel good about the work they do," says Libby Anderson, president of Naples-based EDA Human Resource Services.

A practical motive for ascertaining others’ incomes is to use the intelligence for salary or pay-raise negotiations. "It’s about gathering your information so you can be confident in a conversation with [a boss]," Anderson says.

Despite their curiosity, most people are reluctant to ask others what their paychecks are. Frankly, people are just as unwilling to share the information, so Gulfshore Business has done the asking for you. Through an informal survey, we gathered the most recent available salary and income figures of a variety of positions through public records and personal queries. Here is a snapshot of what people in different jobs make in Southwest Florida.

Stacy Barbera
Age: 29
Position: administrative assistant
Employer: E J Gardner Enterprises Inc.
Years in position: 1.5
Annual pay: $31,800

Bill Barnett
Age: 67
Position: mayor
Employer: City of Naples
Years in position: 4.25
Annual pay: $30,000

Phil Ciccarello
Age: 34
Position: agent
Employer: Private Client Insurance Services
Years in position: 6 months
Annual pay (to start): $30,000

Rob Delaney
Age: 23
Position: pitcher
Employer: Miracle Professional Baseball
Years in position: 3
Pay (for six-month season): $9,000 (works off season as a high school teacher in New Jersey)

Joyce A. DePasquale
Age: 57
Position: member services concierge/administrative assistant
Employer: The Club at The Strand
Years in position: 5
Annual pay: $38,000

Sherri Enos
Age: 41
Position: group fitness instructor and personal trainer
Company: seven gyms from Fort Myers to Naples
Years in position: 8
Annual pay (estimated): $66,000

Brooke Gast
Age: 26
Position: director of marketing
Employer: Yacht Clubs of America
Years in position: 11 months
Annual pay (estimated): $85,000

Tammy Hall
Age: 47
Position: District 4 commissioner
Employer: Lee County
Years in position: 3
Annual pay: $83,523

Roxy Hambleton
Age: 42
Position: owner/professional organizer
Company: Positively Organized
Years in position: 7
Annual income (gross): $125,000

Erin Jonas
Age: 25
Position: special education teacher
Employer: Journeys Academy Private School
Years in position: 2
Annual pay: $26,000

Patrick Logue
Age: 35
Position: franchise owner
Company: Bark Busters
Years in position: 1.25
Annual income (gross): $99,800

Mollie Page
Age: 36
Position: owner/public relations and writing professional
Company: Print Page
Years in position: 6
Annual income (estimated gross): $100,000

Joseph Schmitt
Age: 58
Position: administrator
Employer: Collier County Community and Environmental Services
Years in position: 6
Annual pay: $133,455

Mike Scott
Age: 46
Position: sheriff
Employer: Lee County
Years in position: 3
Annual pay: $148,825

Marilyn Smith-Mooney
Age: 65
Position: city council member
Employer: City of Punta Gorda
Years in position: 11.5
Annual pay: $4,800

Jerry Starkey
Age: 48
Position: CEO and president
Employer: WCI Communities Years in position: 3
Annual pay (does not include bonuses): $1.2 million

Don Stilwell
Age: 69
Position: county manager
Employer: Lee County
Years in position: 14
Annual pay: $248,217

Dennis Thompson
Age: 53
Position: superintendent
Employer: District School Board of Collier County
Years in position: nine months
Annual pay: $240,000

Armando Vega
Age: 36
Position: owner/president
Company: Vega Mortgage Financial
Years in position: 4
Annual income (estimated net): $280,000

Carol Ann Wehle
Age: 54
Position: executive director
Employer: South Florida Water Management District
Years in position: 7
Annual pay: $202,820

Burke Whitman
Age: 52
Position: president and CEO
Employer: Health Management Associates
Years in position: 11 months as CEO, 2.6 years as president
Annual pay (does not include bonuses): $1.2 million

A.J. Zellers
Age: 24
Position: customer relations manager
Company: Tamiami Ford
Years in position: 1
Annual pay: $62,000

 Name: Camden Smith
Age: 31
Position: public information coordinator
Employer: Collier County, public services division
Years in position: 3.5
Annual pay: $52,000

Name: Kristine Place
Age: 38
Position: marketing consultant
Employer: Fort Myers Broadcasting Co.
Years in position: 3.5
Annual pay, 2007 (commission-based): $85,000

Name: Edward Ibarra
Age: 51
Position: advertising sales rep
Employer: Island Sun newspaper
Years in position: 1.3
Annual pay: $51,000

Name: David George
Age: 40
Position: bartender/server
Employer: Noodles Café in Naples and four Saratoga Springs, N.Y., area restaurants, seasonally
Years at Noodles: 10
Annual pay (estimated): $38,000

The following requested that their names and those of their employers be withheld:

Gender: Male
Age: 33
Position: marketing director
Employer: consumer products company
Years in position: 5
Annual pay: $150,000

Gender: Female
Age: 44
Position: closing agent
Employer: Naples title company
Year in position: 3
Annual pay: $38,500

Gender: Male
Age: 37
Position: ER physician
Employer: a Lee County hospital
Years in position: 6
Annual pay: $128,000

Gender: Female
Age: 47
Position: nurse practitioner
Employer: private medical practice
Years in position: 3
Annual pay: $78,200

Gender: Male
Age: 51
Position: high school teacher
Employer: Lee County schools
Years in position: 9
Annual pay: $46,300

Gender: Female
Age: 24
Position: attorney
Employer: Collier County corporate litigation firm
Years in position: 1
Annual pay: $116,000