Potential backfire No. 1: You're one of the first ones to be laid off 潛在問題1:你將會是第一個下崗
When the economy is weak and companies need to cut back on costs, one of the first places they look is the highest-salaried employees, as exemplified in Amanda's story. This is not to say that just because you earn more than others you're a target for layoffs. Nevertheless, if you're earning more than you should be for your market or contributions, chances are that your job could be under scrutiny.
當經濟疲軟，公司需要削減開支時，首要關注就是領最高薪水的員工，正如Amanda的例子所示。這不是說只是由於你賺的比別人多，就可能下崗。不過，如果你的收入高於市場價或貢獻程度，那麼很可能你的工作就要被細細審查了。
Potential backfire No. 2: The more money you make, the more money you lose 潛在問題2：賺得越多，損失越大
Let's say you earn $85,000 annually and you received a raise that brought you up to $90,000. Sounds exciting at first -- until you the do the math and realize your new check is only a couple hundred dollars more than your old one.
假設你每年賺8.5萬美元，在獲得加薪後收入是9萬美元。開始聽上去令人興奮——可是計算後你會發現新的工資帶來的漲幅僅為數百美元。
One of the negatives to earning a high salary is that your marginal tax rate is higher than other people's. While you might be earning more than your co-worker, he or she might be taking home a similar -- or higher -- amount per check because they aren't taxed as much.
高工資的一個消極點是你的邊際稅率比別人高。你也許賺到的比同事們多，但是他/她不用交那麼多的稅，實際收入可能和你差不多——甚至更高。
Potential backfire No. 3: You might be priced out of the market 潛在問題3: 你可能因“身價太高”而被擠出市場
Zwell uses the example of, Joseph, an accountant for one of today's biggest accounting firms. After three years, he got a huge promotion and was making $10,000 more than any of his peers. He was in a dead-end job however, doing accounting work that became routine.
Zwell舉了Joseph的例子，Joseph在當今最大財會公司就職。三年後，他獲得了一次大的提拔，並且比別的同行都要多掙1萬美元。不過他遇到了工作的死衚衕：做著例行公事的會計工作。
When he looked for another job, he found that all the jobs he was qualified for paid much less than he was making. He didn't want to take a pay cut and even if he was willing to, companies would rather hire someone for whom the move was an increase in pay, not a decrease. In other words, nobody would hire him because he was currently making too much money for his experience -- thus, his high salary backfired.
當他要尋找別的工作時，他發現他符合條件的一切工作所提供的收入都遠遠低於當前收入。他不想降低收入，即便他情願，公司也寧願招一位為了加薪而不是減薪的求職者。換句話說，相對於他的經驗，他賺得過多，所以沒人願意僱傭他——高薪水反倒帶來了問題。
Potential backfire No. 4: You could inadvertently trap yourself under a glass ceiling 潛在問題4：你會無意中被“玻璃天花板”困住
Knowing where you are in a salary range reveals a lot about your career path, Zwell says. A young man is recently hired by a bank, for example, at the highest salary grade for a non-manager. He is already at the top of a salary range for his title, therefore less likely to earn any more money without changing positions or companies.
Zwell說，你的薪水在整個薪酬體系的位置很好地體現了你的職業發展道路。例如：最近一位年輕人受僱於一家銀行。他獲得了非經理人職位的最高級別工資。對於他的職位頭銜來說他的收入已經處於頂端。因此除非改行或跳槽，否則要有更高收入便不太可能。
Potential backfire No. 5: Earning more money does not mean more happiness. 潛在問題5: 賺更多錢不代表更快樂
Sure, you might earn $200,000 annually -- but what does it matter if you're not doing something you enjoy? Many workers find themselves saying, "If only I earned $XX, then I would be happy." Then the day comes when you are earning that amount and -- surprise, surprise -- it's still not enough. Ultimately, the only time you'll really be happy is when you don't care about salary at all.
你也許每年能賺20萬美元——但是如果你不能做喜歡的'事情，那又有什麼意義呢?許多人都說：“要是我賺了XX美元，我就會快樂”。當那一天來到，你真的只賺那麼點的時候——想不到啊，想不到——那還不夠。最終，只有在你一點也不在乎薪水的時候才會真正快樂起來。
"The ultimate freedom is the executive who says, 'Pay me $1 a year because my salary doesn't matter. I have all the money I need. I'm here because I want to make a contribution,'" Smith says in Zwell's book. "Based on the intangibles, he's making more than everyone else."
Smith在Zwell的書中說：“所謂最終的自由，是如某位執行官所說‘付我1美元年薪，因為我的工資不重要。我有的是錢。我在這是為了希望做出一份貢獻’。根據無形資產來計算，他比任何人賺的都多。”