Rosalind-- In California, all position ads must by law specify the starting salary range, which is usually quite broad. I suspect that in many instances when it's not listed the salary is either a moot point (people "will work for money") or is low enough that advertisers fear off-hand rejection. Last summer I was offered several positions in different locations. The starting salaries I was offered for similar jobs differed by more than $20,000! Surely cost of living differences amount for some of it, but $20K is a lot of living! Jon Ausubel [log in to unmask]