You make it sound as if Americans were more open about salaries as the rest of the world. My impressions up to now were opposite - Americans super open and others not much.
Definitely not what I see. Talking about salary among Americans is moderately taboo; among the Russians I know, it's a perfectly natural subject of conversation. It always feels weird to me because I mostly grew up in the US, but I definitely think the Russian approach is better: you get a real idea of what different companies and specialities can pay, and you'll know if people are trying to underpay you.
It's generally considered pretty rude to ask about income in America. My wife knows how much I make, of course. I told my parents what the pay was when I got my first career-job almost 10 years ago.
I've got vague impressions about some family members, friends, and coworkers, but nothing solid (unless I wanted to look up the pay scales for the few with government jobs, I guess). I could probably get accurate answers from close friends if I "needed" to, but it would be an uncomfortable conversation.
