Interesting, you're the first one to ever point this out to me. "Pays X of what I make" doesn't seem to flow off my tongue as well in either English or Russian (my native tongue). Also, in the context of my comment, seeing that a salary is 70% less rather than 30% of a salary, seems to better emphasize the vast difference.

Apparently not or the poster would have used that convention.

I think it might have to do with the poster's mother tongue. As a Spanish-speaker I'd tend to say "pagarían 20% menos" (which roughly translates to "they'd pay 20% less".

Some idioms are very difficult to get rid off. I sometimes can distinguish Brazilians from Argentines just by the way they write in English.

I grew up in the US and am a native English speaker raised by native English speakers and I sometimes use the same idiom. I suspect the GP is complaining because English is not a strong language for him/her.

What's the meaning of GP? Gilip?

Grandparent post

I agree with you on this. "30% of my current salary" is much clearer for me than "70% less". I always see a floating "0.3x" when reading this stuff, and it happens way faster if it is just given in that form.