> I feel I'm often at the higher or top end of my employers range, and despite the fact that I legally COULD, I don't really see any value in discussing my pay with a coworker.

Back in the day, I used to work for this place where, you've guessed it, according to the people who did my salary reviews, I was always close to the top end of my employers range. So, yeah, you can imagine how that worked out :)

While it's always possible to get a general impression of what a coworker earns (always assuming it's possible, or legal), it's no substitute for numbers.