Should i reveal my salary history

Regardless of when an employer asks for your salary history, you should be prepared to address the topic. You can also visit Indeed's Salary Calculator to get a free, personalized pay range based on your location, industry and experience. Here are a few tips on how to share your salary history with potential employers, as well as a salary history template to help you format your response. These reasons generally include the following:.

They want to determine your market value. They want to ensure your expectations are aligned with their budget for the role. If your most recent salary is significantly more than an employer is prepared to offer, this is an indication you may be too overqualified for the role. Not all employers will ask candidates to share their salary history and, depending on the employment laws in your state, you may not encounter the question at all.

If an employer does not ask for your salary history, they may ask for your preferred salary range instead. Here are the three ways you may choose to handle the request:. Related: Jobs That Pay Well. You should also include any additional compensation you receive on top of your base salary such as tips, regular bonuses or commissions.

Select personalised ads. Apply market research to generate audience insights. Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. Table of Contents Expand. Table of Contents. Why Keep Salary History a Secret?

What Employers Ask for as Proof of Salary. What You Can Do. By Alison Doyle. Alison founded CareerToolBelt. Learn about our editorial policies. Updated on November 08, Article Sources. Your Privacy Rights. Do you have to disclose it? Will it put you in a weaker negotiating position?

Have a read below to understand your rights on answering this much-debated question…. It turns out that this is a rather polarising topic. While employees express a sense of caution in disclosing their salaries to potential employers, employers need to know if what they are looking to pay is fair and realistic.

It would be the easy way out to take one side of the debate and run with it. But here at Agency Central, we like to offer impartial, accurate and thorough information at all costs. There are many worries a candidate has when disclosing their salary to a potential employer. From knowing whether their current level of pay will scare away hiring managers, to making themselves vulnerable in the negotiation process, all of the key considerations for an applicant are listed below ….

Many candidates believe that disclosing your salary can weaken your negotiating position. This is a tough question. There are many factors to take into account when considering a job, such as company size, career progression, development and training opportunities and, of course, earning potential.

Map out your skills to see how closely they fit the job specification. Check to see if your qualifications not only match, but exceed what they require. Determine whether your past industry experience is applicable and advantageous. The more boxes you can tick in these areas, the higher your worth is.

This puts you in a great negotiating position when it comes to salary demands. Instead, some companies will opt for a less experienced candidate and train them up.

The best way to do this is to show your talent, not tell it. An increase in salary is the primary reason many people change jobs. First and foremost, many candidates feel vulnerable offering up what their current salary is to a new employer. It goes against every rule in the negotiating book. Lying about your salary in order to achieve more money from a new employer can backfire. Instead, you aim to start low and reduce the price of the car as much as possible. This analogy works, but in reverse , for getting a job.

As a candidate, you ideally want to start salary negotiations as high as possible, so that the onus is then on the employer to chip it down.