Dealing with Salary Questions

During an interview or on a form you may be asked for your current or most recent salary. You should be ready for this well before it happens.

Before beginning your job search, you should find out whether the employer is allowed to ask about past salary in their state.

The purpose of this legislation is to address the gender pay gap and pay disadvantages.

There’s one factor that could make this easier for you. A growing number of states and localities prohibit employers from asking for salary history information from job candidates.

A simple internet search can help you find out whether your state or location has such a ban. If you’re not sure, you should check the state or local government website. To get started, try these searches:

• In quotation marks, type “salary history” then the word employer followed by the name of your state. Example: “salary history” employer colorado
• Type the words salary history ban

You have options for responding to questions about salary history.

• Refuse to answer or write “will discuss” on an application
• Indicate “n/a in the state of ________” on an application or on-line request, if applicable in your state
• Provide a range of “total compensation” and state it depends on all elements of the offer
• Provide “acceptable compensation” vs. past salary
• Give them the information

Just remember that you should never provide false information about your salary history.

Here are some examples of reasons to decline providing the most recent, exact salary amount:

• You were making less than the market salary in the last position. Some employers would feel they only had to offer a percentage above what a candidate was making, regardless of what they have budgeted or what the market salary range is for the position.
• You were unemployed. Some employers feel that an unemployed candidate is technically earning $0, so they can get away with offering a lower entry point.
• You were earning at the top of or above your salary range. Some employers might reject you for being overqualified. At the very least, you might have to defend why you would accept a decrease in salary.

Again, if you decide to provide past salary information, be honest. Some employers will ask for proof of past compensation by asking for recent pay stubs, 1099’s or other. Remember, some states prohibit asking for this information.

Remember! What an employer is willing to ask and how they handle themselves in this process provide you valuable information about that employer.