The short answer
In a number of US states and cities, and in some other countries, employers are restricted from asking about your salary history — but the rules vary considerably and there is no single answer. Wherever you are, the practical move is the same: redirect once to what the role is budgeted at, give a researched range if pressed, and never state a figure that is untrue.
What matters most
- Salary history restrictions are state- and country-specific. Do not assume a rule you read about applies where you are.
- The purpose of the question is usually to anchor the offer, which is why redirecting is reasonable.
- A researched range for the role you are applying to is a better answer than your current figure.
- Never overstate what you earn. It is checkable, and being caught ends processes.
Why the question is asked at all
It helps to understand what the question is doing before deciding how to answer it. In most cases it is not idle curiosity. A recruiter who knows what you currently earn has a reference point for what you are likely to accept, and offers built on that reference point tend to be framed as an improvement on your old salary rather than as the value of the new role.
That is why salary history restrictions exist in the places that have them. The reasoning behind them is that pay disparities travel: if someone was underpaid once, tying every subsequent offer to that figure carries the gap forward through their whole career, and the people most affected are the ones who were disadvantaged in the first place. Whether or not the rule applies where you are, the mechanism is real, and it is a good reason to prefer talking about the role's budget rather than your history.
There is also a benign version of the question. Some recruiters ask because they want to avoid wasting your time on a role that pays well below what you currently earn. That is a fair motivation, and it is fully served by discussing the range for the role — which is why redirecting rarely causes friction with a reasonable recruiter.
What to say, depending on how it is asked
Asked casually on a first call. "I would rather focus on the range for this role, if that is alright — what has been budgeted for it?" Light, immediate, and it works far more often than people expect, because the recruiter usually knows the band and has no strong reason to withhold it.
A required field with no free text. Where the form permits, enter zero or a placeholder and raise it in conversation. Where it does not, enter your expected range for the role rather than a fabricated current figure, and be ready to explain that you have given target rather than history.
They ask again after your redirect. "I understand — I am not really benchmarking against my current package, because the scope here is different. Based on what comparable roles are advertising, I am targeting this range. Does that sit inside your band?" One redirect, then a range. Refusing twice starts to cost you goodwill.
They will not proceed without a figure. Decide what the process is worth to you. If you answer, answer accurately and add the context that matters — the scope you were hired at, and how the role you are applying for differs. Never inflate the number; payslips and references exist.
Giving a range instead
The substitute answer that satisfies almost everyone is a researched expectation for the role you are applying to. It is honest, it is responsive, and it moves the conversation onto ground where you have done the work.
I would rather not say what I currently earn. I do not think it is relevant to this role and I would prefer to discuss the salary later in the process.
I would rather talk about this role than my last one, if that is alright — the scope is different enough that the comparison would not be much use to either of us. For roles at this level in the region, I have been seeing ranges around a certain band, and that is where I am targeting. Does that fit what you have budgeted?
The rules to hold on to
- Never overstate your current pay. This is the one absolute. Some employers verify, some ask for payslips as part of onboarding, and an inflated figure discovered at that stage ends the offer and does lasting damage. It is also, in many places, a straightforward misrepresentation.
- Redirect once, then answer something. A single redirect reads as professional. A second sounds evasive, and evasive candidates get remembered. Give the range and move on.
- Talk about total, not base. If you do end up discussing your current package, describe the whole thing — bonus, employer retirement contribution, equity if any. Base alone understates you.
- Get their range first if you possibly can. The employer knows the band. Asking for it politely is the highest-leverage question in the whole conversation and costs nothing.
- Do not let a low current salary define you. If you are underpaid where you are, that is precisely the situation the redirect is for. Anchor on the market you researched, not on a figure a previous employer set.
- Know where the job is based. The rules follow the jurisdiction of the role, and for remote work that may not be obvious. If it matters to you, check.
- Notice where the question does not arise. Roles with published pay structures sidestep it entirely — every posting on USAJOBS states the grade and range, so there is nothing for either side to anchor. It is a useful demonstration that the question is a choice rather than a necessity.
Where this sits in the process
The salary history question is a screening conversation, not a negotiation. The negotiation happens after an offer, and how you handle this early exchange mostly determines what number the process starts from. Get through it without anchoring low, without lying, and without irritating anyone, and you arrive at the offer stage with your position intact.
To do that you need the range ready before the first call, which means the research comes first — researching what a role actually pays covers how to build one you can state without hesitating. When the offer does arrive, how to negotiate a salary offer takes it from there. If you want to practise saying any of this aloud before a first call, the interview prep tool is a reasonable place to rehearse.
Questions people actually ask
Can employers ask about my salary history?
It depends entirely on where the job is based. A number of US states and cities restrict the question, and similar rules exist in some other countries, but the detail varies — what is banned, which employers are covered, and whether a figure you volunteer may still be used. Check the position for the specific jurisdiction rather than assuming.
What should I say when a recruiter asks what I earn now?
Redirect once to the role: ask what has been budgeted for it. If pressed, give a researched range for the job you are applying to and ask whether it fits their band. That answers the underlying question — are we in the same territory — without anchoring the process to your previous employer.
Is it illegal to ask about salary history?
In some jurisdictions and not others, and the restrictions differ in scope. Because this varies by state and by country, we cannot tell you what applies to you. If it matters for a specific application, check the rules for where the role is based, and take proper advice if you think a rule has been broken.
Should I put my salary on an application form?
Where the form allows it, put your expected range for the role rather than your current figure, or leave it for discussion. Where a figure is mandatory, give an accurate one or your target range, and be prepared to say which you have given. Never enter a number higher than you actually earn.
What if I am underpaid in my current job?
That is exactly the situation the redirect is designed for, because tying a new offer to an old underpayment carries the gap forward. Anchor the conversation on researched ranges for the role you are applying to, and if you must discuss your current package, describe the total rather than the base.
