What to Do When Asked Your Salary in a Job Interview
Salary history questions are common in job interviews, but experts say candidates have options for how — or whether — to respond.
Job seekers routinely face a question in interviews that many feel compelled to answer but legally or strategically may not have to: what is your current salary? Experts advise that candidates understand their rights and options before walking into any hiring conversation where compensation may come up.
In a number of U.S. states and cities, employers are already prohibited by law from asking candidates about their salary history, a policy designed to prevent wage gaps from compounding over time. Candidates in those jurisdictions cannot be penalized for declining to disclose the figure, and employers who press the question may be in violation of local statutes.
Read more Gen Z Workers Quit Pension Schemes Amid Cost-of-Living Squeeze →
Even where no such law applies, compensation specialists note that a candidate is rarely obligated to reveal what they currently earn. Instead, redirecting the conversation toward the target salary range for the role — or asking the employer to share the budgeted compensation band first — can shift negotiating leverage back to the applicant without creating unnecessary friction.
The risk of disclosing a current salary, experts warn, is that it can anchor the employer's offer below market value, particularly if the candidate has been underpaid in a previous role. Researching industry benchmarks through salary databases and professional networks before an interview gives candidates a stronger footing to name a number grounded in market data rather than personal history.
Recruiters also suggest that how a candidate declines matters as much as the decision itself — framing the response professionally and pivoting quickly to qualifications and value tends to keep the interview on track. Continue reading at BBC News.
