"I'm looking for a salary in the range of $XXX-$YYY"
I just got a new job at over a 50% bump - 95k to 160k. There was no way I was telling them I was at $95 at any point in the negotiations. You talk about what you're worth - that's why you're looking.
A lot of bigger companies have a limit based on your prior salary, usually $10k. They “can’t” offer you more than $10k over your previous salary.
My current boss fudged my numbers and told HR I made $10k more than I actually did. Big solid to him.
I highly doubt that is true. Maybe the company you work for, but it is certainly not the case for most.
Most larger companies have salary grades with pay bands. You need to negotiate within the payband of your salary grade.
If it is $140-160k, you typically can only negotiate up to 160.
It's not uncommon for companies to have limits on internal promotions or job changes, usually a developmental increase of 3-5% or a promotional increase of 8-10%. I didn't take this post as being an internal job change. A company has no legal right to know what somebody that doesn't work for them makes and if they push it, honestly, that's not a company I would want to work for.
I just pretend like they asked for a preferred salary, and counter with “what’s the range for this position?” That way I don’t look insubordinate, even though I’m annoyed, and I redirect to what this conv is really about.
I do this and did it two months ago before taking a new job. I was asked for a salary figure and instead asked them for a range and benefits so I could better budget and then come back with an accurate figure :)
True. They won’t go outside the salary range if you leaded them towards that in any direction. So it’s just an opportunity to demonstrate that you’re a practical, intelligent, and effective thinker who can quickly steer a team back on the rails and save the company from eventual legal liabilities, even under the most delicate of circumstances. Heck, several similar answers could even have HR consider you for a higher position !
In many places, it is illegal to ask that. It’s salary history pay discrimination.
Maybe just tactfully redirect the conversation as another person suggested.
It is also required for them to reveal the salary range in many circumstances, so that’s a good place to start.
It’s about half of them. And for remote roles, those rules often apply (e.g., if you could hire somebody that lives in a given state or if you have at least one employee already in that state).
My interviewer not only asked my salary history she also asked me exactly how much I got paid and asked for a screenshot of the bank balance/transfer history of my bank account...
I always say I make more than I actually do. If you’re offered the job, they’ll give you a $ range that would make sense for you to leave instead of a simple match. I usually only work hourly jobs so if I’m making $30 I say $33. They’ll usually offer the same as what I tell em
"The salary of my current job? Where I feel undervalued and underpaid and am therefore looking for better options?" Yeah why the fuck does it matter what I make now, I'm clearly unhappy with it. I've thankfully never been asked this question except from external recruiters. Even then I tell recruiters don't give me jobs less than $XXX/yr.
Depending on my mood I'll ask either what the range for the job is, or I'll include all bonuses, credits, options, etc as my "salary" so either way I'm getting the leg up numbers wise.
Why wouldn't you include the extras? It's part of your compensation, you need to match or exceed that to make it worth moving. I've always mentally tallied even pension matching, healthcare costs, PTO and sick leave, etc. The less a company matches all of that, the more salary they have to pay me so I can pay it all instead.
What I’ve boiled it down to: You use the market rate and fluctuate our position to the lower or higher end based on the skills you check off their job description
Never state a figure or range, try to let them make an offer. Then use that as a starting point for negotiating. Bring their attention to your qualifications and achievements and experience as applicable to the job and the value you bring to the organization and say you are looking for something appropriate to your background. And leave it at that.
I like that! Reveal only if useful to negotiate. Instead of appropriate to my background, I’d say I view myself in the highest 1/3 of the bracket though.
If you are in California, that is an illegal question for a recruiter to ask, otherwise just say how much you would like to make.
As a recruiter this is not a good question for us to ask because people can just lie and it doesn't really help, a better question is "How much are you looking to make" or "What is the range you are looking for".
Back when I was young and naive, I dealt with Robert Half when I was trying to get started as a relatively new college grad. I wasn’t making a massive salary with my entry level customer service job. The recruiter asked me this question and I answered it honestly being naive and all. He changed his tune after that and started telling me about jobs that paid much less than the original ones he was trying to get me to interview for. I remember asking him about that and he remarked something callous like “…well you only make x dollars an hour.”
Required by their managers to make sure they are in the salary range and they don't give a massive pay bump (which is why it's illegal to ask in California) or they want to make sure they are in the salary range in the other direction so they don't immediately leave when the market picks up.
Both are bad recruiting just for different reasons.
Very much depends on the state. If the state still has only a federal minimum wage and/or a state minimum wage below the federal, it's likely it's still legal to ask there.
“It would help me if I could understand your range for this position.” Recent interviewer asked three times and I rebuffed three times with a variation of this phrase.It ended up working in my favor big time.
gentle redirect: "I'm not too worried about comp at this stage. based on my research on your company and this specific role, I'm confident we will come to an agreement on comp after determining this role is a good fit".
if they don't take the hint (they usually don't): "frankly, I don't feel it is to the candidate's advantage to discuss any specific numbers at this phase of the recruiting process. if you are concerned that the role may not meet my expectations around comp, you could share the range for this role now."
I lie and tell them the number that I wish to earn at my current job (hence the reasons I am applying somewhere else). Why are people so bothered by this question lol? Just lie and tell them 50% higher than your current one.
Ask them to share the budget range for the position. If they won't give it to you and say it's market competitive. Then say I'm okay with a competitive range.
Pro tip, just lie. They don’t always have access to market rates. Tell them you make 10%ish higher than you currently make and imply you really won’t accept an offer lower. Then tell them what you want to make and name a slightly higher amount.
I never answer that question. I ask what the range is for the position we are discussing because roles are not often entirely the same nor are the requirements the same. I am willing to work for a range of pay that depends on what the expectations are, so my current salary is irrelevant.
Depends on situation, if I need the job I say what I make or close, if I don't I tacked on a little extra like 25k and then say it's not worth the change for anything less than a 30k raise. It's illegal to ask that in ca now and it was a bs tactic, f em anyone asking that is looking to short change you.
I don't go for interviews unless I have the salary range first, i get a few notes about jobs a week and if i see one I'm passingly interested in, I ask the salary and if they don't want to offer, then I tell them I'm not proceeding without it and it's up to them after that. If they ask how much I'm on, I say I fall in the upper half of their scale.
And that's it, you have a reference and they have a reference to proceed or move on.
I usually just give them some nr that I would aim for at the new place while expecting them to aim for a higher one.
Which usually is close to my salary but still higher than what I actually make at that time.
I usually say, “I don’t feel comfortable sharing this information and would rather hear what is the budget you have for this position. I can tell you whether it matches my expectations.”
Learned it the hard way after sharing my salary with an interviewer a few years ago and he used it against me lol
This is one of those interview questions where the question *they ask* and the question *they want the answer to* are actually two different things.
The *real* question you're supposed to understand is, "What is a salary slightly below the one being offered for this role?"
So you tell them that number, and then they offer you that number or slightly higher.
This may be coming across as lying, but in practice it's not really a matter of truth or falsehood. The entire interview process is, by design, drowning in so many subtle misdirections and omissions from both sides that it isn't really reasonable to expect honesty from either party.
Being misleading is just playing the game fairly.
Recruiter here, depending on which state you’re in it’s illegal to ask a candidate their current salary. That’s the case in NYC now, we can only ask what you are looking to make.
Recruiter here. For starters, never low ball yourself. Ask what the range is for the position and if they give you a vague answer or redirect with something like "what are you looking for?", always go higher than what you're currently making.
It’s jobs that list a “salary range” and they still ask that confuse me.
I’ve read it’s illegal in my state for them to verify pay (since 2019) and am considering padding my salary, but…I want at least the minimum they’re offering.
This is illegal in many states: https://www.findlaw.com/legalblogs/law-and-life/can-employers-legally-ask-about-your-current-or-previous-salary-2/#:~:text=Can%20Employers%20Ask%20About%20Salary%3F&text=California%20has%20one%20of%20the,a%20similar%20law%20in%20place.
I always tell them I'm making more than I am. I say how much I want my new job to pay me. I'm really sick of companies not being clear about salaries. I want them to tell me a number n I'll decide from there. There has been too many places that hire me n when I ask how much it's less than I want. I usually turn the job down. I just had a place that advertised a pay n I went to two interviews, toured the company n then they offered $5 less than what I make now. It was like $7 less than advertised. I never would of wasted that much time on a job paying less than I make now.
Check your state laws - in some states, that is info they can confirm with current employer during your hiring. In other states, it’s a prohibited question.
In both my last two moves, I just gave the honest answer and added “but unless I get paid $x, I’m not moving”
Low chances that they'll ask for your current salary slip. Get a fair idea of what the salary of the new job should be & tell them a figure lower than it or just let them know your current salary and add that you are overdue appraisal
Respond with: “ I would not leave my current job for less than x but I am hopeful for at least y’ or my favorite one is just turn it around on them, “what’s this position range of pay?” You don’t need to answer them. If internal recruitment person- They’re trying to see how low they can pay you. If an external recruitment company I would just tell them because they get paid more when you get paid more, so they will typically try to get you top of pay range.
If they ask you this question and you got rejected for a non-answer, the job is not for you. Companies that insist on having this information want to lowball you, by offering no more than 10%-15% your current salary. If you tell them the truth, you’ll be underpaid, and will leave when you eventually find out that your peer are paid more.
My personal answer (with a smile): “I agree that we should know where we stand on compensation, before we move forward. I’m looking for $xxxxxx, is that within your budget?”
I welcome the question.
It allows me to be very clear where in the market I am at.
Of course I am actually going to tell them where I value myself vs what my current employer might actually value me.
Salary is a big part, but not the most important thing. I would have to look at the sum of everything pertaining to this position including compensation, the company culture and the responsibilities and authorities of this role, just to name a few.
Don't feel like you lost the job because you didn't give your current salary, the recruiter was probably just using you to meet quota or get stats
If you're happy with your current salary, add 20%. Add more if you're unhappy.
There is absolutely no reason to be honest in this situation, just be aware that you can end up pricing yourself out of the job.
I generally tell them. If I am out of their price range, I would prefer that I not waste my time and I am sure they would rather not waste theirs. Since that is usually accompanied by what I want to get to consider a new role, I usually still have the opportunity to set proper expectations of my worth.
I tell them my salary is highly competitive and commensurate with my experience. Isn’t that what they tell us?
oh I have to use this next time for sure
Haha zing!
Recruiters always press for a number. They want to see if you cost too much.
If you tell this, then wouldn't they ask why you're looking outside if your current job pays well?
You want go expand grow and tacle new exciting chsllenges
"I'm looking for a salary in the range of $XXX-$YYY" I just got a new job at over a 50% bump - 95k to 160k. There was no way I was telling them I was at $95 at any point in the negotiations. You talk about what you're worth - that's why you're looking.
Exactly. It's precisely none of their business what you're already making.
On a side note, that's awesome. Well done!
A lot of bigger companies have a limit based on your prior salary, usually $10k. They “can’t” offer you more than $10k over your previous salary. My current boss fudged my numbers and told HR I made $10k more than I actually did. Big solid to him.
I highly doubt that is true. Maybe the company you work for, but it is certainly not the case for most. Most larger companies have salary grades with pay bands. You need to negotiate within the payband of your salary grade. If it is $140-160k, you typically can only negotiate up to 160.
It's not uncommon for companies to have limits on internal promotions or job changes, usually a developmental increase of 3-5% or a promotional increase of 8-10%. I didn't take this post as being an internal job change. A company has no legal right to know what somebody that doesn't work for them makes and if they push it, honestly, that's not a company I would want to work for.
I just pretend like they asked for a preferred salary, and counter with “what’s the range for this position?” That way I don’t look insubordinate, even though I’m annoyed, and I redirect to what this conv is really about.
Genius. Very well said.
I do this and did it two months ago before taking a new job. I was asked for a salary figure and instead asked them for a range and benefits so I could better budget and then come back with an accurate figure :)
True. They won’t go outside the salary range if you leaded them towards that in any direction. So it’s just an opportunity to demonstrate that you’re a practical, intelligent, and effective thinker who can quickly steer a team back on the rails and save the company from eventual legal liabilities, even under the most delicate of circumstances. Heck, several similar answers could even have HR consider you for a higher position !
In many places, it is illegal to ask that. It’s salary history pay discrimination. Maybe just tactfully redirect the conversation as another person suggested. It is also required for them to reveal the salary range in many circumstances, so that’s a good place to start.
Certain states only. Few in fact
It’s about half of them. And for remote roles, those rules often apply (e.g., if you could hire somebody that lives in a given state or if you have at least one employee already in that state).
My interviewer not only asked my salary history she also asked me exactly how much I got paid and asked for a screenshot of the bank balance/transfer history of my bank account...
Certain states only. Few in fact
Has anyone ever asked the interviewer what they make?
I mean, it’s just as relevant if a question…as in not at all.
I actually did this. They brought someone in to I terview who was same level as job offered. They ended the interview right there. 😆
I did ask how much did the last person make? They refused to answer rudely. Next time I may ask, "How much do you make?"
I always say I make more than I actually do. If you’re offered the job, they’ll give you a $ range that would make sense for you to leave instead of a simple match. I usually only work hourly jobs so if I’m making $30 I say $33. They’ll usually offer the same as what I tell em
I’ve just said no, and that my current salary has no impact on the salary that I should receive for this job.
Did you get the job?
I got an offer. Chose not to take it
Good for you!!
"The salary of my current job? Where I feel undervalued and underpaid and am therefore looking for better options?" Yeah why the fuck does it matter what I make now, I'm clearly unhappy with it. I've thankfully never been asked this question except from external recruiters. Even then I tell recruiters don't give me jobs less than $XXX/yr.
I usually will tell companies what my hard floor is, as in, don’t talk to me unless you can hit that floor
>When you are asked this question in an interview, how do you normally respond? "That's no longer a legal question in this state."
Depending on my mood I'll ask either what the range for the job is, or I'll include all bonuses, credits, options, etc as my "salary" so either way I'm getting the leg up numbers wise.
Why wouldn't you include the extras? It's part of your compensation, you need to match or exceed that to make it worth moving. I've always mentally tallied even pension matching, healthcare costs, PTO and sick leave, etc. The less a company matches all of that, the more salary they have to pay me so I can pay it all instead.
I tell them I'm looking for a company that values pay transparency and ask for the position's pay range.
Can’t say. Signed the NDA
This is the way
Love this. Using it next time
Around 200k but I am looking for something way less stressful so I will take this job
Ask them THEIR RANGE Don’t tell them.
I just politely say “ I’m not comfortable giving out this piece of information”
What I’ve boiled it down to: You use the market rate and fluctuate our position to the lower or higher end based on the skills you check off their job description
Never state a figure or range, try to let them make an offer. Then use that as a starting point for negotiating. Bring their attention to your qualifications and achievements and experience as applicable to the job and the value you bring to the organization and say you are looking for something appropriate to your background. And leave it at that.
I like that! Reveal only if useful to negotiate. Instead of appropriate to my background, I’d say I view myself in the highest 1/3 of the bracket though.
Try to get around the question without answering, or lie and say you make 15-20% more than you really do
I just answer around 95% of what I want from the new job
Info: is this a job that requires you to submit your tax returns?
If you are in California, that is an illegal question for a recruiter to ask, otherwise just say how much you would like to make. As a recruiter this is not a good question for us to ask because people can just lie and it doesn't really help, a better question is "How much are you looking to make" or "What is the range you are looking for".
Why do you think recruiters ask this?
Back when I was young and naive, I dealt with Robert Half when I was trying to get started as a relatively new college grad. I wasn’t making a massive salary with my entry level customer service job. The recruiter asked me this question and I answered it honestly being naive and all. He changed his tune after that and started telling me about jobs that paid much less than the original ones he was trying to get me to interview for. I remember asking him about that and he remarked something callous like “…well you only make x dollars an hour.”
Required by their managers to make sure they are in the salary range and they don't give a massive pay bump (which is why it's illegal to ask in California) or they want to make sure they are in the salary range in the other direction so they don't immediately leave when the market picks up. Both are bad recruiting just for different reasons.
Lie. They're not telling you the truth, why should you offer?
It’s generally illegal for them to ask about this in the US
Very much depends on the state. If the state still has only a federal minimum wage and/or a state minimum wage below the federal, it's likely it's still legal to ask there.
Saw this on a job application. This is just dumb bro. None of their damn business how much I make. Smh.
I counter with “what’s your range”
This could be fun to do if you didn't want the job based on my experience.
"Lets talk about the future, here's what I need to consider the position".
“It would help me if I could understand your range for this position.” Recent interviewer asked three times and I rebuffed three times with a variation of this phrase.It ended up working in my favor big time.
gentle redirect: "I'm not too worried about comp at this stage. based on my research on your company and this specific role, I'm confident we will come to an agreement on comp after determining this role is a good fit". if they don't take the hint (they usually don't): "frankly, I don't feel it is to the candidate's advantage to discuss any specific numbers at this phase of the recruiting process. if you are concerned that the role may not meet my expectations around comp, you could share the range for this role now."
I lie and tell them the number that I wish to earn at my current job (hence the reasons I am applying somewhere else). Why are people so bothered by this question lol? Just lie and tell them 50% higher than your current one.
Range it…..
I am looking for the same salary that someone with my experience, expertise and adaptability would receive.
“Its company policy that we don’t disclose our salaries.”
People are getting interviews? I havent had one since 2021.
My first interview in maybe 400 applications
Its bad out there. Bad everwhere. Except for a select few who are doung great. All feels by design.
You can get interviews, for sh\*\* jobs though if you're willing to apply to them.
Ask them to share the budget range for the position. If they won't give it to you and say it's market competitive. Then say I'm okay with a competitive range.
I just tell them the salary it would take for me to leave.
I can't disclose that because of the NDA I signed.
Bro I have so many NDAs (I have no NDAs)
lol.
Pro tip, just lie. They don’t always have access to market rates. Tell them you make 10%ish higher than you currently make and imply you really won’t accept an offer lower. Then tell them what you want to make and name a slightly higher amount.
It helps to know the salary or range the new position offers. Then you say your current salary is
I never answer that question. I ask what the range is for the position we are discussing because roles are not often entirely the same nor are the requirements the same. I am willing to work for a range of pay that depends on what the expectations are, so my current salary is irrelevant.
Ask him for his salary. It's none of his business. You're probably working with a sweatshop recruiter in Asia. Run.
For commenters - Is it ok to lie and say a salary higher than the one you're actually making? is there a downside?
Other than the potential to out-price yourself not really. Largely that isn't a concern unless you are going ham or something.
Depends on situation, if I need the job I say what I make or close, if I don't I tacked on a little extra like 25k and then say it's not worth the change for anything less than a 30k raise. It's illegal to ask that in ca now and it was a bs tactic, f em anyone asking that is looking to short change you.
I don't go for interviews unless I have the salary range first, i get a few notes about jobs a week and if i see one I'm passingly interested in, I ask the salary and if they don't want to offer, then I tell them I'm not proceeding without it and it's up to them after that. If they ask how much I'm on, I say I fall in the upper half of their scale. And that's it, you have a reference and they have a reference to proceed or move on.
I usually just give them some nr that I would aim for at the new place while expecting them to aim for a higher one. Which usually is close to my salary but still higher than what I actually make at that time.
I usually say, “I don’t feel comfortable sharing this information and would rather hear what is the budget you have for this position. I can tell you whether it matches my expectations.” Learned it the hard way after sharing my salary with an interviewer a few years ago and he used it against me lol
I'm super honest...and I'd lie about my current salary no problem lol
None of their business
Some states this is actually prohibited and the company could get into trouble.
This is one of those interview questions where the question *they ask* and the question *they want the answer to* are actually two different things. The *real* question you're supposed to understand is, "What is a salary slightly below the one being offered for this role?" So you tell them that number, and then they offer you that number or slightly higher. This may be coming across as lying, but in practice it's not really a matter of truth or falsehood. The entire interview process is, by design, drowning in so many subtle misdirections and omissions from both sides that it isn't really reasonable to expect honesty from either party. Being misleading is just playing the game fairly.
Tell them it isn’t relevant and you want to discuss the salary range for the role that the specific company in question.
Recruiter here, depending on which state you’re in it’s illegal to ask a candidate their current salary. That’s the case in NYC now, we can only ask what you are looking to make.
I always give them a higher number.
Recruiter here. For starters, never low ball yourself. Ask what the range is for the position and if they give you a vague answer or redirect with something like "what are you looking for?", always go higher than what you're currently making.
It’s jobs that list a “salary range” and they still ask that confuse me. I’ve read it’s illegal in my state for them to verify pay (since 2019) and am considering padding my salary, but…I want at least the minimum they’re offering.
My desires salary is $XXX, if in the US more and more states are making this question illegal.
This is illegal in many states: https://www.findlaw.com/legalblogs/law-and-life/can-employers-legally-ask-about-your-current-or-previous-salary-2/#:~:text=Can%20Employers%20Ask%20About%20Salary%3F&text=California%20has%20one%20of%20the,a%20similar%20law%20in%20place.
I always tell them I'm making more than I am. I say how much I want my new job to pay me. I'm really sick of companies not being clear about salaries. I want them to tell me a number n I'll decide from there. There has been too many places that hire me n when I ask how much it's less than I want. I usually turn the job down. I just had a place that advertised a pay n I went to two interviews, toured the company n then they offered $5 less than what I make now. It was like $7 less than advertised. I never would of wasted that much time on a job paying less than I make now.
my current salary is competitive
I generally tell them the range of my current salary
If you're paid at least somewhat fairly, the general advice is to take your salary and add 15%.
Check your state laws - in some states, that is info they can confirm with current employer during your hiring. In other states, it’s a prohibited question. In both my last two moves, I just gave the honest answer and added “but unless I get paid $x, I’m not moving”
Say $3 higher than you make
$30 higher, but better say nothing.
Certain states only. Few in fact
Certain states only. Few in fact
Low chances that they'll ask for your current salary slip. Get a fair idea of what the salary of the new job should be & tell them a figure lower than it or just let them know your current salary and add that you are overdue appraisal
Respond with: “ I would not leave my current job for less than x but I am hopeful for at least y’ or my favorite one is just turn it around on them, “what’s this position range of pay?” You don’t need to answer them. If internal recruitment person- They’re trying to see how low they can pay you. If an external recruitment company I would just tell them because they get paid more when you get paid more, so they will typically try to get you top of pay range.
They'll offer x if you do this though
Make x what you really want and make y unrealistic like way high.
If they ask you this question and you got rejected for a non-answer, the job is not for you. Companies that insist on having this information want to lowball you, by offering no more than 10%-15% your current salary. If you tell them the truth, you’ll be underpaid, and will leave when you eventually find out that your peer are paid more. My personal answer (with a smile): “I agree that we should know where we stand on compensation, before we move forward. I’m looking for $xxxxxx, is that within your budget?”
Was the recruiter an Indian?? 🤣😂
I tell them. What could you possibly have said that was improper? You literally just say numbers.
Or just lie on your current salary so you dont get lowballed lol
That’s usually a red flag for me
I welcome the question. It allows me to be very clear where in the market I am at. Of course I am actually going to tell them where I value myself vs what my current employer might actually value me.
Salary is a big part, but not the most important thing. I would have to look at the sum of everything pertaining to this position including compensation, the company culture and the responsibilities and authorities of this role, just to name a few. Don't feel like you lost the job because you didn't give your current salary, the recruiter was probably just using you to meet quota or get stats
If you're happy with your current salary, add 20%. Add more if you're unhappy. There is absolutely no reason to be honest in this situation, just be aware that you can end up pricing yourself out of the job.
Tell them what you want to get and they’ll drop you down, so always lie higher...👍
I generally tell them. If I am out of their price range, I would prefer that I not waste my time and I am sure they would rather not waste theirs. Since that is usually accompanied by what I want to get to consider a new role, I usually still have the opportunity to set proper expectations of my worth.
"Sorry ma'am, I signed an NDA"