What You Should Remember
Research what people currently get paid for the job you want. Know the typical pay based on your experience and where you live. This makes sure you ask for enough money.
Remember that what you were paid before doesn't matter for your new job. You are selling what you will do for the new company, not defending your old salary.
If they ask about your pay history, politely change the topic to your goals. Say something simple like, "I'd rather talk about what this job requires. I'm expecting a salary in the range of [X to Y]."
Many places have rules against employers asking what you earned before. If you live in one of those places, you can feel safe saying you won't answer.
Your Salary Negotiation Plan
Most people get stuck because they think their current pay is the lowest they can ask for. You might feel you have to share your old salary because you don't want the company to think you are difficult if you refuse. This makes you explain your value based on a past job that is not the same as the new one or what the company has budgeted for the role.
The usual advice—just ask for a little more than you make now—can limit how much you earn. Your old pay doesn't match what you can do today.
Instead of defending your past, you need to shift the talk to what the employer needs solved and what the market pays for that solution. See your salary history as private financial news. This lets you guide the conversation to the company's planned budget. The goal is to make them pay for the job, not the person's history.
This guide gives you the steps and the mental tools to win.
What Is a Salary History Question?
A salary history question is when an employer or recruiter asks what you earned at a previous job — your base pay, total compensation, or both. The question is designed to anchor your expected pay to old earnings rather than to the actual market value of the new role.
This anchoring problem is real. Past pay doesn't equal current value. If you were underpaid before, sharing that number gives the employer a low baseline to build on. Glassdoor research found the average American is underpaid by 13% — and researchers point to one major cause: more than half of candidates never negotiate. Handing over a salary history before any number is established removes your leverage before the conversation even starts.
The legal landscape is shifting. As of 2024, 22 U.S. states have passed salary history bans, making it illegal for employers in California, New York, Illinois, Massachusetts, and 18 other states to ask about previous compensation. Even where it remains legal to ask, you are rarely required to answer.
According to Pew Research Center (2023), only 28% of women and 32% of men asked for higher pay than what was initially offered. Most people accept what's put in front of them. Knowing how to redirect salary history questions is one of the few concrete moves that shifts that outcome in your favor.
The Smart Way to Think About Pay: Why It Works
When a recruiter asks your salary history, they are judging your confidence and if you understand business value. Many candidates fall into the trap of the "Inherited Ceiling," thinking their old pay sets their new worth. To beat this, you must know that you aren't asking for a raise from your old company; you are negotiating the cost to hire a new expert to solve their specific problems.
What They Are Really Checking
The second you give your old salary, they "anchor" your value there. Even if your new job is much harder, they will think: "If they were worth $80k before, why should we pay $120k now?" By talking about the budget for the current job, you make them focus on the Cost to Fix Their Problem, not the "price tag" from your last employer.
What They Are Really Checking
How you handle tough questions shows them how you handle pressure at work. If you get nervous or just agree right away, you look like you need permission to be hired—like an employee who just takes what is given. If you calmly change the subject, you look like a business leader who knows their professional worth and has clear boundaries. You are signaling that you are an expert who understands market rates.
What They Are Really Checking
Recruiters sort you into two groups: a "basic item" they buy, or a "solution" they invest in. If you stick to your old pay, you sound like a basic item with a fixed price based on yesterday. If you ask about the budget for the role's expected results, you sound like an investment whose value depends on what they gain tomorrow. This forces them to price the job, not the person.
Forget your old pay. Treat this as a new business deal where you are providing a solution. Focus everything on the going rate for the job's expected results to pass all these hidden checks.
Weak vs. Strong Responses: A Side-by-Side Look
The difference between a response that hurts you and one that protects your leverage usually comes down to which number you introduce first. Use this table as a quick reference before your next interview.
| Your Situation | Weak Response | Strong Response |
|---|---|---|
|
First Job
|
"I made $18/hr at my internship." | "Since this is my first full-time role in this field, I've researched market rates and I'm targeting $X–$Y." |
|
Career Change
|
"I earned $65k in my previous industry." | "My previous salary was for a different sector. For this role, the market rate is $X–$Y and that's my focus." |
|
Previously Underpaid
|
"I made $52k but I know it was below market." | "I'm focused on a fair offer aligned to my current skills and this role's requirements. I'm targeting $X–$Y." |
|
Senior / Executive
|
"My base was $140k." | "My compensation has always included base, bonus, and equity. What's the total package range budgeted for this role?" |
|
Application Form
|
Writes old salary into the required field. | Writes "Open" or "Flexible — per market rate" in text fields. Uses "0" in numeric-only fields with a note. |
| Bottom line: The candidate who names a market-based range first controls the anchor. The candidate who shares their old salary lets the employer set the ceiling. | ||
Pre-Interview Readiness Check
Run through this checklist before any interview where salary might come up. If you can't check every box, you're not ready to protect your position yet.
Check Glassdoor, LinkedIn Salary, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Levels.fyi (for tech). Cross-reference at least three sources.
Set your range floor at the minimum you'd accept. Put your actual target near the bottom of the range — not the top. That leaves room to meet in the middle.
If you live in one of the 22 states with a ban, you can decline to answer with complete legal backing. Knowing this replaces anxiety with calm authority.
Reading a script and saying it under pressure are different things. Practice until the redirect sounds natural — not rehearsed. A hesitant answer signals uncertainty about your own worth.
Prepare 2-3 concrete outcomes you've delivered (revenue grown, costs cut, projects shipped on time). These become your case for the higher number in the range.
Check the job posting itself (many states now require pay ranges), Glassdoor company reviews, LinkedIn job insights, and Levels.fyi if it's a tech company. This data anchors your range to their budget, not guesswork.
Do the market research first. Every other item on this list depends on knowing your number. You can't defend a range you haven't established.
Common Questions About Salary History
These are the questions job seekers ask most often when preparing to handle salary history conversations. Short answers first, details below.
Is it legal for employers to ask about my previous salary?
Do I have to answer salary history questions?
What should I say when asked about my salary history?
How do I figure out what salary range to ask for?
Does sharing my salary history hurt my negotiation?
What if the application form requires a salary number?
How Our Tool Helps Your Plan
For Planning
Strategy BuilderUse our AI guide to create your own negotiation plan, focusing on market value instead of old salaries.
For Practice
Interview RehearsalPractice changing the subject away from your old pay with our AI coach until you sound completely natural.
For Proof
Achievement LogKeep track of your wins. The system can pull out strong, number-based facts to support why you deserve higher pay.
Stop Letting Your Past Pay Limit You
- – Don't let old paychecks decide what you are worth today.
- – Stop feeling like you have to give in just to get an interview.
- – Make the company focus on the budget for the job, not your history.
- – Your next salary isn't a small raise; it should be the full cost of the value you bring right now.
- – If an offer comes in low anyway, read our guide on how to handle a lowball salary offer before you respond.
