Why You’re Free to Withhold Your Current Salary During Interviews

More and more job applicants are being advised that they need not reveal their existing pay when interviewing for a new role, a change spurred by shifting legal norms and counsel from career professionals. Current recommendations urge candidates to concentrate on the remuneration they anticipate rather than the wages they presently receive.

Requesting salary history originated in an era when companies employed the data to set benchmark offers, a habit that frequently reinforced existing pay disparities. Opponents claim that such queries can tether negotiations to a lower baseline, putting candidates—particularly women and minorities who have traditionally earned less—at a disadvantage.

Career advisors suggest multiple tactics for responding to the question. A frequent tactic involves courteously steering the discussion toward the position’s market rate and the applicant’s credentials, and offering a desired salary band backed by research. Should a precise answer be unavoidable, specialists advise giving a wide range instead of a specific number, thus maintaining bargaining power.

Legal measures have bolstered this guidance across numerous locales. By 2024, over twelve U.S. states and a handful of European territories have passed prohibitions on salary‑history queries, pointing to data that such questions fuel wage disparity. Companies caught ignoring the rules may be penalized with fines, leading many firms to update their interview scripts.

Going forward, the momentum seems likely to persist. Recruiters are anticipated to pose salary‑expectation queries earlier in the selection process, and job ads are more often displaying compensation ranges upfront. Applicants are urged to investigate industry standards, set explicit compensation targets, and feel assured in refusing to disclose prior earnings when it does not advance their negotiating position.