How to Present Your Salary History Without Limiting Yourself

Salary history questions used to be standard in hiring. They're now illegal to ask in many U.S. states and cities — including California, New York, Massachusetts, and others — because they were shown to perpetuate existing pay gaps, particularly for women and people of color. Even where they're legal, they're falling out of use as companies shift toward salary transparency.

But the question still comes up, directly or indirectly, and knowing how to handle it is a practical skill that has a direct effect on what you get paid.

When you disclose your current or past salary, you anchor the negotiation. If you were underpaid in your last role, disclosing that number gives the new employer a starting point far below what you're actually worth in the market. Even generous employers tend to offer incremental increases from the previous number rather than market rate.

The company is not trying to pay you fairly relative to the market — they're trying to make an offer that gets accepted. If your history tells them they can get you for less than they'd otherwise pay, most will use that information.

In states where it's illegal to ask: you're not required to answer, and saying so is appropriate. 'I understand that's not a question you can ask in this state' is accurate and doesn't create conflict.

In states where it's legal, or when asked about expected salary rather than history: redirect to your target. 'Based on my research and the scope of this role, I'm targeting a range of X to Y' shifts the conversation forward without anchoring to your past. Prepare this number before every interview so you're not caught off guard.

If you're pushed specifically for your current number, it's acceptable to say you prefer to keep that confidential. Most interviewers will respect that. Those who push hard are giving you information about how the company operates.

The most important thing you can do before any negotiation is know your market value. Use Glassdoor, LinkedIn Salary, Levels.fyi for tech roles, and industry-specific compensation surveys to anchor your expectations in data. When you know what the market pays for your role and experience, you can advocate for it with confidence.

Come in at the top of a reasonable range, not the middle. You can always come down. You rarely get to go up from a number you've already offered.