Handling Salary Requirements and Histories

Salary Requirements

If a position advertisement indicates they would like a salary requirement or history, you should always address the issue in the final or next to last paragraph.

In the situation of a salary requirement, it is best to indicate that this can be negotiated or discussed in the interview. This allows you flexibility in determining a salary fit for the position after you are able to discuss the full details of the position. You do not want to “lock” yourself into a salary figure that is either too high for the employer or too little for what the position deserves.

If you feel inclined to provide a salary requirement, perhaps because your résumé or application will not be considered without it, you should always give a range.

You can research salary ranges by occupation and location on the internet at Salary.com.

The Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH), located at http://stats.bls.gov/oco, will also give you a national salary average.

Salary Histories

With a salary history, you would want to give the salary history of your recent work experiences or most relevant work experiences.

The salary history can be included in the final or next to last paragraph of your résumé or as a separate document. If you choose to submit it as a separate document, you should format it to match your cover letter and résumé.

A salary requirement should always accompany a salary history because your current salary requirement may not match your salary history and some employers may not realize this.