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Discussion on: Why do recruiters ask for current salary?

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Casey Brooks

Don't give your current salary in an interview. Instead, give them a range of what you'd expect to be paid, and together you can come up with a fair wage that works for both of you. But the amount you get paid should be based on how much the new company values you, not based on how much your previous company did.

Realistically, they are wanting to know how much you are expecting to be paid, and knowing how much you're currently making helps them determine the expectation of them. It looks kinda bad if you're asking for twice the salary as your current job, and so they will have more power to negotiate down. But if you're current company pays horribly and doubling the salary just puts you back into a reasonable salary range for the industry and location, well then that's what they should be paying you, and you'll have more power to negotiate upwards.

So again, don't give recruiters your current salary. Tell them how much you expect to make and let them decide if they value you that much. And be open to negotiation on that number (so start higher than you actually think you'll get), but also reasonable and don't be too greedy.