How to Answer “What's Your Current Salary?” (Without Undercutting Yourself)

You almost never have to reveal your current salary, and in much of the U.S. it is now illegal for an employer to even ask. In more than 20 states and many cities, salary-history bans prohibit employers from requesting your past or current pay and from using it to set your offer. The strongest move is to politely redirect the conversation to your target range or the market rate for the role, rather than anchoring the negotiation to whatever you happen to earn today.

Why "What's your current salary?" is a trap

The question feels routine, but it quietly hands the employer control of the negotiation. Hiring teams often use your current pay as an anchor: if you say you make $70,000, the offer tends to land a small bump above that number, regardless of what the role is actually worth on the open market. If the job is budgeted for $95,000, disclosing a lower number can cost you thousands before you have said anything else.

The problem is worse if you are currently underpaid, switching from a lower-cost region, or coming back from a career break. Your last salary reflects your previous circumstances, not your value to this employer for this role. Tying the two together is exactly what a good negotiator avoids.

Do you legally have to answer?

In many places, no. Salary-history bans exist statewide in a large and growing list of states and in numerous cities and counties, and more take effect each year. Where these laws apply, an employer generally cannot ask about your current or past compensation or use it to justify a lower offer. They usually can still ask about your salary expectations, which is a different question about what you want going forward, not what you earn now.

Even where no ban exists, you are never obligated to disclose your current pay. Declining is normal and professional. Recruiters hear it constantly, and a reasonable employer will not withdraw interest because you preferred to talk about the target range for the position instead.

Because these laws change and vary by location, check the current rules for your state and city before you assume you are covered. If you want to understand how the expectations question differs, see our guide on how to answer "What are your salary expectations?".

What to say instead: scripts that keep your leverage

The goal is to be warm, brief, and forward-looking. Give the recruiter the benefit of the doubt, do not lecture them on the law, and steer toward the number that matters: what this role should pay. Here are responses you can adapt.

• The simple redirect: "I'd rather focus on the value I can bring to this role. Based on my research, I'm targeting a range of $95,000 to $105,000. Is that in line with the budget for this position?"
• The polite decline: "I keep my current compensation confidential, but I'm happy to share my expectations. I'm looking for something in the mid-nineties, depending on the full scope and benefits."
• The turn-it-around: "I'd love to make sure we're aligned. What range has been budgeted for this role? That helps me tell you quickly whether we're a fit."
• When it's on the phone screen: "I'm early in exploring the opportunity, so I'd rather not anchor on my current number. My target is $90,000 to $100,000 — does that work on your end?"

Notice that every version pivots to a range you chose on purpose. That range should come from real market data, not a guess. If you have not done that homework yet, start with our walkthrough on how to research your market salary so your number is grounded and defensible.

When sharing your number might actually help

There is one situation where volunteering the figure can work in your favor: when you are already paid well and want to anchor high. If you earn $130,000 and you know the role is budgeted around $120,000 to $140,000, stating your current pay can push the offer toward the top of the band. Use this deliberately, not reflexively, and only when your current number is strong relative to the target.

Even then, frame it around where you want to go: "I'm currently at $130,000, and I'd be looking for a step up to move, so I'm targeting the $140,000 range." You have shared the anchor and immediately attached your expectation to it.

How to handle a form field that demands a number

Online applications sometimes force a "current salary" field. You have options that avoid both lying and underselling yourself:

• Leave it blank if the form allows it.
• Enter 0 or 000 if a number is required but you do not want to disclose — many applicant tracking systems accept this as a non-answer.
• Type "Negotiable" or "Open" in a free-text field.
• Enter your target figure if the field is really asking what you want, and clarify in a later conversation.

Never invent a false current salary. If a background or reference check later contradicts it, you can lose the offer entirely. Declining to share is safe; misrepresenting is not.

What to do if they keep pushing

Occasionally an interviewer presses after your first deflection. Stay calm and repeat your position once more, then redirect: "I understand you'd like a number to work with — that's exactly why I'm sharing my target range instead of my current pay. Can we talk about whether $95,000 to $105,000 fits the role?" If they refuse to move forward without your salary history in a state that bans the question, treat it as useful information about how they operate.

Keep a short written note of what was asked, when, and by whom, especially if you believe the question was unlawful where you live. You may never need it, but documentation costs nothing.

Special cases: recruiters, agencies, and internal moves

The script changes slightly depending on who is asking. A third-party recruiter is often trying to match you to a client's budget, so it is reasonable to share your target range early to avoid wasting time — but you can still keep your current pay private. Try: "To save us both time, I'm targeting $95,000 to $105,000 for the right role. I'd rather not share my current figure, but that range tells you where I need to land."

A staffing or contract agency may ask for a bill rate or pay rate rather than a salary; treat that as an expectations question and quote the hourly equivalent of your target, not your history. For an internal transfer or promotion, your employer already knows your current pay, so the conversation shifts entirely to the market rate for the new role and the added responsibility — anchor on the job, not on your existing number.

Common mistakes that cost candidates money

• Answering on reflex. Blurting out a number because the question caught you off guard is the single most expensive habit. Prepare one line and use it every time.
• Over-explaining. You do not owe a paragraph of justification. A short, friendly redirect is more confident than a long defense.
• Naming a single number instead of a range. A range gives the employer room to meet you near the top; a single figure becomes a ceiling.
• Apologizing for declining. There is nothing to apologize for. Keep your tone matter-of-fact.
• Forgetting benefits. Frame your expectations around total compensation — base, bonus, equity, and perks — so you are not comparing an old base salary to a new full package.

Put it together before the interview

Decide your target range in advance, rehearse one deflection script until it sounds natural, and know roughly whether your city or state has a salary-history ban. That preparation turns a stressful moment into a two-sentence answer you can deliver without hesitation. When a real offer arrives, shift into evaluating it on its own terms — and if it comes in low, our guide on how to respond to a lowball offer covers the next move.

The through-line is simple: your next salary should be set by the market value of the work, not by the accident of what you earned before. Protect that number, and you protect your leverage.