Definition
The term salary history refers to a document provided to potential employers that summarizes the earnings of a job candidate over time. Employers may ask a prospective employee to provide a salary history as part of the candidate screening process.
Explanation
Some potential employers may ask job candidates for their salary history. Reviewing this information allows the employer to determine if a candidate is making in excess of what the job opening pays; presuming most candidates will not accept a decrease in pay. Unfortunately, supplying this information provides the employer with an advantage when it comes to negotiating a salary.
A salary history will contain a minimum of information, including:
The name, dates of employment, and location of prior employers.
Job titles as well as starting and ending salaries.
One tactic the job candidate can take is to respond to this request by saying "I consider that information confidential. The range of salary I'm looking for is $60,000 to $75,000." Some employers may accept this response, while others will require a salary history. Oftentimes this information is validated as part of the employment verification process.
Example
Below is an outline of the information a job candidate should provide to an employer if asked for their salary history:
Sammy J. Seeker 12 Rutgers Place Mytown, Pennsylvania 08100 610-555-0100 [email protected]
Salary History
Production Director QVC, Inc. (2014 - Present) Final Annual Salary: $82,900 Starting Annual: $79,500
Production Manager Holtec International (2009- 2014) Marlton, NJ Final Annual Salary: $65,900 Starting Annual: $51,600
Call Center Supervisor Entercom (2004 - 2009) Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania Final Annual Salary: $43,000 Starting Annual: $33,700
Business Associate AlliedBarton Security Services (1999 - 2004) Pittsburg, Pennsylvania Final Annual Salary: $28,100 Starting Annual: $12,000
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