Should I share my current salary in an interview?

Where the law lets you decline, many candidates share a target range based on local percentiles instead. Current pay describes your last employer, not this job. Follow local pay-transparency rules — this is not legal advice. If you do share, add that you are targeting the new market’s band, especially after a city or sector change.

How do I pick a salary range before a screening call?

Open the role’s city or national page, read median and p25–p75 for the level you can defend, and put your midpoint where you actually want to land. Use the currency they pay. If data is modeled, keep a wider range and confirm later with HR’s budgeted band.

What if I don’t know the job level yet?

Ask which level the requisition is opened at before you quote a number. Senior and mid bands are different jobs. A range given for the wrong level will either price you out or anchor you low. Confirm level first, then the number.

Is it okay to cite Pay by Role on a screening call?

Yes, as public wage context in one sentence — city, role, and the band you are targeting. Do not tour every percentile. Compensation teams already watch market data; they want to know your level story next.

What if they refuse to discuss pay until the final round?

You can still refuse to discuss your current pay, and you can still walk if the posting is a hopeless gap versus local p25. Use public data as your private floor. After they share a band, place it on the chart and decide whether to continue.

Pay by Role editorial · Updated August 25, 2026 · 11 min read

Research pay before you share your number

Walking in without a range means you will accept their first frame. This guide is how to research pay before you share your number — and what to say when they ask for current salary.

What should you do before the first call?

Open the city (or national) page for the role, note median and p25–p75, and decide a range you can say out loud. If the city page is modeled rather than observed, keep the range wider. Write the range in the currency they will pay, not in a converted display currency you glanced at once. When to trust salary data helps you size confidence.

What do you say when they ask what you make now?

In some places it is illegal or discouraged to ask current salary; in others it is still common. This is not legal advice — follow local pay-transparency rules. You can often answer with a target range instead: “I’m looking for $X–$Y base for this level in [city], which sits around the middle-to-upper band of public wage data for the role.”

If you are coming from a cheaper city or a lower-paid sector, current pay will understate the new market. Say that plainly. The occupation chart is the evidence.

What if they ask for your expectations first?

Give a range, not a single point, and put the midpoint where you actually want to land. If you do not know the level yet, ask which level the requisition is at before you quote. Then be quiet. Filling the silence with a lower number is a tax on anxiety.

What should you not send in writing too early?

A spreadsheet of your “minimum” in the first email invites them to meet the minimum.
A bluff competing offer. Do cite public percentiles calmly.
If the posted range is public, say you are targeting the upper half given [scope] — that uses their numbers.

What do you do after they share a number?

Place their band on the occupation chart, run take-home, and only then decide whether to continue. Screening out a hopeless gap early is cheaper than three more interviews. Negotiating a job offer is the next conversation.

Key takeaways

Arrive with a p25–p75 range in the pay currency, not a vibe.
Widen the range when the city page is modeled.
Answer current-salary questions with a target range when you can.
Do not email your minimum before they share a band.
Place their number on the chart before you invest more interview time.

Frequently asked questions

Should I share my current salary in an interview?: Where the law lets you decline, many candidates share a target range based on local percentiles instead. Current pay describes your last employer, not this job. Follow local pay-transparency rules — this is not legal advice. If you do share, add that you are targeting the new market’s band, especially after a city or sector change.
How do I pick a salary range before a screening call?: Open the role’s city or national page, read median and p25–p75 for the level you can defend, and put your midpoint where you actually want to land. Use the currency they pay. If data is modeled, keep a wider range and confirm later with HR’s budgeted band.
What if I don’t know the job level yet?: Ask which level the requisition is opened at before you quote a number. Senior and mid bands are different jobs. A range given for the wrong level will either price you out or anchor you low. Confirm level first, then the number.
Is it okay to cite Pay by Role on a screening call?: Yes, as public wage context in one sentence — city, role, and the band you are targeting. Do not tour every percentile. Compensation teams already watch market data; they want to know your level story next.
What if they refuse to discuss pay until the final round?: You can still refuse to discuss your current pay, and you can still walk if the posting is a hopeless gap versus local p25. Use public data as your private floor. After they share a band, place it on the chart and decide whether to continue.

Next step

Research is the input; the call is the conversation. Arrive with a range, protect the floor, and only then share a number.

Define a competitive range in one sentence →

Then open the job explorer for the city they will actually pay.