How to Include Salary History on Resume

Including Your Salary History or Requirement

Create a range. You don't need to include the exact amount you made at every job. Instead, you can create a general range for your last couple of jobs, rounded to the nearest 5,000 or 10,000. For instance, if you made $34,500, $46,000, and $51,000 in your last three jobs, you could write, "I have made $35,000 to $50,000 in my last three jobs." Try not to get any more specific on your salary than you have to.

Don't inflate your salary. Some companies will check up with past employers to see what you actually made. Therefore, you should tell the truth about what you made.

Make your requirement a range, too. Just like your history, you should make your requirement a range, too. A $10,000 range is usually a good bet. Try placing what you want to make in the middle. For example, if you want to make $50,000, you could say your requirement is $45,000 to $55,000. However, make sure you are actually willing to accept the lower end before putting it on your resume. When create a salary requirement, look at job listings that have salaries on them in your industry; look for similar level positions with your education and experience. That process will help give you an idea of a range, if you don't already know. You can also use salary surveys to help you. Don't forget, salaries vary by location, as cost of living will make salaries higher in some areas than in others. One reason to look for positions similar to your education and experience is that you can ask for more money if you have more experience or more education than other candidates. For example, if you have a master's degree, you can ask for more money than if you have a bachelor's degree. Don't add benefits and bonuses into the salary. The salary requirement range should be just your base salary.

Choose the cover letter or resume. You can put the salary history and requirement on the cover letter or the resume. However, you don't need it in both places. Just pick one or the other. Most advisors recommend including the salary history in a statement in your cover letter rather than on your resume. In your cover letter, include it near the end of your letter. On the resume, you can add it as a section under your experience.

Include a note about flexibility. You don't want to imply that your salary range is set in stone, especially if you are willing to take a little less in return for better benefits. Therefore, you need to state that the range you gave is flexible.

Include a note about benefits. You do want to be flexible on the salary, but you want to be compensated well. Therefore, you can also include a note about benefits. For instance, you could say, "I am flexible in my salary range, especially if I am compensated well with other benefits."

Put the salary history at the bottom. Add your salary history to the bottom of your resume. Make it its own section titled "Salary History." Make a bullet point underneath, and put in your range. You can add "(negotiable)" in parentheses after your range.

Understanding the Salary History and Requirement

Know it gives you less to bargain with. If the employer doesn't know what you make before you come in, you can barter back and forth on your salary. However, if the person who looks at your resume thinks you expect a certain salary, she may not call you in if it's too high, and if it's lower than the company was planning on giving out, you may not get all the money you deserve because you've already named your price. Essentially, you want to sell them on your services and skills before you tell them how much you want them to pay you.

Be smart about including it. Really, the only time you need to include a salary history or requirement is when the company specifically requests it. You can leave it off even when the company asks, but you may not get an interview then. However, if it's not requested, don't add it.

Look for full disclosure requirements. Some companies may expect you to give your exact salary for each job you've had. Usually, they will note this requirement in the job description. Other business advisers suggest that this approach may be the best anyway, since you are providing exactly the required information. When using this approach, you can show how your salary has increased for each job by putting a starting salary and an ending salary. That way, you show your salary progression.

Don't make a separate sheet. If you include your salary range and requirement on a separate sheet, you draw attention to it. Incorporating it into your resume or cover letter makes it just one more part of your whole package.