# Job Hunting Question: Can employers verify salary info? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 2, 2007, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-hunting-question-can-employers-verify-salary-info/398432 "2007-04-02T15:47:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Debaser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3da27b/32.png) [@Debaser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Debaser)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-hunting-question-can-employers-verify-salary-info/398432/1 "2007-04-02T15:47:40Z")
I’m considering changing companies. There are a myriad of reasons why this has come to pass, but one of them is that I’m feeling slightly underpaid compared with what I can get out there at another shop. Every time I’ve switched jobs in the past I’ve gotten a healthy raise by exagerating my salary a bit when applying at the new company. It’s been my experience that this is the only way to get more money, since nobody would be expected to work for less than they do now, but companies won’t just hand out extra money for no reason. I’ve long heard rumors that companies had ways of verifiying salary info, but have never run into this before. Is it even possible for a company to verify the salary information you put on an application? Would any company give this out? Can they get it from the IRS or some other source? Is this just a career urban legend? ---
**Author:** ![butler1850](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@butler1850](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butler1850)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-hunting-question-can-employers-verify-salary-info/398432/2 "2007-04-02T15:51:49Z")
Y’er no good anyway. Not worth it at half the price! 😃 I’ve nothing real to add other than to mention that the recruiter for my current position was VERY clear, as were other members of my team that I must be VERY accurate with the numbers I gave them. I’m not sure why it mattered, as I was already a contractor here at work, and was just converting to full time. They knew how much I made. ---
**Author:** ![633squadron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/6/ee59a6/32.png) [@633squadron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/633squadron)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-hunting-question-can-employers-verify-salary-info/398432/3 "2007-04-02T15:57:23Z")
[QUOTE=Debaser] I’m considering changing companies. There are a myriad of reasons why this has come to pass, but one of them is that I’m feeling slightly underpaid compared with what I can get out there at another shop. [/QUOTE] I doubt they can verify it short of asking your previous company, but I still think you shouldn’t do it. In the past few years, companies have started getting tough with people who “misrepresent” themselves. I recently joined a large, well-known computer company that has a reputation for being very enlightened and fair with its employees. They still took me a bit aback by saying that the offer was temporary, and that they would rescind it if a background check discovered anything that contradicted what I had told them. I observe the following about companies and money: [ul] [li]A bad-to-work-for company is not worth all the money in the world, even in the short term[/li][li]For the most part, companies will pay you what you’re worth on the market. Even a mom-and-pop retail store will know what this is.[/li][li]Know what you need to live on, so you can decide if you’re getting enough. If the offer is too low, say so. Be ready to walk.[/li][li]When a company asks you for your “salary history”, they want to know if they can afford you, not how much to pay you.[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![Debaser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3da27b/32.png) [@Debaser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Debaser)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-hunting-question-can-employers-verify-salary-info/398432/4 "2007-04-02T15:58:29Z")
I’m fairly certain I could finagle a serious raise even if I gave them accurate info. However, it would be much harder to do. I’d have to explain that I think I’m underpaid due to salary freezes at my current company to justify getting more money from them. It’s much easier to just say I currently make “X” and think I’m well compensated so if you want me you just have to give me “X”. Asking for “X plus 20K” is trickier. ---
**Author:** ![Debaser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3da27b/32.png) [@Debaser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Debaser)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-hunting-question-can-employers-verify-salary-info/398432/5 "2007-04-02T16:00:09Z")
[QUOTE=633squadron] When a company asks you for your “salary history”, they want to know if they can afford you, not how much to pay you. [/QUOTE] What’s the difference? Seriously. To me, the employee, it seems like the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![Sofaspud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8491ac/32.png) [@Sofaspud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sofaspud)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-hunting-question-can-employers-verify-salary-info/398432/6 "2007-04-02T16:01:48Z")
I don’t know the legalities of it, but it was quite common back when I was working in the hiring process for previous companies to verify salary information. Of course, most of our hires were hourly, not salary, and I don’t recall any instances where they specifically said “Joey made X in 2001”, but rather, “When he left us, Joey was making X/hour”. Not sure if that helps… ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-hunting-question-can-employers-verify-salary-info/398432/7 "2007-04-02T16:07:21Z")
This question just came up within the last 2 weeks and here is the response I wrote then: > [@](#): > > I do employment verifications. I can tell you that we do often check salary. It depends on the hiring company- some companies we do screenings for like to see the salary history, and others do not care. > > Generally, I speak to some one in the HR department and 99% of the time I am asking for salary information I am requested to fax a signed release in order to get that information. In other words you would know that your new employer may be looking into your employment history as well as education history, when you signed the release. > > Also, dates of employment and salary information for many large companies are available on-line through subscription services like The Work Number. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-hunting-question-can-employers-verify-salary-info/398432/8 "2007-04-02T17:04:27Z")
Although indeed many HR dept do check salary, most companies do not release it. In fact most companies will only confirm your period of employment and nothing else. ---
**Author:** ![Debaser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3da27b/32.png) [@Debaser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Debaser)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-hunting-question-can-employers-verify-salary-info/398432/9 "2007-04-02T17:07:47Z")
Interesting. So it seems that I need to talk to somebody in HR at my current company and find out how much they share. This will be tricky. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-hunting-question-can-employers-verify-salary-info/398432/10 "2007-04-02T17:16:24Z")
[QUOTE=Debaser] Is it even possible for a company to verify the salary information you put on an application? Would any company give this out? Can they get it from the IRS or some other source? Is this just a career urban legend? [/QUOTE] Sure, Mr Debaser, we’d love to have you aboard and we are more then happy to give you 5% more then your last company was paying you. Could you just bring in last years W-2 or tax return and your last 4 paystubs. That seems like an easy way. If you want your last pay matched, I don’t see why the new company can’t ask you to prove what you where being paid, otherwise it would see fair for them to pay you whatever they see fit. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-hunting-question-can-employers-verify-salary-info/398432/11 "2007-04-02T17:49:18Z")
[QUOTE=Debaser] Interesting. So it seems that I need to talk to somebody in HR at my current company and find out how much they share. This will be tricky. [/QUOTE] Not so much. Tell them you are thinking about applying for a loan. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-hunting-question-can-employers-verify-salary-info/398432/12 "2007-04-02T18:01:33Z")
[QUOTE=DrDeth] Not so much. Tell them you are thinking about applying for a loan. [/QUOTE] That won’t help. They may well provide such info to a bank, which will probably have a signed authorization from the applicant to release it. What they tell a prospective employer is a different animal, and it may be hard for him to find out without tipping his hand. ---
**Author:** ![Debaser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3da27b/32.png) [@Debaser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Debaser)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-hunting-question-can-employers-verify-salary-info/398432/13 "2007-04-02T18:02:44Z")
[QUOTE=Joey P] Sure, Mr Debaser, we’d love to have you aboard and we are more then happy to give you 5% more then your last company was paying you. Could you just bring in last years W-2 or tax return and your last 4 paystubs. That seems like an easy way. If you want your last pay matched, I don’t see why the new company can’t ask you to prove what you where being paid, otherwise it would see fair for them to pay you whatever they see fit. [/QUOTE] I’ve never heard of any company doing this. Too many people would be bothered by it. Why piss of the very people you are hoping to hire? **butler1850** , did you sign a release for your current positionas **Adam** mentioned? **DrDeth** , that’s good thinking! But, it doesn’t bother me too much if they know I’m looking. I’m past caring. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-hunting-question-can-employers-verify-salary-info/398432/14 "2007-04-02T18:19:28Z")
[QUOTE=Debaser] I’ve never heard of any company doing this. Too many people would be bothered by it. Why piss of the very people you are hoping to hire? [/QUOTE] I’m not saying that a company _would_ do this, just that if they wanted to call your bluff, that would be an easy way to do so. How much higher do you state your pay. I don’t see why you couldn’t round up to at least the next ten. (ie you make 82k and say your making 90k), even a little higher then that and you could probably just get away with…“Well, I was just guessing off the top of my head” or “I was just doing the math in my head I make $1200/wk x 52 about 63k and I figured with taxes added back on it was about 90k.” ---
**Author:** ![Atrael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Atrael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atrael)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-hunting-question-can-employers-verify-salary-info/398432/15 "2007-04-02T18:50:37Z")
Do you **need** a new job making more money to pay your bills? If you need the job, then they’ll have a stronger position in the salary negotiations. I don’t bother even putting anything in the "salary history’ section of an application anymore. If I’m asked I always state that I make around “X”…and I’ll round that number up from my current salary. So if I made $32K, I’d round up to $35K. Normally I just tell them that salary is something bested discussed during my interview. I gave this advice in another thread a few weeks ago, but when you go for the interview, rather than looking at it as them considering whether or not to offer you a job, look at it as if you’re considering whether or not to take a position with their company. If they only offer you $5K above what you’re making now, and you want more than that…say so. Tell them that unfortunatly for you to consider leaving your current position you’ll need more compensation. If they don’t give it to you, walk…as long as you don’t **need** the job, then no harm to you. Just be sure you know what you want to make, and what you’ll accept in an offer. ---
**Author:** ![butler1850](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@butler1850](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butler1850)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-hunting-question-can-employers-verify-salary-info/398432/16 "2007-04-02T19:03:13Z")
[QUOTE=Debaser] I’ve never heard of any company doing this. Too many people would be bothered by it. Why piss of the very people you are hoping to hire? **butler1850** , did you sign a release for your current positionas **Adam** mentioned?. [/QUOTE] Oh yes. Most certainly yes. Along with verification of every employer going back 10 years, though for those that no longer exist our friend Sanchez verified that I did in fact work during the periods in question. :rolleyes: Fingerprints, deep criminal, and check credit check as well. Oddly, no drug test. Most of this was done when I was hired on as a contractor, but they repeated the process going back 5 years when I converted… Why they needed the information again, I don’t know. All they had to do was contact the inhouse contracting agency… I’d have signed that form too, rather than having to remember all of the information again. (Including former managers names. I have trouble remembering family members names, much less some guy I worked for years ago). ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-hunting-question-can-employers-verify-salary-info/398432/17 "2007-04-02T19:36:16Z")
[QUOTE=633squadron] [ul] [li]When a company asks you for your “salary history”, they want to know if they can afford you, not how much to pay you.[/li][/ul] [/QUOTE] That assumes that your previous jobs have been at the market rate for your work. Otherwise, if you’ve been over or underpaid, it can really be a strike against you. They get the idea that they can’t afford you if you were overpaid, or think there’s something wrong with you if you were underpaid. ---
**Author:** ![Jake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-hunting-question-can-employers-verify-salary-info/398432/18 "2007-04-02T20:07:20Z")
When I was in HR, I never gave out information on former employees except that yes, they did work here, and the dates of employment. The bosses were afraid of lawsuits. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-hunting-question-can-employers-verify-salary-info/398432/19 "2007-04-02T20:11:12Z")
I’ve posted this same advice elsewhere: If you can get an interview with the salary question still open (or heck, even if you can’t), one thing a jobseeker can do is to come up with a rough, inclusive compensation figure. Combine the previous year’s gross salary (include overtime if hourly), health benefits, employer 401K contributions, company car/mileage, etc. Include anything your current or past employer hooked you up with – factor that all in. Estimate if you have to. Then present that figure as your “compensation”. Perhaps your gross salary was $50,000, but you want to get $65,000 at your next gig. Figure in all the bennies and perks from your old job, and tell them “my compensation was $62,000 annually.” I don’t necessarily think you have to fabricate numbers – just be as inclusive as possible in your accounting. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-hunting-question-can-employers-verify-salary-info/398432/20 "2007-04-02T21:02:27Z")
Yes. A company can verify your salary as part of their background check. It is very easy. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-hunting-question-can-employers-verify-salary-info/398432.md?page=2)