Job Application Asking Current Salary: What to Say
Job Harbour team· 7 min read
Key takeaways
- ✓You can keep your current salary private and answer with a reasoned expectation for the new role instead.
- ✓Use the advertised range first, then check the relevant Fair Work award, PACT and ABS information where they add useful context.
- ✓Say whether your figure is plus superannuation and keep room to discuss duties, hours, penalties, commission and the full package.
- ✓Ask about the range early enough to decide whether the role is worth pursuing, especially when the ad gives no pay information.
When a job application asks for your current salary, you can say you prefer not to disclose it and redirect the answer to your expectation for the new role. Give a realistic range based on the advertised duties and pay information, then say you are open to discussing the full package.
What should you say when a job application asks for current salary?
Separate your current pay from your value for this role. Your current salary is what you earn now, while a salary expectation is what you would consider for the new job.
Fair Work says employees and future employees have a workplace right to share, or not share, information about their pay and employment conditions. This is useful context, not a reason to give an untrue answer.
Check whether the field is optional. If it is, write “Prefer not to disclose. My expectation is [RANGE] plus superannuation, depending on the responsibilities and total package.” If the form forces a number, contact the recruiter rather than inventing one.
Keep the answer short and useful. State your boundary, give the information that helps the employer assess fit, and leave room for a proper discussion.
| Application field | What it is asking | Useful response |
|---|---|---|
| Current salary | What you earn in your present or most recent job | “Prefer not to disclose. I am seeking [RANGE] for this role.” |
| Salary expectation | What you would consider for the advertised job | “I am seeking [RANGE] plus superannuation, based on the role and my experience.” |
| Minimum acceptable salary | Your lowest figure for the role | Give a considered figure only if you are comfortable, and clarify what is included. |
For example, a warehouse worker can keep the answer practical. “I prefer not to disclose my current rate. For this storeperson role, I am seeking a rate that reflects the advertised duties, my forklift licence and roster, and I am happy to discuss the package.”
Illustration only: “My current salary is $X, so I need $Y.”
Illustration only: “I prefer to focus on the role. Based on the advertised duties and my experience, I would discuss [RANGE] plus superannuation, depending on the package.”
How should you answer the salary expectations field?
Use a range you can explain, not a random number. Connect it to the role, your evidence and the way the employer describes pay. A range also leaves room for differences in level, hours, allowances or the total package.
Step 1: Read the ad, including the position level, hours, location, roster, commission wording and whether the figure includes superannuation.
Step 2: Write down the experience, licence, qualification or result that supports your position in the range.
Step 3: Choose a range you would genuinely discuss, and state whether it is hourly or annual and plus or including superannuation.
Step 4: Add a sentence such as “I would be pleased to discuss the figure once I understand the responsibilities and full package.”
A nurse should describe the basis for the expectation. An enrolled nurse can refer to the classification in the ad, registration, shift pattern and experience, rather than copy a national figure that may not match the employer’s agreement.
Based on the advertised [ROLE], the [AWARD, AGREEMENT OR ADVERTISED RANGE], and my [RELEVANT EXPERIENCE, LICENCE OR QUALIFICATION], my expectation is [RANGE] [PLUS OR INCLUDING SUPERANNUATION]. I am open to discussing the duties, hours and total package.
Illustration only: Based on the advertised warehouse storeperson role, the stated range and my forklift licence plus two years in dispatch, my expectation is [RANGE] plus superannuation. I am open to discussing the roster, overtime and total package.
If you want a quick check that your existing resume shows the evidence behind your range, check your fit for free with Job Harbour before spending a credit.
How should you use the advertised salary range?
Treat the advertised range as your starting evidence, not a promise of an offer. Check where your experience fits the duties and level, then ask what the range includes. Hourly rates, annual salaries and packages are not automatically interchangeable.
Compare like with like before choosing your number. Check whether the figure is base salary, total remuneration, plus superannuation, or inclusive of superannuation. Also note whether penalties, overtime, allowances, bonus or commission sit outside it.
A barista can ask about the details without sounding difficult. “I have seen the hourly range in the ad. Could you confirm whether it is the base rate, and how weekend penalties and other applicable entitlements are handled?” That is more useful than guessing an annual amount from irregular hours.
Where can you find reliable pay information in Australia?
Start with the Fair Work source that matches the job. An award is a legal instrument setting minimum pay and conditions for particular industries or occupations. Pay guides show minimum rates, allowances and commonly used penalty rates for covered employees.
Use PACT when the answer depends on more than a base rate. The Pay and Conditions Tool helps you check award, employment type, classification, allowances and penalties. Check the award too, because PACT says the award applies if the information conflicts.
Use ABS figures as broad context, not as your personal quote. ABS employee earnings data covers groups by occupation, industry and work pattern. It cannot account for your employer, classification, roster, location, registration or experience.
A care worker should check the classification before comparing pay. A disability support worker might find the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award relevant, but the correct level and employment arrangement still matter. A TAFE qualification or a particular shift does not create one universal salary.
Save the pay guide or PACT result with the date you checked it. Pay rates and award settings can change, and a saved note helps you explain what information you used.
When should you ask about salary if the ad has no range?
Ask during the first sensible conversation, before a long interview process if pay is a deciding factor. Try: “Could you share the salary or hourly range for the role so I can confirm we are in the same ballpark before progressing?”
Ask what the number includes. Clarify base pay, superannuation, rostered hours, overtime, penalties, commission, bonuses, allowances and review timing. SEEK’s employer guidance also identifies these as useful parts of a salary conversation.
A career changer can be honest about limited salary history. “My hospitality pay is not a useful comparison for this administration role. Based on the duties, my TAFE qualification and the advertised range, I would like to discuss [RANGE] plus superannuation.”
You can also ask by email after a recruiter contacts you. If the employer will not share a range, decide whether the role is worth pursuing and whether to state an expectation.
Add the free Send to Job Harbour button if you apply from SEEK, LinkedIn or Indeed, so you can open the ad in Job Harbour while checking which requirements your resume shows.
How can you keep the answer open to a proper salary discussion?
Link your expectation to the job, then ask about the whole offer. This avoids anchoring the conversation only to your current pay and gives both sides a chance to clarify the role.
If you want to go further, prepare three figures privately: your preferred outcome, a range you would seriously discuss, and the point where the role no longer works for you. You do not have to disclose all three.
A clear interview answer can sound like this. “I am interested in the role because of the work and the team. Based on the responsibilities and advertised range, I am targeting [RANGE] plus superannuation, although I would like to understand the roster, review process and total package before settling on a figure.”
Job Harbour tailors your existing resume and writes a matching cover letter for the exact ad, without adding experience you do not have, which can make the evidence behind your salary expectation easier to check.
Where to start this week
Start with the job ad in front of you and turn your salary answer into a short, evidence-based script.
- Copy the advertised pay wording into your notes, including whether it says hourly, annual, plus superannuation or package.
- Decide whether you will disclose current pay, and prepare the one-sentence boundary you will use if you will not.
- Check the relevant Fair Work pay guide or PACT result, and record the date and classification you used.
- Practise your range answer aloud, including one sentence about the duties, hours and total package you still want to discuss.
Frequently asked questions
Should I put my current salary on a job application in Australia?
You do not have to invent a figure, and you can write that you prefer not to disclose your current salary if the form allows text. Redirect to a realistic expectation for the new role, explain what it is based on, and clarify whether it is plus or including superannuation.
What should I write for salary expectations?
Use a range you would genuinely discuss and connect it to the advertised duties, your relevant experience and reliable pay information. For example, say that your expectation is [RANGE] plus superannuation and that you are open to discussing the responsibilities and full package.
How do I answer salary expectations when no range is advertised?
Ask the recruiter or hiring manager for the range during the first sensible conversation, especially if pay will decide whether you continue. If you still need to apply without that information, state a reasoned range and ask what the figure includes.
Should salary expectations include superannuation?
Do not assume that an advertised annual figure includes or excludes superannuation. State your position clearly, such as “$RANGE plus superannuation”, and ask whether the employer is discussing base salary, total remuneration, allowances, penalties or variable pay.
When should I ask about salary in an interview?
Ask in the first recruiter or screening conversation when salary is important to your decision, or before investing time in several interviews. A neutral question about the range and what it includes keeps the discussion focused on alignment rather than your current pay.