What to Do When You Are Asked to Share Your Previous Salary

You are in an interview. Things are going well. The conversation is flowing, you are confident, and then the hiring manager leans forward and asks:

"What was your salary at your previous company?"

And just like that, the energy shifts. Because you know that whatever number you say next could determine what they offer you. And if your previous salary was low, you are about to watch it follow you into your next role like a shadow you cannot shake.

So what do you actually do?

Why They Are Asking

Let us be clear about something. When a company asks for your salary history, they are not making conversation. They are anchoring a negotiation.

If you earned 1.5 million UGX at your last job, they know they can offer you 2 million and you will probably feel grateful. Even if the role is worth 4 million. Even if the person who held the position before you was earning 3.5 million. Your previous number becomes the ceiling of what they think you will accept.

This is not conspiracy. It is standard negotiation psychology. The first number on the table sets the range. And if that first number is your old salary, the range starts low.

Why Your Old Salary Is Irrelevant

Your previous salary is a reflection of your previous employer's budget, their market position, the timing of when you were hired, and the negotiation you had (or did not have) back then. It has almost nothing to do with what you are worth today.

Think about it this way. A software developer earning 2 million UGX at a small startup in 2023 could easily be worth 5 or 6 million at a fintech company in 2026. Their skills grew, the market shifted, demand increased. But if they lead with that old number, the fintech company is not thinking about market rates. They are thinking: "Great, we can get this person for 3 million and they will be thrilled."

Your past pay is history. The conversation should be about the present role and the value you bring to it.

What to Say Instead

You do not have to lie. You do not have to be aggressive. You just have to redirect.

When the question comes, try something like:

"I would prefer to focus on what this role involves and the value I can bring to it. Could you share the budget range you have in mind for this position?"

This does three things at once. It shows professionalism. It shifts the anchor from your old salary to the role's actual value. And it puts the next number on them, not you.

If they push harder, you can say:

"My previous compensation was based on a different role, different responsibilities, and a different market. I am happy to discuss expectations for this specific position based on its scope and requirements."

That is not dodging. That is redirecting the conversation to where it belongs.

When Being Transparent Actually Works

There are situations where sharing your previous salary is not a trap. If you are dealing with someone you trust, or in a market where transparency goes both ways, honesty can work in your favour.

But frame it as growth, not just a number.

"At my previous role, I was earning X. Since then, I have taken on additional responsibilities, developed skills in Y and Z, and the scope of what I can deliver has grown significantly. Based on that and the requirements of this role, my expectation is in the range of..."

This approach acknowledges the past without being trapped by it. You are telling a story of progression, not handing over a price tag.

The African Context

This conversation carries extra weight across many African job markets. There is a cultural expectation in some workplaces that you should be grateful for any increase at all. If you were earning 800,000 UGX and someone offers you 1.2 million, the unspoken message is: "That is a 50% raise, what more do you want?"

But a 50% raise on an underpaid salary is still underpayment.

The reality is that salary suppression compounds over time. If your first job underpaid you and every job after that uses your previous salary as the starting point, you can work for a decade and still be earning below market rate. Not because you are not good enough, but because the system keeps referencing a number that was wrong from the start.

Breaking that cycle requires one uncomfortable conversation. Just one. Where you say: "I know what I earned before. But this is what the role is worth, and this is what I bring to it."

Freelancers Face This Too

If you freelance, you have heard the equivalent question: "What did you charge your last client?"

Same trap. Different packaging.

Your rate for the last project reflected that project's scope, timeline, and client budget. It says nothing about what this new project should cost. A logo you designed for a friend's side business at 200,000 UGX has nothing to do with a brand identity project for a corporate client that should be 2,000,000 UGX.

When a potential client asks what you charged before, respond with what this project requires:

"Every project is different. Let me understand the full scope of what you need, and I will put together a quote that reflects the work involved."

Price the work, not the history.

Know Your Number Before You Walk In

The best defence against being anchored by your old salary is knowing your current market value before the conversation happens.

Research what similar roles pay in your market. Talk to people in your industry. Check salary surveys. Look at what companies on ProGigFinder's job listings are offering for comparable positions. If you are freelancing, browse other freelancer profiles to understand what people with similar skills are charging.

When you know the range, you negotiate from knowledge instead of anxiety. And if your CV needs updating before that interview, do it today, not the morning of.

The Point

Your salary history is not your salary future. What you earned before is a fact, but it is not a verdict. The role you are interviewing for has a value. You have a value. The negotiation should be about where those two things meet, not about where you used to be.

Be respectful. Be professional. But do not let an old number decide what your new chapter is worth.