How to Show Your Hourly Salary History When Applying for a Job

Kimberly Johnson reports:

"Some potential employers ask job candidates to provide a salary history from their past jobs. The purpose of a salary history is so employers can determine if the person's salary expectations are within what they are offering. Some employers also look for advancement in salary over the years, which indicates a motivated employee. If your past jobs have mainly consisted of hourly wages, you list them very much as you would if the jobs were salaried. List your past employers and the contact information for each, since this information is required along with the hourly wage. Look the companies up in the phone book or via online directories to ensure their information is the same as when you worked there. Locate the address and phone number for each employer. Write down the dates that you worked at each company, specifying both the month and [the] year started as well as the month and year ended. Refer to your old resumes for help remembering dates or look at past tax returns, which can help to narrow down the years for older jobs. Examine your old pay stubs or bank statements to determine the hourly rate you received at each job. Make sure to examine the entire time frame for each job and note any increase in the hourly wage, no matter how small. Open a new document in any word processing program and type your contact information at the top center of the page. Required information includes your name, full address, phone number, email address and fax number, if applicable. Move down the page and type the word 'Salary History' at the left side. It is customary to bold this heading, although it is not required. Skip one to two lines and list the name, address and phone number of your most recent employer. Then type the beginning and end dates of employment on another line, followed by your job title. Finally, list your ending hourly wage at the company on the next line...Leave a blank line under the first employer and list each remaining employer in the same manner. Work your way backward, from the most recent employer to the oldest employer...You can also list your starting hourly wage and your ending hourly wage for each employer."