Recruiter Wisdom: How do I handle a request for salary requirements in my cover letter?

Advice shared from the recruiter expertise of David Martin, CEO and Managing Partner of Sterling Martin Associates

If salary requirements are not specifically requested, I wouldn’t include this information in a cover letter.

If you absolutely must include your requirements, do some homework on the organization and the position first. Look at the organization’s 990 tax returns. Are you able to determine the compensation for the position in the past or what peer level positions are paying?

There are numerous salary surveys available, and it would be worth your time to see what the market level is for similar positions. In this way, you can use a compensation figure that is in sync with what the organization has already been paying for that position.  Generally speaking, though, I would not include salary information until you are asked for it.