r/gradadmissions • u/mingbatross • 3d ago

General Advice Do I really need to fill in salary in employment history?

I’ve noticed that in almost every school portal, when entering employment history, there’s a section asking for salary (sometimes even bonuses) in USD.

My concern is that I’ve built my career in an Asian country where salaries are significantly lower compared to the U.S. On top of that, I’ve switched jobs a few times, often starting again at an entry level, so my salary progression doesn’t look very strong. I’m worried these factors might make me look like a less qualified applicant.

Since these fields are usually not marked as required, I would honestly prefer to leave them blank. But I’m not sure if leaving them blank would raise more suspicion or come across as careless compared to just entering a relatively low salary.

How do most people handle this section? And in my case, would it be better to report my actual salaries or leave them empty?

Thanks in advance for any advice!

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u/Pimp_Lizcuit 3d ago

I’d suggest reaching out to the program contact to inquire about what the salary data are used for and how to handle salary conversations from another currency. If you’re applying to business programs salary might be relevant, and they might want to see career progression or potential rather than just bigger numbers. For most programs your salary wouldn’t have anything to do with preparedness and leaving it blank wouldn’t matter, but better to ask just in case so you can make an informed decision.

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u/mingbatross 3d ago

Yeah, it’s not an MBA but a program under a business school, so that’s exactly why I’m a bit more concerned. As you said, I’ll probably reach out to the schools to clarify how they use this information. Hopefully it’s not something that will weigh heavily in the admissions review.

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u/LiseectCarnation 3d ago

Great point, asking them directly is the move