[gedy]

I've tried that (nicely), but it backfires too. Some companies are either old school or clueless on what to offer and have treated me pretty badly and called off interviewing further well into interviewing due not telling them that. E.g. "We've NEVER had someone be so stubborn about sharing their salary".

I realize those places were likely toxic, but it can be never-wracking to someone who needs a job.

[jrs235]

"We've NEVER had someone be so stubborn about sharing their salary".

If I heard that and felt I was going to walk away anyway, I'd be tempted to throw back "How much do you make?" And watch to see if they squirm to not share.

If they came back with "what I make has nothing to do with this position you're being interviewed for" come back with "then neither does my previous salaries, if they do then I need to know how much other folks in other positions in this company make so I can gauge whether I think this company will still be here in the future."

[uremog]

My form here needs my recruiter's salary before I can move on.

[cushychicken]

The techniques in Patrick's post are a less abrasive version of this.

[Retric]

The key point is going to walk away anyway

Your goal should be to get several competitive offers rather than simply taking the first thing that somewhat fits. As such you should expect to walk away from several companies.

In any major city you should easily be able to burn bridges it's simply not a big deal.