Should You Put Your Address on Your Resume? (Guide + 5 Example Resume Headers)

Before the job search was dominated by digital tools, a resume was a document that you would physically mail to potential employers. Back then, including your address on a resume was a must so employers could mail back their responses. 

A lot has changed over the years. Should you write your address on a resume in 2025? And if not, are there any alternatives? We'll answer these questions and more in our guide.

Our guide covers:

• Why employers might want to see your address.
• A few compelling reasons for including or excluding an address on your resume.
• Sample resume headers with and without the address.

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Why Do Resumes Include an Address?

Here are the most common reasons why employers might expect to see an address on your resume:

• To know where you're located: This may seem obvious, but it's still the main reason why an employer might look for an address on your resume.
• Because it is an old standard: It might sound silly, but some conventions exist because of tradition. Employers expect to see addresses on resumes simply because there often are addresses on resumes. This convention is beginning to change, though. Over time, it has slowly become more "standard" to exclude your full home or mailing address.

Reasons to Include an Address on a Resume

It makes sense that an address on a resume might be there because employers want to know where you are located, but why does that matter? There are a few reasons why a location in your header matters when writing your resume:

For in-person roles:

If your work requires that you report to an office, it's important to show the employer that you live within commuting distance. Your exact address isn't necessary for this, but your city and state are a must. Many employers accept online applications that open them up to candidates from around the world, so checking the applicant's location is still a critical factor when deciding who to invite for an interview.

For remote roles:

If in-person roles need an address because you need to be near the office, does that mean that you can leave your location off of your resume completely for remote roles? Usually, no. Most employers will need to see your location for the following reasons:

• Remote jobs are usually location-exclusive: Even for remote roles, your location still matters. Besides concerns like time zones or proximity to the office, employers may exclude certain states or regions based on differences in labor, tax, and business laws. Including your address on your resume can help employers determine if you live in an acceptable location for the role. 
• Your location may impact salary: With remote employment becoming a new norm for many industries, the issue of pay and cost of living has become complex. Even if the organization you're applying to is headquartered in a high-cost-of-living area, they may take your physical location into account when deciding on a salary offer.

For remote work-from-anywhere roles:

What about roles that hire employees from anywhere in the world? If you can truly work from anywhere, then your location should be irrelevant, right? Not quite. 

Even in work-from-anywhere roles, issues like the cost of living and citizenship may impact your eligibility or your salary. If you are determined to omit your location from your resume completely, do so for remote work-from-anywhere roles only. However, omitting your location could lead to receiving fewer responses from employers. To avoid getting overlooked because of a missing address on your resume, consider including just your city, state, and zip code.

Reasons to Omit Your Address on Your Resume

If addresses used to be a resume standard, then why wouldn't you include yours? There are a few good reasons to leave your full home address off of your resume, such as:

• Privacy concerns: For one reason or another, you may feel uncomfortable giving out such personal information to strangers. This is normal and increasingly common. Fortunately, there are alternatives to providing your full home address, such as including just your state or country of residence.
• Digital safety: If you're applying on a third-party job board or have other reasons to doubt the legitimacy of the job listing, leaving your address off your resume can be a savvy move to protect yourself. Job scams are a blight on the digital job market. Limiting how much personal information you share with strangers is a great strategy to keep yourself safe.
• Discrimination: Although it is illegal, discrimination is a persistent concern for applicants throughout the hiring process. Concealing your specific location can help you avoid discrimination based on the reputation of your town or neighborhood.

Must You Include Your Address on Your Resume?

No! There is no rule that you must include your full home or mailing address on your resume. If you're uncomfortable giving that information out, then you can leave it off. However, keep in mind that if you progress through the hiring process, your employer is going to eventually need your home address. So it's essential that you don't lie about your location.

We recommend including only your city and state on your resume so you can communicate whether you're physically eligible for the role based on your location. Without revealing your home address, you can show that you're a commutable distance from the role or that you live in the desired time zone for the remote position. 

Alternatives to a Full Address on Your Resume (With Examples)

If you're struggling with how to structure your address on your resume, all you need is to reference well-formatted examples. Let's look at a few headers that address location in different ways.

Sample resume header featuring a home address:

Sample resume header with the city, state, and zip code:

Sample resume header using just the city and state:

Sample resume header featuring a PO box:

Sample resume header without an address:

Should You Include Your Address on a Resume If You're Relocating?

There are various options to communicate your location on your resume without sharing your full home address. But even if you only include your city or region, what do you do if you're planning on relocating soon?

In this case, the answer depends on how close you are to moving. In general, it's best to include your current location information, but if your move is very close and you have a definite location, you may include your new region instead. 

Try something like this:

Stating the location of your move and the date of your relocation gives the employer the information they need to decide if you're eligible for the role.

Key Takeaways

Resources to Help With Your Job Search

• Should You Include Irrelevant Work Experience on a Resume?
• How to Use AI to Apply for Jobs
• How Long Should a Cover Letter Be?
• Should You Include Your High School Diploma on a Resume?
• How to Use AI to Prepare for an Interview

Hailey Brophy

Career Advice Expert

Hailey Brophy is an experienced writer with a diverse career in digital publication. She is passionate about using her unique skills and experiences to help job seekers find the information that they need to succeed.

Read more articles by Hailey Brophy