Final answer:
The initial salary was $8635.65, calculated by dividing the current salary of $9936 by 1.15, which represents a 15% increase.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the initial salary before the increase, we need to consider the current salary as 115% (the original 100% plus the 15% increase) of the initial salary.
Let's denote the initial salary as S. Since the salary increased by 15%, the equation representing the new salary ($9936) is:
1.15S = $9936
To find the initial salary S, we divide both sides of the equation by 1.15:
S = $9936 / 1.15
Calculating the above division gives us:
S = $8635.65
Therefore, the person's initial salary was $8635.65.