How to answer ‘What are your salary expectations?’
The question shows up in the first recruiter call and on half the application forms you’ll fill out. Here’s what to say, word for word, and what to type in the box.
You’ll be asked this early, usually by a recruiter in the first fifteen minutes, before anyone has decided they want you. That timing is the whole problem. Any number you give now is a guess about a job you don’t fully understand yet, and it can only hurt you.
The short answer: don’t give a number. Ask what the range for the role is, say you’re focused on fit for now, and that you’re confident you’ll land somewhere fair if it’s a match. If they push, point to the market range for the role rather than your own number. Save real numbers for after the offer.
Why you shouldn’t name a number first#
There’s only downside. Say a number that’s too low and you’ve capped yourself, often without ever knowing it. Say one that’s too high and you might get screened out of a job you’d have taken. Either way, you’re guessing at the level, the scope and the company’s pay bands, and the recruiter already knows all three.
Josh Doody, author of Fearless Salary Negotiation, makes the same point: naming a number means guessing at things you can’t know yet. He has a script that politely declines to guess.
That’s a good question. I don’t really have a number in mind right now. ... I want this move to be a big step forward for my career in terms of responsibility and compensation. I look forward to hearing what you suggest when we get to that stage.
The question isn’t a trap, and the recruiter isn’t your enemy. They’re trying to make sure nobody wastes time. You can help them with that without giving away your position.
What to say on the phone screen#
“That’s a good question. I don’t have a specific number in mind yet. I want this move to be a real step forward in responsibility and pay, and I’d rather understand the role better before anchoring on anything. What’s the range you have budgeted for it?”
Then stop talking. Most recruiters will tell you the range, especially if it’s already in the posting.
When the range is posted#
Reference it. A growing number of US states and cities require employers to post pay ranges, so you’ll often have one.
“I saw the posting lists 150 to 185. That works for me as a starting point, assuming the scope is what I think it is.”
This doesn’t commit you to the bottom of the range. It confirms you’re in the same ballpark and moves the conversation on.
When the range isn’t posted#
Ask for it directly. Anneli Scopazzi, a recruiter who has worked at Figma, Notion and Palantir, says candidates should feel comfortable asking “what is the range, what is the budget for this,” and that recruiters don’t find it a strange question.
If they won’t share it, go to the next section.
What to say if they push#
Some recruiters ask two or three times. Hold firm, politely, and shift from your number to the market’s number.
“My understanding is that the market range for this kind of role at this level is roughly X to Y. I just want to make sure we’re in that range. Is that consistent with what you have budgeted?”
Use real data for X and Y: posted ranges for similar roles at similar companies, salary sites, and people in your network who do the job. Make the range generous. You’re describing the market, not committing to a number.
If they push a third time, this is the last resort:
“I’m genuinely flexible and more focused on fit right now. I’d rather not anchor on a number before we’ve both decided it’s a match, but I’m confident we’ll land in the market range if we get there.”
What if they ask what you make now?#
You don’t have to say. In a growing number of US states and cities, employers aren’t allowed to ask about your pay history at all. Doody points to California and New York as examples. Wherever you are, a polite redirect works:
“I’d rather focus on what this role is worth than on what my last one paid, since the scope is different. What’s the range for this position?”
What to put in the desired salary field on an application#
Online application forms are blunter than recruiters. The field may be required, and it won’t take a speech. In order of preference:
- Leave it blank if the form allows it.
- Type “Negotiable” or “Open” if the field accepts text.
- Enter the posted range, or its midpoint, if the field only takes numbers and a range is posted.
- Enter the market range for the level if nothing is posted, using the same research as above. If it only takes one number, use a number near the top of the realistic market range rather than the bottom.
Avoid entering 0 or 1 to dodge the field. A human may see it, and it reads as a game.
After the offer, it’s a negotiation#
Everything above is about not anchoring early. Once they make an offer, the dynamic flips: they’ve chosen you and want to close. That’s the time to talk real numbers, and to ask for more. Phyl Terry, author of Never Search Alone, cites a long-running figure that most people who ask for more get it.
87% of the time, Lenny, when you ask for more money you get [it]. Now, that’s a longitudinal statistic, meaning over many years. It’s going to be lower in a moment like this, but you can still ask.
Step seven covers how to negotiate the offer itself: on the phone, across all the variables at once, with one clear final ask.
A prompt to prepare your answer#
I have a recruiter screen coming up and want to handle the salary question well. Role: [TITLE, LEVEL] Company: [NAME, stage/size, location or remote] Posted salary range, if any: [RANGE or "none"] What I know about market pay for this role: [DATA, SOURCES, PEOPLE I'VE ASKED] Location / pay-transparency notes: [STATE OR CITY] 1. Estimate a realistic market range for this role and level, and tell me how confident you are and what sources I should check myself. Don't present guesses as facts. 2. Write my first answer (no number, asks for their range), a second answer if they push (market range, not my number), and a final fallback. 3. Write what I should type in a required "desired salary" field on their application form. 4. Write a short, polite response if they ask my current salary. Keep everything warm, short and natural to say out loud.
Questions people ask#
How do you answer salary expectations without giving a number?#
Ask for their range first, say you’re focused on fit, and that you’re confident you’ll land in a fair range if it’s a match. If they push, cite the market range for the role and level instead of a personal number.
Should you say your salary expectations if the range is posted?#
You can simply reference the posted range: “That range works for me as a starting point.” It shows you’ve done your homework without committing you to the bottom of it.
What should I put for desired salary on an application?#
Leave it blank or type “Negotiable” if you can. If it requires a number, use the posted range or the market range for the level, and avoid placeholder values like 0.
Is it bad to say “negotiable” for salary expectations?#
On a form, no. It’s common and expected. On a call, “negotiable” alone sounds evasive, so pair it with a question back: “What’s the range you have budgeted?”
Can giving a salary expectation that’s too high cost you the job?#
It can get you screened out early, before anyone has seen enough to stretch for you. That’s the main reason to let them name the range first. For how to ask for a referral so you skip some of this screening, see the referral request guide.