What should I say when asked "what are your salary expectations?"
I'm currently in the process of looking for a job and every time I get asked "What are your salary expectations?" in an interview I get nervous. I don't want to say a number that's too low and not get paid what I'm worth, but I also don't want to say a number that's too high and risk losing the offer. How do I navigate this question?
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I highly recommend doing your research ahead of time—check platforms like Glassdoor, Indeed, and Salary.com to get a realistic understanding of your expected salary range. Then, reflect on your unique skills and experiences to get clear on your true worth.
It’s absolutely okay to ask for what you’re worth. In fact, recognizing your own value is the first step to helping others recognize it too.
When it comes time to discuss numbers, try saying:
“I do have a number in mind, but I’d love to hear what you’re willing to offer first.”
This keeps the conversation open and positions you from a place of confidence.
The most important thing? Speak with calm assurance, not fear. You’ve got this.
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It’s absolutely okay to ask for what you’re worth. In fact, recognizing your own value is the first step to helping others recognize it too.
When it comes time to discuss numbers, try saying:
“I do have a number in mind, but I’d love to hear what you’re willing to offer first.”
This keeps the conversation open and positions you from a place of confidence.
The most important thing? Speak with calm assurance, not fear. You’ve got this.
Don't ever state a number in response to this question.
No matter what you find on any slew of online databases, you are never 100% sure what their going rate currently is. If you say a number first, you've anchored the company into a figure and it is going to be very hard to skew too far from it.
Instead, counter by saying, "I want to make sure that I'm the right person for this role and that I can come in and have an immediate impact by solving the most important problems."
With that said, could you please share what your current upper and lower budget is to bring someone new into this role? This approach helps establish you as someone looking for the right fit versus the highest salary, prompting them to provide their number first.
Then your job throughout the duration of the process is to showcase to the decision-makers how you can bring significant value to the organization so that you deserve the highest number to start.
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No matter what you find on any slew of online databases, you are never 100% sure what their going rate currently is. If you say a number first, you've anchored the company into a figure and it is going to be very hard to skew too far from it.
Instead, counter by saying, "I want to make sure that I'm the right person for this role and that I can come in and have an immediate impact by solving the most important problems."
With that said, could you please share what your current upper and lower budget is to bring someone new into this role? This approach helps establish you as someone looking for the right fit versus the highest salary, prompting them to provide their number first.
Then your job throughout the duration of the process is to showcase to the decision-makers how you can bring significant value to the organization so that you deserve the highest number to start.
Before we even get to salary expectations and negotiation, I tell my clients to do their research. So, look at what the market rate is for that position and industry within that area. Let's say you want to be a product manager in Los Angeles. Look up a product manager in Los Angeles. Look up different job descriptions and look at the salary range for that. And then once you do that, then you could use the thank you sandwich. So, "Thank you so much for considering me for the product management position for ABC Company. At the same time, I did research with several companies around the area, and I see that the current compensation for this position within other companies and industries is X amount, and I would like to ask for X amount." So, whether it's even asking that … or even educating them like, "Hey, I want to ask for X amount because I've been able to do ABC with my current employer." So, you could use that in terms of salary expectations and negotiation, but make sure you have evidence for that.
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If you are interviewing for a role, absolutely do your research first and find out what the salary is before you begin the process, or at least try to figure out the salary range. I do not ever personally bring up salary unless I am prompted first, because you want to give the employer the impression that your focus is on talking about the job and showing how you can be the best fit for your job, and that your interest is not focused on money (even though we know that it is!). You want to ultimately give them the impression that that is where your focus lies.
If you're asked about salary in an interview and it's not the final interview, my response is the following:
"Well, thank you so much for asking that question. I'm still getting a feel for the role, but as we continue down this conversation, could you tell me the budget for the role?"
I always try to throw it back. When you throw it back to them, you get an opportunity to see a couple of things. One, are they transparent? Are they going to hold the salary hostage? If they do, guess what? You're going to be working for a company that's going to intentionally withhold all types of information. That to me is a red flag. If they offer up the salary, great. You get the opportunity to now tell them what you want without undercutting yourself.
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If you're asked about salary in an interview and it's not the final interview, my response is the following:
"Well, thank you so much for asking that question. I'm still getting a feel for the role, but as we continue down this conversation, could you tell me the budget for the role?"
I always try to throw it back. When you throw it back to them, you get an opportunity to see a couple of things. One, are they transparent? Are they going to hold the salary hostage? If they do, guess what? You're going to be working for a company that's going to intentionally withhold all types of information. That to me is a red flag. If they offer up the salary, great. You get the opportunity to now tell them what you want without undercutting yourself.
If the job posting includes a salary range, reference it. For example, say, “I saw the posted range is $70K–$80K. Ideally, I’d like to be at the higher end.” If no range is listed and you know what you want, give a number based on your worth, not your past salary. For instance, “Based on my skills and experience, I’m looking for something between $50K–$60K.”
If you really don’t know, you can turn the question around respectfully: “I’m focused on finding the right fit and team. Do you have a budget allocated for this role?” That often prompts the recruiter to reveal the range. But be prepared—they might still press you for a number. It’s best to have a researched range in mind.
You can use tools like:
You can also just go to Google and type:
“I live in [City, State], this is the job title, and this is the industry—how much should this job pay?”
That search will lead you to sites like Glassdoor, Salary.com, and LinkedIn, which will give you salary benchmarks. From there, compare your own experience (how many years you’ve been in the industry, what you've achieved) and figure out where you fall in that range.
You can also ask mentors or peers in similar roles what the standard compensation looks like. Even Reddit forums or industry-specific Slack groups can be surprisingly helpful.
I think it's really important to come into an interview with a salary range in mind. If you don’t advocate for yourself, no one else will. Not providing a range can make the interviewer think you’re unsure of your worth and potentially give them the opportunity to lowball you.
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If you really don’t know, you can turn the question around respectfully: “I’m focused on finding the right fit and team. Do you have a budget allocated for this role?” That often prompts the recruiter to reveal the range. But be prepared—they might still press you for a number. It’s best to have a researched range in mind.
You can use tools like:
- Glassdoor
- Payscale
- LinkedIn Salary Insights
- Levels.fyi (especially for tech)
You can also just go to Google and type:
“I live in [City, State], this is the job title, and this is the industry—how much should this job pay?”
That search will lead you to sites like Glassdoor, Salary.com, and LinkedIn, which will give you salary benchmarks. From there, compare your own experience (how many years you’ve been in the industry, what you've achieved) and figure out where you fall in that range.
You can also ask mentors or peers in similar roles what the standard compensation looks like. Even Reddit forums or industry-specific Slack groups can be surprisingly helpful.
I think it's really important to come into an interview with a salary range in mind. If you don’t advocate for yourself, no one else will. Not providing a range can make the interviewer think you’re unsure of your worth and potentially give them the opportunity to lowball you.
The way you respond is saying, “I'm looking for the best fit and overall package”, and asking if they have some sort of a range that they're working within. If they say no, and they insist on you giving a number, I recommend giving a researched range and positioning it that way. So, that can sound something like, “Based on the other jobs I have been looking at, I'm seeing a lot of the salaries range from X to Y. Is that what you're seeing in the market?” And notice that that framing makes it so you're not locked into that salary. You're not saying you need this salary, but you're just proposing a range.
And so, if you are wildly above what they're looking for, they might just tell you that right out of the gate. Maybe I was looking at the wrong cities, or my research is a bit off. Just make sure whatever range you say that the bottom number you say is actually more of like your middle, middle upper of your range, so you want to say a number that you would be excited to accept as your bottom number.
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And so, if you are wildly above what they're looking for, they might just tell you that right out of the gate. Maybe I was looking at the wrong cities, or my research is a bit off. Just make sure whatever range you say that the bottom number you say is actually more of like your middle, middle upper of your range, so you want to say a number that you would be excited to accept as your bottom number.
Here's an easy trick to get a range for expected salary:
- Go to ChatGPT
- Upload your resume and enter a prompt like "I'm applying to a [Job Position] role at [Company, or description of company if it's not well known] in [City]. I'd like to get a realistic salary range to use in negotiating my expected salary. I've attached my resume and included the job description below. Based on my experience and skills, what do you think is an appropriate salary range to ask for for this position?
[Copy-pasted job description]"
- Then it'll spit out a salary range with some reasoning too!
I tried this out with job descriptions that had their salary ranges published and have consistently gotten ranges that align with the published ranges, so I have confidence that it works for job descriptions where they don't list the salary ranges too!
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- Go to ChatGPT
- Upload your resume and enter a prompt like "I'm applying to a [Job Position] role at [Company, or description of company if it's not well known] in [City]. I'd like to get a realistic salary range to use in negotiating my expected salary. I've attached my resume and included the job description below. Based on my experience and skills, what do you think is an appropriate salary range to ask for for this position?
[Copy-pasted job description]"
- Then it'll spit out a salary range with some reasoning too!
I tried this out with job descriptions that had their salary ranges published and have consistently gotten ranges that align with the published ranges, so I have confidence that it works for job descriptions where they don't list the salary ranges too!
Fully agree with the above comment. I've been in the position so many times where I'm unprepared for that question and I get flustered and lowball myself because I'm afraid they won't hire me if I don't give a low answer, and then I get frustrated and resentful because I deserve more money! I've also been in the position where I ask for the salary range and they beat around the bush like thy don't want to tell me. This is a red flag: if they won't tell you the salary range upfront, it means they want to lowball you.
It's taken me a long time to learn that you really need to advocate for the salary you deserve (and like someone already said the company may not even realize they're lowballing you sometimes, but also, it's in their best interest to lowball you...) and that if the company can't or won't meet your financial needs and pay what they should (and they don't compensate with great benefits), it's OK to move on and wait for the job you really deserve.
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It's taken me a long time to learn that you really need to advocate for the salary you deserve (and like someone already said the company may not even realize they're lowballing you sometimes, but also, it's in their best interest to lowball you...) and that if the company can't or won't meet your financial needs and pay what they should (and they don't compensate with great benefits), it's OK to move on and wait for the job you really deserve.
One trick I always try is asking what the salary range is before I tell them what I'm expecting. If you ask, "What is the range offered for this position?" the employer will tell you the minimum and maximum salary they can offer. This can save you from saying a lower number and getting low-balled for the work you're doing.
If the salary range seems a little low, keep in mind the other benefits they're offering you too. If the salary is a little lower but they offer full insurance coverage or match 401k contributions, it can be a pretty good trade-off.
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If the salary range seems a little low, keep in mind the other benefits they're offering you too. If the salary is a little lower but they offer full insurance coverage or match 401k contributions, it can be a pretty good trade-off.
I like to research the mid-range salary for the position and location I'm looking at on sites like Salary.com, Payscale.com, or Glassdoor.com. This gives me a reasonable range to keep in mind when asking for a salary and ensure that I don't get low-balled. When they ask you about salary expectations, don't just give one number, but rather give them a range, with the bottom of the range being a salary you'd be happy with. That way, if they go for the low end of your range (which they often do), you'll be happy with the offer, but there's also a chance they offer you more!
If you've made it to the end of a long interview funnel, chances are the company is pretty interested in you since they've already invested a bunch of time interviewing you. Don't be afraid to negotiate for the salary that you deserve
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If you've made it to the end of a long interview funnel, chances are the company is pretty interested in you since they've already invested a bunch of time interviewing you. Don't be afraid to negotiate for the salary that you deserve
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Other wikiHow readers have submitted their own tips on topics similar to this one.
Reader Tips from 15 Tips to Negotiate a Great Salary
Don't go into too many details explaining why you need a higher salary. Giving too much information can weaken your bargaining position and it could be harder to negotiate the salary you want.
Consider saying that you have an offer from another company for a higher salary. Your original employer may increase the salary they can give you so you don't take a different offer.
Reader Tips from How to Negotiate a Higher Starting Salary
Ask the employer if they are "firm" on the number they're giving for a salary. They'll usually be honest if they can give you a higher pay.
Be sure to get the final salary offer in writing before you accept the position so details don't change.
Reader Tips from How to Negotiate
Try to be the first person to say a price during the negotiation so you control the starting number. It's easier to start with a higher number and negotiate down to the number you want than trying to work your way up.
Trying being silent during the negotiation to stand strong in your position. The other person may lower their price or give you what you originally asked.
