How to Answer “What Are Your Salary Expectations?”

“What are your salary expectations?” is one of the most strategically loaded questions in any interview. On its surface, it seems like a reasonable practical question. Underneath, it is an early attempt to anchor the negotiation before you have an offer, before you know the company's budget, and before you have all the information you need to price yourself correctly.

If you name a number too low, you may get exactly what you asked for — which means leaving money on the table that the company was fully prepared to pay. If you name a number too high, you risk being filtered out before the company has had a chance to fully understand your value. The question is designed to put you in a difficult position, and most candidates respond by either undercutting themselves or guessing blindly.

There is a better approach: deflect strategically, if possible, and name a researched range if pressed.

In early-stage conversations — a recruiter screen, a first-round interview — there is often room to redirect the question without answering it directly. A credible redirect sounds like: “I am open to discussing compensation once I have a better understanding of the full scope of the role and the total package. Can you share the range budgeted for this position?”

This response is honest, professional, and puts the information asymmetry question back on the company. Many recruiters will share the range when asked directly. Many states and countries now require employers to provide salary ranges in job postings or upon request, so asking is increasingly normalized. If they share the range, you now have the information you needed to respond meaningfully.

Not every deflection will work. Some recruiters will push back and insist on a number before proceeding. Some applications have required salary fields that cannot be left blank. In those cases, you need a real answer — which requires research.

Research your market rate before any interview where this question might come up. Use Levels.fyi for tech roles, Glassdoor and LinkedIn Salary for broader data, and industry-specific salary surveys for specialized fields. Look at total compensation, not just base salary, and make sure you are looking at data for your specific location and seniority level.

When you name a range, set it so your acceptable minimum is at the bottom and something you would genuinely be happy with is at the top. Do not set a range where the bottom is below what you would actually accept — companies anchor to the low end of your range, not the high end.

“Based on my research and my experience level, I am targeting something in the range of $X to $Y in base salary, though I am certainly open to looking at total compensation holistically.” This is specific enough to be credible, anchored by research rather than wishful thinking, and leaves room for the broader compensation conversation.

Whatever number you share at the expectations stage, it does not lock you in. It opens a conversation. When the actual offer arrives, you have the right to negotiate regardless of what you said earlier — especially if you have learned more about the role, the responsibilities, or the team during the interview process that changes your assessment of the value you would be bringing.

The goal of the early salary conversation is simply to establish that you are in the same general ballpark as the company, and to do so without committing to a specific number before you have the leverage that comes with a real offer. Once a company decides they want you enough to make an offer, your negotiating position is significantly stronger than it was at the screening stage.

Do not be afraid of the question. Most candidates treat it as an ambush and respond defensively. A prepared candidate who has researched their market rate, can respond with a confident range and a brief explanation of how they arrived at it, and can redirect gracefully when there is room to, is someone who looks like they understand their own worth — which is exactly the impression you want to make.