What Are Your Salary Expectations? How to Answer Without Leaving Money on the Table

By Arneeb Mahbub · Updated October 25, 2026

It usually happens on the first call.

The recruiter is friendly, the conversation is going well, and then they ask: "So, what are your salary expectations?"

And your brain freezes. Say too high and you're worried you'll scare them off. Say too low and you might lose thousands of dollars a year, for years.

If that question makes you nervous, you're not alone. It's one of the most important answers in the whole interview process, and almost nobody practices it. Let's fix that. I'll walk you through what to say, word for word, at every stage.

Why they ask "What are your salary expectations?"

It's not a trick. Usually the recruiter is checking two things:

1. Can they afford you? They have a budget for the role and don't want to waste anyone's time.
2. Do you know your worth? People who give a thoughtful, researched answer come across as more senior and more confident.

Here's the part that matters for you. Whatever number you say first tends to become the anchor for everything after it. If you say $80K, it's very hard to end up at $100K later, even if they had $100K budgeted.

That's why this answer deserves real prep.

Step 1: Do your research before the call

You can't give a confident answer if you don't know the market. Spend 20 minutes on this before your interview.

• Check job postings. A lot of postings now include a pay range, and in a growing number of places it's required. Look at five to ten similar roles in your city.
• Look at salary data. Sites like Indeed, Glassdoor, Levels.fyi (for tech), and LinkedIn salary insights give you a ballpark for the title and location.
• Ask people. A former coworker or a friend in the industry can tell you more in five minutes than an hour of searching.
• Think about the whole package. Base salary, bonus, equity, remote days, PTO, and benefits all count.

At the end, write down three numbers: your walk away number, your target, and your stretch.

Step 2: Try to let them go first

The best first move is a polite redirect. You're not dodging. You're gathering information.

"I'd love to learn more about the role and the team before I put a number on it. Do you have a budgeted range for this position?"

A lot of recruiters will just tell you. If their range is higher than you expected, great. You just saved yourself from lowballing.

Step 3: If they push, give a smart range

If they say "I'd really like to hear your number first," don't keep dodging. Give a range, and build it like this:

• Put your target near the bottom of the range. If you want $100K, say "$100K to $115K." Now your target is the floor, not the ceiling.
• Keep it tight. About 10 to 20 percent wide. "$60K to $150K" sounds like you haven't done your homework.
• Mention the full package. It leaves you room to negotiate later.

"Based on my research for similar roles in this area and my experience, I'm looking in the range of $100,000 to $115,000, depending on the full package."

That's it. Calm, clear, and backed by research. No apology.

This is what I mean by leaving yourself wiggle room. The number you say first is the most expensive sentence in your job search, so say it on purpose.

Word for word scripts for every situation

On a recruiter screen

"I'm flexible and more focused on finding the right fit. Can you share the range you have budgeted? I'm happy to tell you if we're aligned."

Most recruiter screens happen by phone. Here are my phone interview tips to get through that first call.

When they insist on a number

"Based on what I've seen for similar roles, I'm targeting $X to $Y in base salary, depending on bonus and benefits."

When their range is lower than you hoped

"Thanks for sharing that. Based on my experience with [specific skill or result], I was expecting closer to $X. Is there flexibility in the range, or in other parts of the package?"

When you're switching careers

"I'm being thoughtful about this because it's a career change. Based on my research for this role and the transferable experience I bring, I'm looking at $X to $Y."

When they ask what you make now

"I'd rather focus on what this role is worth. For this position, I'm targeting $X to $Y."

In many US states and cities, employers aren't allowed to ask about your salary history at all. Either way, you're never required to anchor yourself to your old pay.

What to put on an application form

Online forms are trickier because you can't redirect.

• If the field is optional, leave it blank.
• If it's required and allows text, write "Negotiable" or your researched range.
• If it requires a single number, use the midpoint of your range, not your walk away number.

Mistakes that cost people money

• Saying a number before you've done any research.
• Giving your lowest acceptable number because you're scared of losing the job.
• Using a huge range that makes it easy for them to pick the bottom.
• Apologizing. "Sorry, I know that's a lot, but..." weakens a perfectly reasonable ask.
• Forgetting the package. Sometimes base salary is fixed, but bonus, equity, or remote days aren't.

This is just the first round of the negotiation

Your answer here sets the stage, but the real negotiation happens when the offer arrives. One of my clients negotiated a $20K signing bonus and two remote days a week at the offer stage. That only works if you didn't box yourself in on the first call.

When you get to that point, use my scripts for how to negotiate salary. If you're interviewing for a bigger role, these six figure job interview questions show how the bar changes as the pay goes up. And if the money question comes up right after "why are you leaving," here's how to answer why are you leaving your current job without leading with salary.

Want the full playbook?

I built a whole bootcamp around getting paid what you're worth. Make More Money is 8 videos on salary and negotiation. It's part of the Interview Titan bundle, along with bootcamps on getting more interviews and crushing the interview itself.

Your salary expectations answer takes about 15 seconds to say. It can change your income for years.

Practice it out loud tonight. If your interview is coming up fast, here's my plan for when you have an interview tomorrow.