What is your expected salary

What Are Your Salary Expectations? (Example Answers Included)

By Mike Simpson

What are your salary expectations? It’s one of the most challenging interview questions to answer. Not only does it put you on the spot, but it also serves as a starting point for salary negotiations. If you don’t get this one just right, you might end up making less than you could have or even take yourself out of contention for a job. Crazy, right?

That’s why it’s so important to figure out how to answer salary expectations questions. The right approach means you can get the salary you deserve without risking the job offer.

So, how do you tackle salary expectations questions? We’ll show you.

What Is Salary as It Pertains to a Job Interview?

Alright, before we get into the nitty-gritty of how to answer “What are your salary expectations?” let’s take a step back and look at another couple of important questions.

Why do salary expectations questions even matter? Does your answer really impact whether you’ll land a job? Why is salary so important during a job interview?

Well, to answer the first two, yes and yes. These questions matter a ton, and how you answer them makes a huge difference in whether you’ll land a job. If you make the wrong move, the hiring manager might decide not to give you an offer simply because you didn’t get this question right.

Scary, huh? Even more so since there isn’t technically a “right” or “wrong” answer in the first place. So, knowing that, how could you possibly get it right?

Well, the third question we presented plays a role in that. Ultimately, your answer determines whether you and the hiring manager are on the same page when it comes to salary.

With salary expectations questions, you are asserting what you think you are worth. If you and the hiring manager aren’t seeing eye to eye on that, and the hiring manager believes you are so far apart that getting to that point isn’t possible, you’re out of contention.

But don’t panic. It’s possible to navigate this tricky money topic correctly. So, let’s keep digging.

Why Does the Hiring Manager Ask This Question?

Alright, as we mentioned above, the hiring manager asks salary expectations questions to determine what you’re looking for financially. It’s a way for them to gauge if you both agree about compensation, as well as whether the company could actually afford you at all.

However, it’s also a bit tricky on the hiring manager’s part. You see, the hiring manager is starting the salary conversation by passing the buck. They aren’t the one that has to put their cards on the table first. Instead, they try to put that burden on you. How dastardly!

Plus, the hiring manager is probably hoping – at least a little bit – that you’re going to offer up a number that’s lower than what they were willing to pay. It’s essentially a bargain shopping technique. If you undervalue your skillset, they’ll take advantage of that low number.

At times, the “What are your salary expectations” question also lets the hiring manager gauge your attitude. Are you giving a number with confidence, or are you hedging? Depending on how you respond, they’ll learn a lot about your mindset.

Common Mistakes When Answering This Question

As with many job interview questions, simple mistakes can really hurt your chances of landing the job and getting the pay rate you deserve. Luckily, by learning about them, you have a great chance of avoiding them.

First, aiming too low is always a bad idea. While giving a number below what you’d actually want (or feel is fair) may increase your odds of getting an offer, it means you’re earning less than you should. That can actually hurt your earning potential through the rest of your career. That’s why it’s a horrible move.

But aiming too high isn’t wise either. If you come in with a number that’s far above the going rate for the skills required in the role, the hiring manager isn’t going to counter; they’ll just move onto the next candidate.

A lack of confidence when answering also doesn’t work in your favor. Any uncertainty on your part may make the hiring manager question whether your position is reasonable and may lead them to wonder if you have doubts about your capabilities. That’s no good.

Ideally, you want to make sure your number is reasonable based on the role and your capabilities. Additionally, you need some confidence when you reply. That’s all important when dealing with salary expectations questions.

Remember, this is just one question the hiring manager could ask you in your interview! That’s why we created an amazing free cheat sheet that will give you word-for-word answers for some of the toughest interview questions you are going to face in your upcoming interview.

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Tips for Answering This Question

Do Your Research

If you only do one thing to get ready for the “What are your salary expectations?” question, do your research. Dig into the company’s compensation structure. Head to salary-tracking websites like Salary.com, Payscale, and Glassdoor to find out what the going rate for that job is in your area. Check out the Bureau of Labor Statistics for more helpful salary data.

You can also check competitor job listings for similar roles. If another company is hiring for the same type of position and includes a salary range in the post, that’s helpful information that you can use when discussing pay with the hiring manager.

Ideally, you don’t just want to give these resources a quick glance. Instead, learn the figures and make note of where you found the information. That way, if the hiring manager has doubts about what you share, you can back up your expectations with cold, hard facts.

Try to Delay

Generally, you don’t want to through out the first number. If you can, sidestep the question. Tell the hiring manager that you are more interested in the value of the total compensation package, not salary alone.

You can also state that you’d like to find out more about the role if you don’t think you have enough details to present a fair, accurate number. This approach can work if you haven’t had a chance to really discuss the ins and outs of the job.

Offer the Right Kind of Number

If you can’t avoid giving an answer, reflect on your research and aim at a number near the top of the averages. You’ll be leaving room for some negotiation that way.

If you aren’t comfortable with a single number, you can also present a range. However, if you go that route, you are injecting the lower number into the discussion along with a higher figure. Unless you are okay with potentially taking a salary near that lower end, you may not want to use this approach.

How to Answer the Interview Question “What Are Your Salary Expectations?”

When you answer any job interview question – including “What are your salary expectations? – you want to target your response to the position. How do you do that? By embracing the Tailoring Method, of course.

With the Tailoring Method, it’s all about crafting a compelling answer that’s relevant to the role you’re trying to land. By using that strategy, your responses have more weight, and that works in your favor.

Are you looking for some great example answers for salary expectations questions? We’ve got you. Here are three sample responses that you can use frameworks when you create your own.

1. The Sidestep

As we mentioned above, sometimes your best bet is to try and not give out a number first. Here’s an answer that may help you do just that:

EXAMPLE ANSWER:

“While salary is certainly a factor, I’m more concerned with finding a job that’s a great fit for my skills and preferences. Based on the job requirements, I feel that my past experience aligns with what you’re trying to find. However, I’d like to learn some additional details about the role, particularly the day-to-day duties and any major projects that are in the works. That way, when it comes time to discuss salary, we can work together to reach a fair, competitive figure.”

With this response, you’re creating an opportunity to learn more about the position while coming across as cooperative without underselling yourself. Its tone is confident but prevents you from having to give a hard number, and that can work to potentially delay the salary negotiation part of the equation.

2. Flipping the Script

If the hiring manager has already shared a lot of details about the role, so trying to sidestep it using the approach above won’t work, that doesn’t mean you have to give a straight answer. Instead, you can try to flip the script, increasing the odds that the first number entering the discussion comes from the hiring manager.

EXAMPLE ANSWER:

“That’s an excellent question. To help me provide a figure, could you share the salary range that your company usually offers with this position?”

With this, you’re passing the buck back to the hiring manager. In some cases, it’s enough to get a general figure or range out of them, giving you a baseline for further negotiations. That way, you’ll respond to their number as your starting point instead of handing the first one over yourself.

3. Research-Focused

If you can’t sidestep the salary expectations question or flip the script, a research-focused approach can be a great alternative. It lets the hiring manager know that your figure isn’t arbitrary. Instead, it’s based on facts and data.

EXAMPLE ANSWER:

This allows you to present a number confidently without being demanding. Additionally, it opens the door for additional discussion. You’re openly admitting that you’re basing the number on what you know about the job now and that there may be details they haven’t shared yet that could impact the figure.

Putting It All Together

Ultimately, answering “What are your salary expectations?” is always a bit of a tightrope walk. Luckily, you have all of the tips above. Use them to your advantage. That way, when it comes time to answer salary expectations questions, you have an approach that can leave you in the best position possible.

Good lucks as always!

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Co-Founder and CEO of TheInterviewGuys.com. Mike is a job interview and career expert and the head writer at TheInterviewGuys.com.

His advice and insights have been shared and featured by publications such as Forbes, Entrepreneur, CNBC and more as well as educational institutions such as the University of Michigan, Penn State, Northeastern and others.

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How to Answer, ‘What’s Your Expected Salary?’

The job interview is going as you’d hoped. You meet the required qualifications, you have a rapport with the interviewers, and those practice sessions you and a friend ran through helped you present smoothly and confidently. You have a real shot at landing this job.

Then you hear that awkward question: “What’s your expected salary?”

Many job candidates dread this question about salary requirements. There’s the worry that, if you lowball a figure, you’re leaving money on the table. But if you give a number that’s too high, you might price yourself out of consideration for the role. No matter where you are in your career, that’s a tough calculation.

The good news is that when you are discussing compensation expectations during the hiring process, there are strategies for giving figures that will be fair to you and within the employer’s budget, too. Timing, tact and research are all key to your success when discussing money with a potential employer.

Here’s what to do:

1. Research the market and salary trends

No matter what type of position you are seeking, or at what level, the job interview is your opportunity to convince the hiring manager that you deserve top dollar. At the close of the interview, you want the prospective employer to be thinking, “That’s who I want to hire. Now, how can I get them to join our team?”

Compensation expectations might well come up during the first formal interview — or even during the initial phone vetting. That’s why you should start preparing your “expected salary” answer the moment you apply for the job. And that means you need to do your homework.

Check out reputable sources such as the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for federal data on wages in your industry. Also, review the 2022 Salary Guide From Robert Half to get the average national salary for the position you’re seeking. You can use our Salary Calculator featured in the guide to customize the figure for your market.

2. Consider giving a salary range, not a number

Job seekers should avoid asking about salary when submitting their application materials or even during an initial phone vetting. Raising the topic of money too early sends the message that you’re more interested in the paycheck than the position.

But that doesn’t mean the employer won’t ask about salary requirements during the initial contact.

If a job post asks applicants to state their expected salary when applying for the position, then give a range — not a specific figure — you’re comfortable with. Answers like “Negotiable” might work, but they can also make you look evasive. If you’ve done your homework, you’ll know what a fair salary range will look like.

Should the question of compensation come up during you first interaction with a hiring manager, you can still give a range — and hedge it even a bit more:

That kind of phrasing shows flexibility, which employers appreciate. It also leaves room to adjust the figures, if you think it’s necessary, once you’ve learned more about the job and the employer’s expectations for the new hire.

3. Diplomatically turn the question around

When it’s still early in the hiring process, there’s nothing coy about hedging with a salary range, as discussed above. An employer who asks about an expected salary before discussing the job in detail can’t demand a more definite answer.

But at this early stage, you also have an opportunity to turn the question around. Whether salary requirements come up during a phone vetting or at the start of your first video interview with the employer, you can smile and say:

“I’d like to learn more about the position and the duties, and what the team’s like, before discussing money. But may I ask what salary range you’re considering for this position?”

Delivered politely, you’ll demonstrate that your priority is learning whether the role is really what you’re looking for — which every employer will respect. And your deft invitation to share the budgeted salary range will be difficult to resist.

If the employer’s salary range is in the area you were considering, or even higher, thank them for sharing the information and confirm that the figure’s in your ballpark. If it’s a little less, say it’s at the lower end of what you were hoping for, but you’d still like to talk about the job.

Why do that? Even in a challenging job market, you’ll find some companies are prepared to offer better pay to hire top talent.

Demonstrate you have just what the employer is looking for, and you’ll likely be able to negotiate a salary figure to your liking as you hammer out the details of the job offer.

If the employer is starting at a much lower range than your desired compensation, then say so and ask whether the figures would be adjusted for the right hire. Don’t waste your time or the employer’s if it’s clear from the start that you won’t reach an agreement on salary.

4. Now it’s time to give a number, not a range

At some point, you have to commit. By the second interview (or certainly the third, if the process lasts that long), you’ve likely learned what you need to know about the job and how success will be measured, you’ve met team members, and you’ve shared the salary range you were considering — or the employer has shared the figure they’ve budgeted for the position. The candidate’s compensation expectations, and whether the employer can meet them, remain the only major unsettled questions. So, when an employer now asks you to give your expected salary, you have to be ready to give a number, not a range.

Factor in all you’ve learned during your research and the interview process. Are the responsibilities and the stress level about what you expected when you applied for the position? Will you manage people or processes the original job posting didn’t mention? Perhaps most importantly, what employee benefits, perks and bonus opportunities will be included in the compensation package?

Any and all of that information should help you arrive at a salary figure that you think is fair and will be acceptable to the employer. You may have had to tip your hand when salary requirements first came up, but that doesn’t mean you’re committed to the range you originally gave. Phrase your answer by citing, briefly, the points you think are salient to compensation expectations. Even better if you can frame it in a positive manner. For example:

Keep it positive and friendly. Be confident and polite. And above all …

5. Always be truthful

Never misrepresent your experience, your training or the impact you’ve had at your current or previous job. Don’t do it on your resume or in your cover letter, during interviews, or when discussing salary requirements. The truth is bound to come out — maybe during your reference checks, maybe during a skills test, or maybe once the employer sees how you perform at the new job. At some point, it will come out.

The same is true about your current or past salary. It’s best to always direct the conversation to your skills and the value you’d bring to the role, not what you’ve been paid at other jobs. However, if you are asked about your current salary, be honest. Discovery that you inflated the numbers might lead to the loss of the job offer.

What to do after you’ve settled on salary

The employer made the offer, and the salary meets or comes close to your compensation expectations. What now? Thank the hiring manager and ask for a day or two to mull things over, if you feel you need the time.

If you decide to take the job, express your enthusiasm and talk about the start date. Then ask for a formal, written offer so you can make sure everything that you’ve discussed, from job description and pay to perks and benefits, is correct. Don’t risk any misunderstandings about your agreement. And don’t give notice at your current job until you’ve signed and returned that written offer.

How to Answer ‘What Are Your Salary Expectations?’

Content Manager and Career Expert

Your interview couldn’t be going any better. You’ve successfully got through all the tricky questions, bridged your employment gaps and left a great first impression on the hiring manager. You’re about to say your ‘goodbyes’ and ‘thank yous’ and head out the door when they suddenly ask you: ‘what are your salary expectations?’.

Your heart starts pounding, your mouth suddenly falls into your lap, and you’re left with no idea how to answer. If you aim too high, you might miss your chance of securing the job. If you aim too low, on the other hand, you’ll only undervalue your skills and experience, which does no one any favours.

So, what do you do?

That’s where we come in.

We’ve put together a little guide for you that aims to equip you with the knowledge on how to answer this tough question confidently and fairly and help you bag the job of your dreams.

The Purpose

Hiring managers often pose this question to candidates for two main reasons.

The first is to determine if they can really afford to hire you. If you’re not willing to negotiate a salary that’s more in line with their budget, then they’ll most likely not consider you for the role.

The second is to see whether you’re overqualified for the position or if you value your self-worth and are confident enough to ask for what you want. If your salary expectations are well outside their price range, then they’ll most likely find someone with less experience to fill the position.

How to Answer the Question

Although there’s no one correct way to answer this question, there are certain tactics that you can follow to deliver the appropriate information about your skills and reasoning for your expected salary.

Below are some useful tips to help you get started – but be sure to always practise your answer beforehand so that it sounds as natural as possible.

1. Defer from the Question

If you’re not comfortable discussing figures yet, you can deter from the question and get back to it later in your interview. You could say that you’re more interested in securing a suitable role that ties in with your interests and skills, and that you’re sure that the salary will reflect your worth.

2. Stick to a Salary Range

If the hiring manager pushes for an exact figure, then you should stick to a salary range. When offering a range, bear in mind that employers will tend to go with the lower end of your preference; so, only give a number that you would be willing to take.

3. Offer Options for Negotiation

If you’re willing to negotiate, you can say something along the lines of: ‘If this is the right position for me, I’m sure we can come to an agreement’. This will show that you’re flexible and can be just what it takes to make sure you stay in the running for the position.

4. Do Your Research

Many jobseekers make the mistake of not researching their worth, based on their years of experience and qualifications. Never skip this step, as doing so will only do you more harm than good. When you do your research, you’ll ensure that you receive a fair and competitive offer – and when you don’t, you’ll likely find yourself looking for a job again in a year’s time!

5. Look at the Bigger Picture

When receiving an offer for a new job, you should look beyond the salary and into the overall package. You may be offered additional bonuses, healthcare benefits, discount cards, gym memberships, a company phone or a company car. These could make up for an otherwise low salary, and they can even help you save money elsewhere (for example, if you’re paying out of your own pocket, gym membership in the UK could cost you £240 a year).

6. Be Honest

Above all, it’s important to be honest about your salary expectations. Think about the best and worst-case scenarios and decide that you’d be happy with before you enter those interview doors. You can also specify whether any additional incentives or bonuses will sway your decision on accepting an offer with a lower salary.

Sample Answers

These sample answers can be adapted depending on your own specific situation and should only be used as a guide when formulating an answer.

Mistakes to Avoid

1. Discussing Your Current Salary

Occasionally, hiring managers will ask what your current salary is to determine what to offer you. They may even match your current salary, as they might think it’s something you might accept. If you’re asked about your current salary, be honest about it but be sure to specify that you’re looking for an advancement when moving companies.

2. Refusing to Answer the Question

Refusing to answer the question can kill any chance you had at securing the job. For one, it shows that you have something to hide or that you’re difficult to work with and, two, it doesn’t leave room for further discussions regarding your salary.

3. Appearing Uncertain

Being asked about your salary expectations in an interview can catch you off guard, and this can be a sticky situation to find yourself in. Even if you haven’t thought about an exact amount you want, don’t spend too much time showing uncertainty. Instead, throw the question back at the interviewer and ask them what the going rate for the salary is or what they are willing to offer for the successful candidate.

Don’t live to regret your answer to the all-important salary question. Use the tips above to prepare yourself for the somewhat awkward discussion it entails and to secure the salary you deserve.

Have you ever been asked to give your salary expectations in an interview before? How did you answer the question? Let us know in the comments section down below.

HOW TO ANSWER: “What Are Your Salary Expectations?”

Answering “what are your salary expectations?” the wrong way can cost you a job offer. It can also put you in an untenable situation by forcing you to consider a job at a less-than-desirable salary. After all, in some circumstances, the only thing worse than failing to get a job offer after an interview is failing to get an offer that’s sufficient to support you and/or your family.

If you’re curious, here’s some bonus advice from former FBI hostage negotiator Chris Voss about handling salary expectations questions:

“What Are Your Salary Expectations?”

Why it’s Important… and Tricky

You may be wondering what the big deal about the money question is; yet it’s one question that often stumps job candidates. Not only that, but it can change the climate of an interview from red hot to ice cold as a result of a few digits of difference in thinking.

Why do companies ask job candidates the salary question? Ultimately, company leaders and HR professionals want to know if they can afford you before they invest time and resources courting you to come to work for them.

Some employers are bargain hunting. Despite a general market value for certain positions, some companies place a bigger premium on certain positions than other companies. This means that the salary they expect to pay for a certain position may be lower or higher than the going rate.

Another possible reason is that they’re trying to see how you value your work. Are you confident enough to ask for what you deserve or will you meekly accept whatever they offer?

When/how “what are your salary expectations?” is asked

Usually, “the salary question” contains one or both of the following:

Each of these comes with different challenges. The question(s) can come up early on as part of the screening process or can pop up later after you’ve answered a few of the behavioral, skill, or background questions.

In some respects, it’s a good thing when the salary expectations topic comes into the interview conversation. It indicates that there is some interest in having you come to work for the company.

The other side of the coin, though, is that when you’re not prepared, it’s easy to make a misstep on this question that could prove costly.

Common Problems When Answering

“What Are Your Salary Expectations?”

It seems like an innocent enough question. It makes sense that potential employers would want to know a ballpark figure for your expectations, right?

Not so fast. Be aware that candidly stating your salary expectations too early in the interview process can lead to problems.

Furthermore, do you really want a company that makes you feel as though they’re only after the cheapest possible deal? Or do you want to work for a company that’s after the most qualified candidate for the job?

How to Research

Salary Expectation Questions

Before you consider answering the question, it’s important to know the going rate for jobs in your field and in your job market (location). These can be found at websites like:

Do some research on these sites to understand the market salary range for the position, size of the company you’re interviewing with, location, and your experience level. You will probably find some conflicting information and wide ranges in some places, but at least you’ll get a general sense if you look at a few sources.

Your goal is to arrive at a reasonable salary range that seems fair based on market value and your current or most recent salary. This way, if pressed, you can name a number that’s based on real data and position it as the market range and not just what you want.

You will also want to think a bit about best-case scenarios (what salary offer would make you say yes on the spot?) and worst-case scenarios (what salary offer would you walk away from?).

Tactics to Delay Answering

“What Are Your Salary Expectations?”

Experts recommend to put off answering the salary question as long as possible. Here are a few suggestions to strategically delay answering “what are your salary expectations?” with a specific number.

When asked: “What are your salary expectations for the job?”

This is a great opportunity to sell yourself while putting the pressure on the organization to make a fair offer by saying something along the lines of:

You’re letting them know that you’re confident of your abilities and respect yourself too much to sell yourself short.

At the same time, you’re giving them an opportunity to earn your respect by making a fair offer. By doing this, you’re tactfully letting them know you’re not desperate and expect to be compensated appropriately for your time and talent.

By playing hardball on the salary issue and not giving in and answering right away, you’re also letting the hiring company know that they’re getting a savvy and tough negotiator if they hire you. This may be the perfect incentive for a better salary offer.

Naturally, some interviewers will press further for a specific number. At this point, you can say something like:

This frames the number as “here’s my understanding of what’s competitive” as opposed to “here’s what I want.”

If you’ve done your research (see above), you’ll be able to quote a reasonable range and then they can respond.

When asked: “What are you making now?”

For the most part, interviewers ask this question believing that offering a salary 10 to 15 percent higher than your current salary will be sufficient to lure you away from your current position.

There are a number of reasons why this question may not be so straightforward for many candidates. Most typically, many candidates are either underpaid or overpaid in their current roles. They fear an overly high or low number could lead to an unattractive offer or knock them out of contention. Others may be making a career change or moving from commission-based to salary work or otherwise in a situation in which the comparison isn’t valid.

If you’re making “too much,” the interviewer may feel they can’t afford you or you are overqualified. This can be a problem if you are okay with taking a lower salary — perhaps because you know you are/were overpaid, you are making a career change, or you are prioritizing work-life-balance or other aspects of the job.

It’s far more common for someone to be underpaid and worried about the perception that there’s something “wrong” with them for that reason.

If you’re not making the market rate, or close to it, potential employers may begin scratching their heads and asking why. The problem is that many people choose jobs with lower salaries for reasons that have nothing to do with work ethic or job performance including the following:

You don’t want to let the decision to work for a less than stellar salary in the past derail your opportunity for a competitive salary in the future.

In any of these cases, deflection on this particular question can be your best bet. Eventually, you will have to address the question. However, you will be in a much better position if you can deflect until they already love you and you have more leverage to negotiate.

When pressed to give your current salary when you know it would sabotage your chances, consider the following tactic to delay the question a little longer, if not put it off altogether:

If you feel you must reveal your lower salary earlier than you would like, don’t forget to mention the contributing factors too. Employers will understand that a job in Iowa paid less than a job in New York City, for example.

Learn the Art of Salary Negotiation

Our complete training system for job interviews gives you video lessons, sample answers, and interactive tools to help you with salary negotiation.
Get What You’re Worth

4 Tips on Negotiating the Salary You’re Worth

Congratulations, we want to hire you! Great news until you see the low-ball offer.

But remember that the offer is simply that. An offer. A starting point. Sometimes, it’s even a test.

The way you respond to the offer can change everything.

Some people even negotiate for gym memberships. Only you can determine your priorities. If you’re reasonable with your requests, don’t be afraid to open up the discussion.

The bottom line: You don’t have to live in fear of interview questions about money or even a salary offer that’s on the low side of what you want or need. Following these tips will help you navigate the tricky waters of salary negotiations while keeping your head above water.

How to Answer: What Are Your Salary Expectations?

Discussing salary can be uncomfortable. Here’s how you can navigate the “What are your salary expectations?” question during interviews, and how to prepare.

Susan P. Joyce, publisher of Job-Hunt.org since 1998, has been observing the online job search world and teaching online job search skills since 1995.

Answering the interview question “What are your salary expectations?” is usually the most complex “dance” in the whole interviewing process. It can also be the most dangerous. The best strategy is to do your research in advance, know the minimum you can accept (your “walk away” number when the job is no longer worth it for you), and have your answers ready.

Why do employers ask what your salary expectations are?

This question may also be stated as “What are your salary requirements?” or “What do you expect to be paid?” There are a few different reasons why companies ask about salary expectations. First, they want to make sure that your expectations are within a range they can actually meet. If you give them a single, immovable number or a range in a bracket that they know they can’t agree to, they’ll be able to release you from the interview process, saving both parties wasted time and energy.

Another reason recruiters and hiring managers might ask this question is to identify whether you’re the type of candidate who does their research and can share specifically the value that they would bring to the role.

The way you answer this question can also signal to the hiring manager whether you are overqualified or underqualified for the position. Salaries tend to align with years of experience, so it can help them gauge whether you’re in their target experience range.

Here are four ways to answer and prepare for the salary expectations question.

Deflect the question

Rather than answering the question directly, you could respond with:

I would prefer to know more about the job and your expectations of the employee first to give you a realistic number.

If you go with this approach, be prepared in case the interviewer presses you for an answer about your compensation expectations.

Provide a salary range

Offer a salary range plus some options for negotiation

To give yourself more room for negotiation, add some options which would be beneficial to you:

With this answer, you are offering a specific salary range, but also indicating some flexibility based on the benefits provided. Include options that are important to you and will, effectively, be an increase in your pay by reducing some of your out-of-pocket expenses or giving your salary a boost.

Ask the interviewer about their budget for the role

If you don’t feel comfortable with the three options above or want to try to get some more context on the position of the company, try turning the tables and asking them the question. The truth is, every company has a certain budget in mind when hiring for a new position. The budget range varies depending on the size, success, and values of the company.

Politely asking about the budget range the business has set for the role in question can help you better understand the situation, make last-minute adjustments to how you want to answer the salary expectations question, and signal to the hiring manager that you’re a strong interviewer.

Research to prepare for the salary expectations question

Guessing at the salary range is very dangerous! If you guess too high, you could disqualify yourself from consideration. If you guess to low, you are setting yourself up for a long period of being underpaid.

Research the salaries paid for the job you are seeking so you have a starting point for this discussion and be prepared to negotiate your salary if needed. It’s a good idea to research the national average salary for your role, the state and city averages, and then the range within that particular company. Unfortunately, fewer than 15% of job postings contain a salary ranges, currently. Fortunately, today, several websites offer salary information.

Two other valuable sources that are not mentioned often include Indeed’s salary estimates and RobertHalf.com’s salary guide for job postings.

Start with Indeed to get an idea of what the jobs you want are paid. If the employer doesn’t provide the salary data, Indeed estimates the salary by comparing the posted job with other similar jobs. Bonus: you may even find the real – or estimated — salary range for the employer and job you are interviewing for.

RobertHalf.com provides very complete information in their salary guides based on the RobertHalf job openings. Scroll down past the registration form to the Salary Calculator and complete the form to see the salary estimate.

How do you answer salary expectations at the entry-level?

Just because you’re a fresh graduate or applying for your first job ever, doesn’t mean that you should walk in to an interview willing to accept any salary offered to you. Many businesses, unfortunately, expect this type of behavior, which can often result in them feeling validated in underpaying entry-level workers across the company. Be sure to follow the steps above to do your research on the salary standards in your industry.

It’s also important to consider your financial needs. If you haven’t yet, figure out your monthly expenses and the income you would need to make to live comfortably so you walk into your interview prepared.

How to answer salary expectations in an email?

In some scenarios, you might be asked to share your salary expectations in an online application or via email. There are several ways to navigate this scenario based on your comfort level.

If an online application includes a question about salary expectations, you can choose to include one of the answers that you would use in an interview. Or, you can make a note sharing that you prefer to have salary discussions verbally or in person, once you’re able to understand the nature of the role.

The same philosophy applies to a request via email. If you don’t feel comfortable having your answer in writing before learning more about the job, feel free to mention this to your contact.

What does the interviewer want to hear?

Whether you’re still trying to land the interview or want to review your top talking points before the big meeting, run a skills analysis with Jobscan. Paste your resume and the job description below to see a breakdown of the top skills a hiring manager asked for in the job description.