The salary question
How to answer “What are your salary expectations?”
Every raise after this job starts from the pay you land here. Ask for their range first, name a researched range for this role, and keep your current pay to yourself.
Three moves
- 1
Ask for their range first
“Could you share the range budgeted for this role?” The recruiter knows the budget, and 13 states plus DC now require a range in the posting.
- 2
Give a researched range
“Based on [your source] for this role in [your city], I'm targeting [your range] base, depending on the full package.” Check BLS pay data for your area and five to ten similar postings.
- 3
Keep your current pay private
“I keep my current pay private, but for this role I'm targeting [your range].” In an experiment with hundreds of recruiters, the pay candidates disclosed moved the offers they got.
When they push
A good recruiter asks twice. Have the second answer ready.
-
“I understand, but what are you making now?”
Say“I'd rather we anchor on what this role pays. Is [your range] within your budget?”
-
“I just need something for the system.”
Say“Please put [your range]. That's my target for this role.”
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“Is it more or less than [a number]?”
Say“I'd rather not confirm it either way. Is [that number] inside the range for this role?”
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“What's the lowest you'd accept?”
Say“I'm targeting [your range], and I'm looking at the whole package.”
Don't go silent. Recruiters read a refusal with no number as a bad sign. Have a range ready, and never trade it for your current pay.
Can they even ask? In 18 states plus DC and Puerto Rico, the law limits private employers from asking about or using your pay history, and a dozen cities or counties add their own rules. Asking what you expect to earn is generally allowed. Laws vary and change; this is not legal advice.
Say it out loud before the call
An AI recruiter asks what you're targeting, what you make now, and the lowest you'd take. Your scorecard shows what it heard.
Practice the salary questions