Answer “What are your salary expectations?” with a researched range whose lowest number is one you would be glad to accept, and add that the full package matters. Early in the process, it is reasonable to ask for the employer’s budgeted range before you give yours. On an application form, write “negotiable” if the field takes text, and enter a figure from your research if it only takes numbers.
Key takeaways
- Do the research before you apply, so you already have three numbers: a minimum, a target and an opening ask.
- In a first conversation, ask what the role is budgeted to pay. Many job postings now have to include a range.
- When you give a range, start it at your target, not at your minimum. The employer will hear the bottom number.
- Say “base salary” so both sides are talking about the same thing, and say the rest of the package matters.
- You do not have to volunteer your current pay. In some states, employers are not allowed to ask.
01
Why do employers ask about salary expectations?
Mostly to find out early whether you fit the budget. A recruiter does not want to take you through four interviews and then discover the two of you are far apart.
The question also sets a reference point. Harvard’s Program on Negotiation describes the first number put on the table as an anchor that shapes the discussion that follows. That is why the timing and size of your answer matter. Your aim is to stay in the process without tying yourself to a number you chose before you understood the job.
02
What should you prepare before anyone asks?
Three numbers, from research and not from what you earn now:
- Minimum. The base salary below which you would turn the job down. You keep this to yourself.
- Target. What the market pays for this role, at your level, in this location.
- Opening ask. A figure above your target that you can still justify.
How to research salary shows where the figures come from. Check the posting first. If it lists a pay range, that range is your starting point. In some states you can also ask for it. In California, for example, an employer must give an applicant the pay scale for the position on reasonable request.
03
How do you answer on an application form?
The U.S. Department of Labor’s salary negotiation guide says it is fine to write “open” or “negotiable” when an application asks for salary requirements, and to give a range based on your research when those are not options.
| What the form allows | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Optional field | Leave it blank |
| Required text field | “Negotiable, depending on the full compensation package” |
| Required field, numbers only | A single figure from your research, at or a little above your target |
| Minimum and maximum fields | Your target as the minimum and your opening ask as the maximum |
| Current or previous salary | Skip it if it is optional. If it is required, enter your base pay accurately |
Do not type 0, 1 or a string of nines to get past a required field. It reads as careless, and if the employer filters on that field you may be screened out. Never inflate what you earn now either. Employers can sometimes verify past pay, and the Department of Labor’s guide lists inflating current earnings among the things not to do.
Write down what you entered for each employer. You will want the same number in front of you when the recruiter calls.
04
How do you answer in a recruiter screen or an interview?
In an early call, try once to get the employer’s range first. The same Department of Labor guide advises letting the employer make the first move, because knowing the range tells you the limits you are working within.
"I'd like to learn a bit more about the role before I name a number. Can you share the range you've budgeted for this position?"
If the recruiter needs a figure from you to move forward, give one. Refusing twice makes you look difficult, and a researched range costs you little.
"Based on what I know about the role so far and my research on similar positions in [city or market], I'm looking for a base salary of $[target] to $[opening ask]. I'm flexible depending on the full package, including bonus and benefits."
"I saw the posted range of $[low] to $[high]. With my [number] years of [relevant experience] and [specific strength], I'd expect to be in the upper part of that range. Is that how you see the role?"
"I'd rather focus on this role than on my current pay, since the two jobs are different. For this position I'm looking for $[target] to $[opening ask] in base salary. Does that fit your range?"
"Now that I understand the scope, I'm looking for a base salary of $[opening ask]. I'm very interested in the role and I'd like to find a number that works for both of us."
"When we first spoke I mentioned $[earlier figure]. Since then I've learned the role includes [added scope, such as managing a team or on-call work]. With that in mind, I'm now looking at $[new range]."
Salary often comes up in the first screen, so have your numbers ready before any call. Phone interview tips covers the rest of that conversation.
05
How do you choose the range you say out loud?
- Start at your target. If you would be disappointed with the bottom of your range, the range is wrong.
- Keep it narrow. A very wide range tells the employer only the low number.
- Name what it covers. Say “base salary.” If bonus or equity is a large part of pay in your field, say whether your figure includes it.
- Match the unit. Use an hourly rate for hourly jobs and an annual figure for salaried ones.
- Stay consistent. Give the same range on the form, to the recruiter and to the hiring manager unless the job itself changes.
- Give market reasons, not personal ones. Rent, loans and what you earn now are not arguments. The Department of Labor’s guide says not to offer your current pay or your financial obligations as a reason the employer should pay more.
Once there is an offer, the conversation changes from expectations to negotiation. That stage has its own guide, salary negotiation, and how to evaluate a job offer covers what to weigh besides base pay.
06
What do pay transparency and salary history laws change?
Two kinds of state law affect this question. Pay transparency laws make employers publish a range. Salary history laws stop employers from asking what you earned before. Three examples:
- California. An employer with 15 or more employees must include the pay scale in any job posting. The state defines pay scale as a good-faith estimate of the salary or hourly wage range the employer reasonably expects to pay on hire. Employers generally cannot ask for an applicant’s salary history, although you may volunteer it. They may still ask about your salary expectations.
- New York. Under Labor Law Section 194-b, businesses with four or more employees must list compensation ranges for advertised jobs, promotions and transfers.
- Washington. Employers with 15 or more employees must include a wage scale or salary range in job postings, with a general description of benefits and other compensation. Employers cannot seek an applicant’s wage or salary history.
In practice, a posted range gives you the employer’s first number before you have said anything. Use it. If the range is very wide, ask where in it the employer expects to hire: “What would put someone at the top of that range?”
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Should you give a single number or a range?
Give a range early and a single number late. A range keeps you flexible while you are still learning about the job, as long as its lowest figure is one you would accept. Once you understand the scope and an offer is close, one specific number is clearer and harder to shade downward.
Can you decline to answer the salary expectations question?
You can deflect once by asking for the employer’s range. If the recruiter still needs a figure, give your researched range. Refusing outright can stall or end the process.
What should you put for desired salary on a job application?
Write “negotiable” if the field accepts text. If it accepts only numbers, enter a figure from your research at or slightly above your target. If it asks for a minimum and a maximum, use your target and your opening ask. Keep a note of what you entered.
Is it legal for an employer to ask about your salary history?
It depends on the state. California and Washington, for example, generally bar employers from asking applicants for their pay history, while leaving you free to share it. Asking about your salary expectations is a different question, and California’s labor agency says employers may ask it.
What if your expectations are above the posted range?
Decide first whether the top of the range could work for you. If it could not, say so early and ask whether there is flexibility for a more senior level. If the answer is no, you have saved both sides the time.
Sources
- U.S. Department of Labor: Salary Negotiation Participant Guide: writing “open” or “negotiable” on applications, letting the employer name a range first, and what not to use as a reason for higher pay.
- Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School: Price Anchoring 101: how the first number in a negotiation acts as an anchor.
- California Department of Industrial Relations: California Equal Pay Act and Pay Transparency Law FAQ: pay scales in job postings and on request, the limits on salary history questions and the right to ask about expectations in California.
- New York State Department of Labor: Pay Transparency: the compensation range requirement for New York employers with four or more employees.
- Washington State Department of Labor & Industries: Equal Pay & Opportunities Act: job posting requirements and the ban on seeking wage or salary history in Washington.
Published by Jobbie and last updated on October 6, 2026. This guide is general information for job seekers, not legal, tax or financial advice. Spotted something wrong? Tell us.