How to Answer 'What Are Your Salary Expectations?' in an Interview

Sooner or later, a recruiter or hiring manager will ask, “What are your salary expectations?” It usually comes up before anyone has made you an offer, sometimes in the very first call. That can feel like a trap: say too much and you might leave money on the table, say too little and you might look unprepared. You don’t have to box yourself in. Do your research before the call, pick one of three simple scripts, and give a range only if they press you for one. This guide covers what to say, and what not to say, before an offer exists.

Why the question comes up so early

Employers want to know early whether your expectations and their budget are anywhere near each other, so they don’t spend weeks interviewing someone they can’t afford. That is why many people first hear it as a salary expectations phone screen question, long before they meet the team.

You can see this in the hiring material employers use. Northwestern University Human Resources lists phone-screening questions for managers, and one of them is “What are your salary expectations for this role?”

So treat it as a normal part of the process, not a test you can fail. The practical takeaway is simple: prepare your answer before the first call, not after it. If you wait until the question comes, you will be making up a number on the spot.

Do your research before the call

A good answer starts with knowing roughly what the role pays. Augustana College’s salary research guide puts it plainly: “Research salary ranges and benefits for the specific organization.” Among the research resources it lists are the Occupational Outlook Handbook and My Next Move.

As you research, keep a few notes:

• The role, not just the title. The same title can mean different work at different employers, so compare roles with similar duties.

• Your location and level. Pay for the same job can vary a lot by city and by experience.

• The whole package. Benefits, schedule, remote options and time off all count, not just base pay.

• Your own floor. Decide privately what number you would genuinely accept before the call.

Write it all down in one place, so you are not searching for it mid-conversation.

What are your salary expectations? Three ways to answer

If you’re unsure how to answer salary expectations, Augustana’s guide offers three scripts. Pick the one that fits where you are in the process.

1. Defer

Augustana’s script: “I'd prefer to learn more about the position before discussing salary.”

This works well early, especially in a first call, when you don’t yet know the full scope of the job. It is polite and keeps the door open.

2. Redirect with your research

Augustana’s script: “Based on my research, I understand the range is between $X and $Y. Is that accurate?”

Replace $X and $Y with the range from your own research. This shows you have prepared, and it invites them to confirm or correct you.

3. Toss it back

Augustana’s script: “Can you share the salary range budgeted for this role?”

This is a fair question when you have no clear read on the role. Some interviewers will tell you, and then you can say whether it works for you.

If they press for a number

Sometimes the salary expectations interview question comes back after you defer or redirect, and the interviewer wants a number. At that point, give one, calmly. Two rules help:

• Give a researched range whose low end you would genuinely accept. If you would be unhappy at the bottom of your own range, raise it before you say it.

• Say what the number covers. Make clear whether you mean base pay or total compensation, so no one is comparing different things.

A pressed-for-a-number reply (illustrative). Priya, an invented candidate, has researched the role. When the recruiter asks a second time, she says: “Based on my research for this kind of role in this area, I’m looking for something in the range of $X to $Y in base pay. I’m also interested in hearing about the full benefits package.” She means it, she has a reason for it, and she has said what it covers.

What not to do

A few common answers make things harder for you:

• Naming a number with no research. If you guess, you might guess low and stay there.

• Giving a range whose bottom you would resent. If they come back with the bottom of your range, you have already said yes to it.

• Saying “whatever you think is fair.” It sounds agreeable, but it hands the whole decision to the other side.

• Arguing about the question. Refusing to engage at all can come across as difficult. Defer politely instead.

Once there's an offer, the conversation changes

Everything above is about answering before an offer exists. Once an employer makes you a real offer, you are no longer answering a screening question. You are deciding whether to accept, and possibly asking for more. When you get there, here is how to negotiate your first salary offer.

FAQ

What if an application form requires a number?

If the form allows it, enter a researched range rather than a single number. Use the same range you would say out loud, so your answers stay consistent.

Is it okay to say I’m flexible?

Yes, as long as you say it alongside a range or a redirect. “I’m flexible” on its own isn’t an answer, and it isn’t a substitute for doing your research.

Conclusion: Research, script, then range

Do your research before the call, use one of the three scripts, and give a researched range only if they press. That keeps you prepared and honest without boxing yourself in before an offer exists.