What to Say When a Recruiter Asks for Your Salary Expectations

Why This Question Makes Candidates Freeze — and Why It Does Not Have To

A mid-level software engineer once accepted a role for £62,000 after answering the salary question with the first number that came to mind in a phone screen. Three months into the job, a colleague mentioned their starting salary was £74,000 — for the same role, same level, same company. The difference was not experience. It was that one of them had prepared for the question and one had not.

The salary expectations question feels high-stakes because it is. Answer too low and you leave money on the table permanently — base salary compounds into every future raise, bonus, and pension contribution. Answer too high without research and you risk pricing yourself out before the interview even begins. But neither of these outcomes is inevitable. The question has a structure, and the structure has a strategy.

The recruiter who asks for your salary expectations is not your adversary. But they are negotiating. You should be too.

Step One: Research Before You Respond to Anything

The most important thing you can do before any salary conversation is know your number — not what you want, but what the market pays for this specific role, at this level, in this location or remote context. Without this, any answer you give is a guess. With it, you are negotiating from evidence.

Where to Find Reliable Salary Data

• LinkedIn Salary — Role + location + experience level breakdowns. High reliability; self-reported by verified professionals.
• Glassdoor — Company-specific salary data and ranges. High reliability; cross-referenced with job titles.
• Levels.fyi — Tech roles; total compensation including equity. Very high for tech and engineering.
• Payscale — Broad industry benchmarks by skill set. Medium reliability; useful for cross-checking.
• Job postings with salaries — Real-time market data for current openings. High reliability; reflects what employers are paying now.
• Recruiter conversations — Informal benchmarking before your target role. High reliability; recruiters know the market in real time.

Cross-reference at least two sources before settling on your range. Look at the median for your role and level, not just the range — and factor in remote versus on-site, since fully remote roles sometimes carry location-adjusted pay, particularly at US companies with geographic pay bands.

How to Set Your Range

Set the floor at your genuine minimum. Set the ceiling 10–15% above your true target. Recruiters typically anchor to the bottom of any range — so build in room.

When you say "$70,000–$80,000," most recruiters hear "$70,000" as your number. This is not manipulation — it is how ranges get processed in budget conversations. Set your floor at a figure you would genuinely accept, not at the absolute minimum you could survive on. Your true target should sit in the middle-to-upper part of the range you quote.

The Three Moments They Will Ask — and What to Say Each Time

The salary question appears at different stages of the hiring process, and the right response shifts depending on how much information you have and how much leverage you have built.

• Application form — Lowest information, lowest leverage. Deflect if possible. If required, enter your researched range midpoint — never your floor.
• Recruiter phone screen — First live contact. Deflect once if early in the call. If pressed, give your anchored range with brief justification.
• Hiring manager interview — More leverage here; they want you. Give your range confidently. This is where preparation pays off most visibly.
• Post-offer discussion — Maximum leverage. This is negotiation, not expectation-setting. See our salary negotiation guide for scripts at this stage.

Exact Scripts for Every Scenario

These are word-for-word responses you can adapt directly. Each one is designed to be professional, non-confrontational, and strategically sound.

Script 1 — The Deflection (Early in the Process)

Use when: First contact, before you know full role scope.

"Compensation is definitely something I want to discuss, and I want to make sure I give you a number I'd genuinely stand behind. Before I do that, I'd love to understand a bit more about the full scope of the role — the team size, the level of ownership, and the growth expectations. Once I have a clearer picture, I can give you a range that reflects that properly. Is that okay for now?"

Works because: it is not evasive — it signals seriousness about compensation while buying you time to gather information. Most recruiters will accept this once.

Script 2 — The Researched Range (When You Need to Give a Number)

Use when: Pressed for a number, or confident in your research.

"Based on my research into the market rate for this type of role — and taking into account my [X years of experience / specific skill set] — I'm targeting somewhere in the region of [£X–£Y / $X–$Y]. That said, I'm genuinely interested in the full package, including [benefits / equity / flexibility / development budget], so I'm open to a conversation once we're both more confident it's a strong fit."

Works because: it grounds your number in research rather than desire, which is harder to push back on. Mentioning the full package signals flexibility without reducing your anchor.

Script 3 — The Counter-Question (Flip It Back)

Use when: Early stage, strong interest from recruiter, want to hear their budget first.

"I'd actually love to hear what the budgeted range for this role is — that would help me understand whether we're in the same ballpark before we go further. Do you have a range you're working within?"

Works because: whoever names a number first tends to anchor the negotiation. If they give their range first, you learn whether to aim higher or confirm you're aligned — without committing prematurely.

Script 4 — The Current Salary Redirect (If They Ask What You Earn Now)

Use when: Asked about current salary rather than expectations.

"I prefer to keep my current compensation private — I think it's more useful to focus on what the market rate is for this role and what makes sense for the level of responsibility you're describing. Based on my research, I'm targeting [range]. Does that work within your budget?"

Works because: in many jurisdictions, asking for current salary is restricted or banned. Even where it is legal, you are not obligated to answer. Redirecting to market rate is professional and keeps the conversation forward-looking. Note: some US states including California, New York, and Massachusetts prohibit employers from asking about current salary.

Script 5 — The Application Form Response

Use when: Required salary field on a job application. Handle with care.

If the field accepts text: write "Negotiable — happy to discuss" or your researched range (e.g. "$75,000–$85,000 depending on full package"). If the field is a required number input, enter the midpoint of your researched range. Do not enter your minimum — this becomes a data point recruiters reference throughout the process. If the field is optional, leave it blank. There is no upside to volunteering a number before you have had a conversation. The golden rule: application form numbers are permanent. Once entered, they are the first data point in your file. Treat them with the same care as a live negotiation.

What NOT to Say — and Why It Costs You

Responses that hurt you: "I'm flexible — whatever you think is fair." Signals no self-awareness of your market value and hands all power to the employer. "My current salary is $55,000." Anchors the conversation to your past, not your market value — especially damaging if you are underpaid. "I just want to get my foot in the door, so I'm open to starting low." You will not recover from this framing in the same role.

Why these fail: "Whatever is fair" invites lowballing — without an anchor, the employer sets the frame entirely. Your current salary is irrelevant to your market value. If you are underpaid, sharing it locks you into that bracket. "Foot in the door" framing signals low confidence and sets a precedent that is nearly impossible to reverse in the same organisation.

Special Considerations for Remote Roles

Remote roles add a layer of complexity: geographic pay bands. Many companies — particularly US tech companies — adjust salaries based on where the employee lives, even for fully remote positions. The "market rate" for a role can vary by 20–40% depending on location.

• Ask about the pay structure early. Before giving a range, ask: "Does this role use geographic pay bands, or is there a single global salary for the position?" This signals sophistication and gives you critical information.
• Research the company's specific approach. Companies like GitLab and Buffer publish their salary formulae publicly. If a company has a published framework, use it to calculate your expected range before the conversation.
• Do not undersell yourself for remote flexibility. Many candidates accept lower salaries in exchange for remote work. The flexibility has value — but so does your labour. Research whether the company pays market rate or uses remote as justification for below-market offers.
• Factor in the full package. Remote roles often come with home office stipends, coworking budgets, and async tool subscriptions that add real value. Include these when evaluating whether an offer is competitive.

Pre-Conversation Checklist: Before Any Salary Discussion

• Market rate researched — at least two sources cross-referenced for your role, level, and location.
• Your floor established — the genuine minimum you would accept, not a survival number.
• Your range anchored — floor to 10–15% above your true target, ready to quote confidently.
• Deflection script memorised — for the first ask before you have full role information.
• Range script practised out loud — so it does not sound rehearsed or hesitant when delivered.
• Current salary response prepared — ready to redirect to market rate without disclosing current pay.
• Full package considered — benefits, equity, flexibility, and development budget factored into your evaluation.
• Remote pay structure clarified — if applying for a remote role, understand whether geographic pay bands apply.

Got the offer — now need to negotiate it? Our salary negotiation guide covers exactly what to say after an offer lands, including scripts for pushing back, countering, and asking for non-salary benefits when the base is fixed. See "How to Negotiate Salary After a Job Offer" on the blog.

Sources: LinkedIn Salary Insights; Glassdoor Economic Research; Levels.fyi compensation data; PayScale industry benchmarks; National Women's Law Center (salary history ban legislation tracker).