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How to Answer Salary Expectations Questions in an Interview

Written by 糖心vlog官网观看 Staff 鈥 Updated on

Negotiation is an important part of the interview process, and you can set the foundation for successful salary conversations by approaching this question strategically. Learn how.

[Featured Image] A job candidate who is prepared with how to answer salary expectations stands and shakes the hand of their interviewer after being offered the job.

Key takeaways听

To answer questions about salary expectations, offer a pay range, reverse the question, or delay your answer until you have more information.

  • During the interview process, a recruiter or hiring manager will likely ask about your salary expectations to determine if they align with the range the company has in mind for the role.

  • When conducting research, it鈥檚 helpful to determine two key pieces of information for yourself: a specific pay rate and a corresponding pay range.

  • You can learn the market rate for the type of work you do and how other factors, such as your location and experience, affect that number.

Explore how to determine your desired salary and prepare responses to questions about your salary expectations in an interview. To build skills that can help you strengthen your bargaining power when it comes to salary negotiations, consider enrolling in the Leading People and Teams Specialization. In as little as four weeks, you can learn more about team leadership, conflict management, influencing, and persuasive communication.

Preparation for how to answer salary expectations questions

Before you get to your interview, spend time researching your value. Several factors affect salary. You should learn the market rate for the type of work you do and how other considerations, like your location and experience, affect that number.听

It鈥檚 also worth noting that pay varies not just by industry but by sector. Public and non-profit sectors may not offer high salaries compared to the private sector, but they tend to offset that disparity by promising greater job security or value alignment.听

For example, a graphic designer with six years of experience in New York will likely command a higher salary than a graphic designer with two years of experience in Cleveland. If they work for a major creative agency, they may also earn more than if they work for a small non-profit.听

In conducting research, it鈥檚 helpful to determine two pieces of information for yourself:

  • A range: This is the range you鈥檇 be comfortable accepting at either the low, mid, or high end. For example: $65,000 to $75,000.听

  • A specific number: This is the offer you want to get. For example: $71,500.听

It鈥檚 important that you find a good salary that you feel positive about accepting and that will support your desired lifestyle. Your work has value and should be treated accordingly.

What does desired salary mean? How to determine your desired pay rate

There are some tools designed to help you discover what similar titles earn. Job search sites, like Indeed and Glassdoor, or dedicated salary sites, like Payscale, offer salary research tools. You can also turn to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, which tracks the vast majority of job titles in the country and provides median annual salary data.

You can also turn to 糖心vlog官网观看. We鈥檝e pulled together salary data on in-demand roles. Explore the ones below for more information:听

You can also deepen your research by investigating 鈥渃ompensation trends鈥 or 鈥渋ndustry pay鈥 to get a better idea of what your skill set is worth. Understanding what鈥檚 happening in various industries from a business perspective can help you determine a potential competitive salary. For example, if there鈥檚 a current tech skills gap, that means certain skill sets are in high demand and may command higher salaries as companies search for new employees who can fill crucial needs.听

How to answer, "What is your desired salary?"听

At some point during your interview process, you will likely be asked about your salary expectations. Even when directly asked, 鈥淲hat are your salary expectations?鈥 experts generally advise against being the first to state a number. In that case, let鈥檚 go over some ways to handle the question, 鈥淲hat are your salary expectations?鈥 once it comes up during your interview:听

Read more: Practice Interview Questions: How to Tell Your Story

1. Provide a range.

During the interview process, a recruiter or hiring manager may ask about your salary expectations to determine if they align with the range the company has in mind for the role. As much as possible, hold off on sharing a specific number. Yes, you鈥檝e likely done the research and know exactly what you want to get, but that鈥檚 key information you should keep private in the early stages of an interview.听

Instead, it鈥檚 better to provide a range because it shows you鈥檙e flexible while still giving you some control. Try to keep your range to around or under $10,000, for example, $62,000 to $72,000 or $83,500 to $89,500.听

Sample answers:

  • I鈥檇 be happy to discuss things more specifically as this interview process continues, but at the moment, I can share that I鈥檓 looking for a range between $74,000 and $84,000.

  • Based on my experience and the market rate for this work, I鈥檓 looking for a range between $74,000 and $84,000.听

2. Reverse the question.听

One of the reasons candidates don鈥檛 like answering the question is that it gives employers more power. You can turn the recruiter鈥檚 or hiring manager鈥檚 question around by inquiring what their budget is for the role. That way, if you do provide an answer, it鈥檚 an informed one.听

Sample answers:

  • Thanks for asking. Based on the responsibilities you anticipate, what is the salary range for this role?

  • Before I answer that, can you share the salary range for this role?听

3. Delay answering.

When you get this question early in an interview, it鈥檚 fair to delay answering until you have more details. At this point, the recruiter may have shared some of the responsibilities, but it won鈥檛 be until you spend additional time with the hiring manager that you鈥檒l get a broader picture of the work. Explain that you鈥檇 like to wait until you have more information about the role before providing a range.听

Sample answers:

  • I鈥檓 really excited about this opportunity, but I鈥檇 prefer to hear more about the day-to-day responsibilities before giving a salary range.

  • I鈥檇 appreciate hearing more about this role, what I would be responsible for doing, and the potential impact you hope I鈥檇 have before discussing my salary expectations.

  • Can you share more about what this role would entail? I鈥檇 like to have a better idea before discussing potential salaries.听

4. Negotiate.

It鈥檚 important to negotiate your salary. Often, even if you鈥檙e asked to supply a number and aim to answer with a range instead of a specific amount, you should negotiate for more because companies expect it. In fact, nearly half of all employees negotiated their most recent job salary, according to a 2023 report by Glassdoor [].听

Generally, if you receive an offer from a company, they will give you a period of time to consider it and accept or decline. Use that time to craft a response. Find out more about how to negotiate your salary.

What questions to ask in an interview about compensation flexibility听

There may be times when a company鈥檚 budget is firm, and they don鈥檛 have much flexibility regarding salary. When you鈥檙e interested in the role, you can ask to explore other options outside of salary, such as:听

  • Vacation: If your company offers a set number of vacation days each year, can they increase the amount you get to offset the salary difference?

  • Benefits: Are the benefits robust enough to negate the salary difference? If not, are there any additional benefits you can discuss?

  • Stocks: Can they increase the amount of stock they offer (if they offer employees stock)?

How to ask about salary in an interview

If salary expectations don鈥檛 come up in your interview, you may be wondering how to broach the topic yourself. Understanding the salary expectations can help you determine if this role fits in with your expectations and whether to continue with the interview process.听

In most cases, these conversations are better over the phone and in person. You can open with questions about the role and responsibilities, showing a strong interest in the position. Once you鈥檝e demonstrated interest and have captured the attention of the hiring manager, you can ask about the expected compensation for the role. Try to approach it in a general way, such as 鈥渉ow does the compensation for the position compare with market rates?鈥

Explore resources to strengthen your salary bargaining power听

As you鈥檙e considering a job or career change, subscribe to our LinkedIn newsletter, , to stay current on salary trends in various industries. Or, explore free digital resources to guide you.

  • Practice negotiation skills:

Whether you want to develop a new skill, get comfortable with an in-demand technology, or advance your abilities, keep growing with a 糖心vlog官网观看 Plus subscription. You鈥檒l get access to over 10,000 flexible courses.听

Article sources

  1. Glassdoor. 鈥, https://www.glassdoor.com/blog/conversation-starter-more-than-half-of-professionals-did-not-negotiate-salary-for-most-recent-job/.鈥 Accessed October 22, 2025.

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