Give a researched salary range that fits the role, location, seniority, responsibilities, and your experience. Briefly connect the range to the value you can bring, then say you are open to discussing the full compensation package. If you do not yet understand the job’s scope or budget, ask for that context before naming a number.
Why employers ask about salary expectations
“What are your salary expectations?” is often a check on whether your target fits the employer’s budget and pay structure—and whether both sides are likely to agree if the process continues. It can come up in an application, an early recruiter conversation, or a later interview. The employer’s reason and room to negotiate vary.
SEEK quotes Australia-based career and interview coach Leah Lambart: “There’s usually no point progressing with the recruitment process if the candidate’s salary expectations are way outside the salary range that has been budgeted for the position.” Read SEEK’s salary-expectations guidance.
Prepare before interviews, answer directly when asked, and adapt your answer to what you know and how far the conversation has progressed. There is no single timing rule that fits every hiring process: UC Davis advises candidates not to raise salary, benefits, or leave before an offer, while also recommending a researched range if the employer asks. An employer may ask earlier; being prepared does not require you to initiate the subject.
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How to set a realistic salary range
There is no responsible universal number for this question. Build your range around comparable jobs and the compensation terms being discussed—not a sample figure from someone else’s answer.
- Match the role and level: Compare similar responsibilities, seniority, hours, qualifications, and required skills.
- Match the market: Look at job advertisements and salary tools for the relevant location, and consider industry demand. If possible, talk with informed contacts in the field.
- Compare like with like: Check the currency and pay period, whether a figure is base salary or total compensation, and whether the information is current and geographically relevant.
- Account for your fit: Consider your experience, skills, qualifications, and relevant achievements. Explain your target in terms of the work and contribution you can make, not personal expenses.
- Choose a usable range: Set the lower end at a figure you would genuinely consider. An employer may focus on that lower number, so avoid a range whose bottom would not work for you.
SEEK’s Lambart recommends making the case through business value, skills, experience, and the problems you can solve. Keep your answer consistent with any salary range you have already entered on an application.
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What to say in common situations
You understand the job and have researched pay
Use a range rather than a single figure when you can, and give a short work-related reason for it. Replace the brackets with your own researched details:
“Based on my research into comparable roles in [location] and my experience in [relevant skills or responsibilities], I’m targeting [range] for this position. I’d be glad to discuss how that fits with the role’s scope and the overall compensation package.”
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You need more information first
If the responsibilities, expectations, or compensation structure are unclear, ask for context before committing to a number:
“I’m very interested in the role. Before I give a considered range, could you share the budgeted salary range and tell me more about the responsibilities and expectations?”
If the employer shares a range, compare it with your own research and decide whether the role is worth pursuing. You can also clarify whether the figure is base pay or includes other compensation.
An application asks before you meet the employer
If the field is optional, leaving it blank may be possible. If you enter a range, base it on research. If the form accepts text, a range can preserve flexibility. When a form requires one number, using the midpoint of your researched target range is one option—not a universal rule.
Talk about the whole compensation package
Salary figures are easier to assess when you know what they include. Ask whether the employer means base salary or broader total compensation, then consider other terms that matter for the role and your circumstances.
- Bonuses, stock, or other incentives
- Paid leave and health insurance
- Retirement benefits
- Flexible or remote work
- Tuition assistance or other relevant benefits
If base pay is constrained, ask which other parts of the package, if any, are open to discussion. Do not assume that benefits or incentives can be changed; clarify what the employer offers.
Adapt your answer to the question
Employers may phrase the question as “What salary range do you have in mind for this position?” or ask what someone with your background typically earns in the role at the company. The same approach applies: use a range grounded in comparable work, explain its connection to your experience, and seek missing context rather than guessing.
SEEK’s guidance is Australia-focused; UC Davis and the reviewed Monster and Capital One guidance are U.S.-oriented. Pay disclosure practices and employment rules differ by jurisdiction. If a legal requirement affects how you should respond, check current local guidance rather than assuming one country’s practice applies everywhere.
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