Salary Expectations

The compensation range a candidate states they're seeking — often asked early in the hiring process to screen for budget alignment.

Salary expectations is a question — or topic — that arises in most hiring processes, usually during an initial recruiter screen. Employers ask to determine whether the candidate's expectations are within budget before investing more time in the process. Candidates face the classic dilemma: answering first anchors the negotiation, but refusing to answer entirely can feel evasive.

The dynamic has shifted meaningfully in recent years. Pay transparency laws in an increasing number of US states now require employers to disclose salary ranges in job postings — which means candidates in those jurisdictions can often research the range before the conversation even happens. In markets without transparency requirements, the information asymmetry still strongly favors the employer.

How to Answer the Salary Expectations Question

  • Research first — use Glassdoor, Levels.fyi, LinkedIn Salary, and industry surveys to anchor your range in market data.
  • Give a range, not a single number — and set your target as the floor, not the midpoint.
  • Flip it back — 'I'd love to hear the budgeted range for this role' is a reasonable and increasingly accepted response.
  • If they push for a number, provide one with context: 'Based on my research for this role and location, I'm targeting $X — does that align with your budget?'
  • Avoid anchoring too low — once a number is on the table, it's hard to negotiate significantly above it.
  • Don't lie about your current salary — many states prohibit employers from asking, and fabricating creates risk.

Pay Transparency Laws

Colorado, California, New York, Washington, and several other states now require employers to post salary ranges in job listings. If you're applying in one of these states, the posted range is a strong anchor for the conversation. Even when not required, many employers will share the range if asked directly — it's increasingly normalized to ask. If a company refuses to share any range at any point in the process, that's a signal worth weighing.

When You're Asked to Fill Out a Form

Many online applications include a required salary expectations field. When forced to enter a number before any conversation has occurred, options include: entering a range (if the field allows text), entering your genuine target, or entering $0 or 'negotiable' if the field accepts it. Entering a number significantly below market to 'get through the screen' can anchor your negotiation poorly later.

Example

A recruiter asks in a first call: 'What are your salary expectations for this role?' The candidate responds: 'I'm targeting $130,000–$145,000 based on my research and experience, though I'm open to discussing the full package. Could you share the budgeted range for this role?'