How to Answer 'What Are Your Salary Expectations?' 12 Scripts & Laws

Last updated: October 2026

Quick Answer: How to Answer “What Are Your Salary Expectations?”

Give a researched range for base pay, say what it is based on, and ask for the band the role is approved at. That is the Range + Reason + Return formula. Build the range from BLS wage data, candidate-reported sites such as Levels.fyi and Glassdoor, and posted ranges for similar jobs, which many US states now require. Rehearse the script out loud in OphyAI Interview Practice, draft written replies with the salary negotiation tool in Application Assistant, and use Interview Copilot on a live call only where the employer allows it.

Part	What to say	Example opener
Range	A base salary band, with your real target at or just above the bottom	”I’m targeting $88,000 to $98,000 in base.”
Reason	Where the number comes from: level, location, data	”That’s based on posted ranges for similar roles in Denver and what I’m seeing for this scope.”
Flex	What else you would weigh	”I’m flexible on the mix of base, bonus and benefits.”
Return	Ask for their band	”Can you share the range approved for this role, so we can check we’re aligned?”

The dollar figures on this page are illustrations, not salary data. Use your own research.

This Is the Screening Question, Not the Negotiation

Recruiters usually ask about salary on the first call, long before an offer exists. At that stage your only job is to stay in the process without anchoring yourself low. The real negotiation happens later, once there is a written offer; the salary negotiation guide covers that stage, with counteroffer scripts and email templates. Treat this page as the step before it.

What Interviewers Are Testing

The question sounds like a trap, but in most screens it is a budget check. Recruiting firms such as Robert Half describe it as a way to find out early whether a candidate and the role are in the same range (see the Sources section). In practice the recruiter is listening for four things.

Budget fit. Is your number inside the approved band, or close enough that the hiring manager might stretch?
Market awareness. Did you research the role, the level and the location, or did you pick a number out of the air?
Seniority signal. Your number tells the recruiter what level you think you are. Too low can be as damaging as too high, because it suggests a junior fit.
Flexibility and tone. Can you talk about money calmly and professionally? Hiring teams notice candidates who become defensive or evasive.

Red flags that fail candidates: a single figure with no reasoning; a range so wide it means nothing (“$70,000 to $130,000”); refusing three times to give any number; a number far outside the posted range with no explanation; talking about personal bills instead of the market; and saying one figure on the phone and a different one on the application form.

The Formula: Range + Reason + Return

1. Range: a band, not a point

A range lets you show flexibility while protecting your floor. Put your real target at or just above the bottom of the band, because many career advisers note that employers tend to hear the lower number first. Keep the band narrow enough to be credible: a range that spans tens of thousands of dollars reads as a guess. Robert Half’s guidance, among others, recommends a researched range over a single number.

2. Reason: show where it comes from

One short sentence about your sources turns a demand into a fact: “based on posted ranges for similar roles in this metro” or “based on Levels.fyi data for this level”. You do not need to list every site. You need to show that the number is about the market and the job, not about you.

3. Return: ask for their band

End with a question. In many US states the employer must already publish the range or give it on request, so asking is normal, not pushy. If they share the band, you can say where in it you fit and why.

Length check: 20-40 seconds spoken. This is one of the shortest answers in the interview; long explanations sound nervous.

Prepare this answer with OphyAI: run a recruiter screen in Interview Practice and ask it to push back on your number twice, then read the transcript to check you stayed on the same range both times.

How to Research Your Salary Range

Spend 30 minutes on research before the first call, and write the range down. Use at least three kinds of source, because each one has a blind spot.

Source	What it gives you	Blind spot
Posted ranges in job ads	The employer’s own good-faith range, often for the exact role	Ranges can be wide; the top is often for a more senior hire
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)	Official US wage percentiles by occupation, state and metro	Lags about a year (the May 2025 data came out in May 2026); base wages only, no equity
Levels.fyi	Candidate-reported total compensation by company and level, strong for tech	Self-reported; thin outside tech and large employers
Glassdoor and Indeed salary pages	Candidate-reported pay by company and job title	Self-reported; job titles mean different things at different firms
Recruiters and peers	Current market color for your niche	Small sample; recruiters may have their own incentives

How to turn that into a range:

Find five to ten posted ranges for the same title and level in your location, or for remote roles that hire where you live.
Check the BLS percentiles for your occupation in your metro. Use the median and 75th percentile as a sanity check, not as a target, since OEWS mixes all levels of experience.
Check company-specific data on Levels.fyi or Glassdoor for the employer you are interviewing with, and label it in your notes as candidate-reported.
Set your floor (the lowest base you would accept), your target and your stretch. Your spoken range runs from about your target to your stretch.
Decide your total compensation view. Bonus, equity, 401(k) match, health premiums and remote work can be worth a lot. Know which ones matter to you before the call.

US Pay Transparency Laws: Where Employers Must Post a Range

A growing list of US states and cities require employers to put a good-faith pay range in job postings, and several require it on request. If the job is covered, look at the posting first: the answer to “what are your salary expectations?” can often start from the employer’s own range.

Jurisdiction	Range in job postings since	Notes (checked October 2026)
Colorado	January 1, 2021	Applies to employers with at least one Colorado employee; rules amended from January 1, 2024
New York City	November 1, 2022	Employers with 4 or more employees; good-faith minimum and maximum salary
California	January 1, 2023	Employers with 15 or more employees; smaller employers must give the pay scale on request
Washington	January 1, 2023	Employers with 15 or more employees; range plus a description of benefits
New York State	September 17, 2023	Statewide law, separate from the NYC rule
Hawaii	January 1, 2024	Employers with 50 or more employees
Maryland	October 1, 2024	Statewide posting requirement
Illinois	January 1, 2025	Employers with 15 or more employees; range plus benefits description
Minnesota	January 1, 2025	Employers with 30 or more employees
New Jersey	June 1, 2025	Employers with 10 or more employees
Vermont	July 1, 2025	Employers with 5 or more employees
Massachusetts	October 29, 2025	Employers with 25 or more employees
Virginia	July 1, 2026	Employers of any size; internal and external postings; also bans asking about pay history
Connecticut	October 1, 2026	Moves from range-on-request to range plus benefits description in postings

District of Columbia also has a posting requirement, and other jurisdictions have laws scheduled or under debate (Delaware’s is reported to start in 2027). Rules on remote jobs, thresholds and penalties differ, and trackers disagree on some dates, so check the state labor department page for your state before relying on any one detail.

What this means for your answer. If the posting shows “$90,000 to $115,000”, do not invent a separate number. Say where in that range you fit: “The posted range is $90,000 to $115,000. Given my five years in the role, I’d expect to be in the upper half.” If the job is covered but the posting has no range, it is reasonable to ask for it.

Salary History Bans: When They Cannot Ask What You Earn Now

About 20 states plus DC, by most compliance trackers’ counts, bar many private employers from asking applicants about current or past pay, and many cities and counties add their own bans. California has banned the question since January 1, 2018, and New York State, Washington, Massachusetts, Illinois, Colorado, Connecticut, New Jersey, Virginia (from July 1, 2026) and others have similar rules. Under California’s law an employer may still ask about your salary expectations, just not your history. That is why recruiters in those places ask “what are you looking for?” instead of “what do you make?”

Where no ban applies, an employer may ask about current pay. You can still answer with your expectations instead (see script 6 below). If you choose to disclose, give the full picture: base plus bonus, equity and benefits, not base alone.

Should You Give a Range or Deflect?

Usually give a range, after one polite attempt to hear theirs first. Deflecting forever costs you more than it saves: recruiters often cannot move a candidate forward without a number, and a refusal can read as either inexperience or a mismatch.

Approach	When it works	Risk
Give a researched range	Most screens; posted range available; you know the market	Anchoring low if you did not research
Ask for their band first, then give a range	Early calls, especially in transparency states	Some recruiters insist you go first
Defer politely (“I’d like to learn more about the scope first”)	Very early, before you understand the level	Works once; repeated refusals stall the process
Name a single number	Hourly roles with a set rate, or when asked for a minimum	Leaves no room to move up

Sample Answers by Situation

Bracketed items and dollar figures are placeholders. Replace them with your own research, because a number you cannot explain will not survive the first follow-up.

1. Recruiter phone screen

What they are checking: that you fit the budget before the hiring manager spends time on you.

“Based on posted ranges for similar [title] roles in [city] and what I’m seeing for this scope, I’m targeting $[X] to $[Y] in base. I’m flexible on how that splits between base, bonus and benefits. What’s the range approved for this role? I’d like to make sure we’re aligned before we go further.”

Why it works: range, reason and return in under 30 seconds. The phone screen questions guide covers the other questions on the same call.

2. Application form field (“desired salary”)

What they are checking: a filter value, often read by a system before a person.

If the field accepts text, write a range: ”$[X] to $[Y] base, negotiable depending on total compensation.” If it requires a single number, enter your target, not your floor, and repeat the range on the first call. Avoid “0” or “999999”: some systems filter on the number, and a human reading it sees evasion. Keep the number consistent with what you say later, because the recruiter will have the form in front of them.

3. The posting already lists a range

What they are checking: whether you accept their band and where you place yourself.

“I saw the posted range of $[X] to $[Y]. With [years] years doing [core duty], including [one relevant result], I’d expect to be in the upper half of that. I’m happy to talk about how the level is set once I’ve met the team.”

Why it works: it respects their published number and gives a reason for your position inside it.

4. They ask for your current salary

What they are checking: a shortcut to your price. In many states they are not allowed to ask.

“I’d rather focus on what this role is worth, since the scope is different from my current job. For a role like this in [city], I’m targeting $[X] to $[Y] in base. Is that in line with the band?”

If you are in a state with a salary history ban, you can add calmly: “I understand pay history isn’t usually part of the process here.” Do not lie about your current pay; it can be checked, and an inflated figure is a real risk.

5. Career changer

What they are checking: that you understand the new field’s pay, not your old field’s.

“I know I’m moving from [old field], so I’ve looked at pay for this role specifically rather than my current salary. For an entry-to-mid [new title] role in [city], posted ranges are mostly around $[X] to $[Y], and that’s where I’m aiming. I’m open to starting near the lower end if there’s a clear path to review after the first year.”

Why it works: it shows you researched the new market and offers flexibility with a condition. The career change interview questions guide covers how to explain the move itself.

6. Relocating to a new city

What they are checking: that your number matches their location, not where you live now.

“I’ve based my expectations on [new city] rather than [current city], since that’s where I’ll be working. For this level there, I’m targeting $[X] to $[Y]. Is relocation support something the role includes? That would affect how I think about the total package.”

Why it works: it uses local data and raises relocation support as a separate item, not as part of base pay.

7. Remote role with location-based pay

What they are checking: whether you understand their pay zones.

“Is pay for this role set by location? I’m based in [city]. If there’s a zone or band for my area, I’d like to hear it. Based on what I’ve seen for remote [title] roles at this level, I’m targeting $[X] to $[Y].”

Why it works: many remote employers pay by location tier, so asking first avoids anchoring against the wrong zone.

8. Internal move or promotion

What they are checking: your expectations versus internal pay bands.

“I know internal moves usually follow the band for the new grade. I’d like to understand where this role sits, and my expectation is to land somewhere that reflects the step up in scope, around $[X] to $[Y]. I’d also like to talk about timing of the next review.”

Several states, including Colorado and Virginia, now apply posting rules to internal opportunities too, so ask HR for the range.

9. Entry-level or new graduate

What they are checking: that your expectations are realistic for a first role.

“From posted ranges for graduate [title] roles in [city] and my university’s salary data, I’m expecting around $[X] to $[Y]. I’m most focused on the training and the work, but I wanted to give you a real number.”

Why it works: it cites sources a graduate can actually use, including career center salary surveys.

10. Hourly or retail role

What they are checking: an hourly rate and availability, often at a fixed pay scale.

“The posting says $[rate] per hour, and that works for me. If there’s a different rate for nights or weekends, I’d be interested in hearing about that, since I’m available for both.”

Why it works: many hourly roles have a set rate; accepting it clearly and asking about shift premiums is the professional move.

11. Senior or executive hire

What they are checking: that you think in total compensation and at the right level.

“At this level I look at total compensation. For base, I’m targeting $[X] to $[Y], and I’d expect a bonus and long-term incentive in line with the market for a [title] at a company your size. I’d rather hear how you structure it before I get more specific on the mix.”

Why it works: it signals seniority and keeps the equity and bonus conversation open.

12. UK “expected salary” on a form or call

What they are checking: the same budget fit, usually in annual gross GBP.

“I’m looking for £[X] to £[Y] base, based on advertised salaries for [title] roles in [city]. I’d also weigh the pension contribution and hybrid pattern.”

UK forms often have an “expected salary” box, and many UK adverts already show a salary band. The UK government opened a consultation in July 2026 on requiring salary information in job adverts and banning salary history questions; it closes on October 27, 2026, so this is a proposal, not law. In Canada, British Columbia has required expected pay in public job postings since November 1, 2023, and Ontario has required it for employers with 25 or more employees since January 1, 2026, with posted ranges no wider than CAD 50,000. The UK interview guide covers other British differences.

Draft it in writing with OphyAI: if the salary question arrives by email, the salary negotiation tool in Application Assistant drafts a reply you can edit (5 credits per generation on Pro or Premium).

Written vs Live: How the Answer Changes

The same range works in both, but the delivery differs.

Channel	What to do	What to avoid
Application form	Range in text fields; target in number-only fields	Placeholder values such as 0
Email from a recruiter	One short paragraph: range, reason, request for their band	Long justifications; attachments of salary data
Phone or video screen	20-40 seconds, then stop talking	Filling the silence by lowering your number
Hiring manager interview	Redirect gently to the recruiter if already discussed	Reopening the number before an offer
Offer stage	Move to the negotiation guide’s counteroffer scripts	Accepting on the call

In writing, you can be a little more precise because you have time to check your data. Live, the main risk is talking yourself down after a pause. Say your range, ask your question and wait.

What Weak Answers Look Like

Most answers that hurt candidates fail in one of these ways.

Weak answer	Why it fails	Fix
”Whatever you think is fair”	Hands the employer your floor	Give a researched range
”I need at least $X because of my rent”	Makes it about your costs, not the job	Base the number on market data
”$70,000 to $130,000”	Too wide to mean anything	Narrow the band and put your target near the bottom
A single number far above the posting	Signals you did not read the ad	Start from the posted range
Refusing three times	Stalls the process	Defer once, then give a range
A different number on the form and the call	Looks inconsistent	Write your range down and use it everywhere
Inventing a competing offer	Can be tested and backfires	Mention real offers only, and only at offer stage
Lowering the number after a pause	Negotiates against yourself	Say your range, ask for theirs, then wait

A quieter failure is answering only with base pay when the role has a large bonus or equity component. Ask how the package is structured before you treat your range as final.

How to Practice These

Interview Practice. Run a recruiter screen as a voice or text mock in OphyAI Interview Practice, which asks follow-up questions and gives you a transcript and per-answer feedback, so you can practice holding your range when the recruiter says “that’s above our budget.”

Interview Copilot. If the employer allows outside tools, Interview Copilot gives real-time answer suggestions during live Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet interviews; check the employer’s rules first in companies that allow AI in interviews.

Start practicing →

A simple drill: write your floor, target and stretch on a card, then have someone ask the question three ways (“what are you looking for?”, “what do you make now?”, “that’s above our range, can you go lower?”). Answer each in under 30 seconds without changing your range.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best answer to “what are your salary expectations?”

The best answer is a researched base salary range, a one-line reason for it, and a question about the employer’s band. For example: “Based on posted ranges for this role in Chicago, I’m targeting $85,000 to $95,000 in base, and I’m flexible on the overall package. What range is approved for the role?” Use your own research for the figures.

Should I give a number first or make them go first?

Try once to hear their range first, especially where the law requires them to post or share it. If the recruiter insists, give your range rather than refusing again. A researched range protects you better than silence, and a recruiter who cannot get a number may simply move on to a candidate who gave one.

How wide should my salary range be?

Narrow enough to be believable and wide enough to leave room. There is no official rule; “$85,000 to $95,000” is believable, while “$70,000 to $110,000” sounds like a guess. Put your real target at or just above the bottom of the range, because employers often focus on the lower figure when they plan an offer.

Is it legal for an employer to ask my current salary?

It depends on where you are. California, New York, Washington, Massachusetts, Illinois, Virginia and many other states, plus a number of cities, bar many employers from asking about pay history. Elsewhere it may be legal. In either case you can answer with your expectations for this role instead of your current pay, and you should never inflate a current salary.

What if my expectations are above their range?

Ask what flexibility exists, then decide whether to stay in the process. You can say: “That’s a little below what I was expecting. Is there flexibility for someone at the top of the band, or in the bonus or sign-on?” If the gap is large, it may be better for both sides to stop early. Do not drop your number on the spot.

Should I include bonus and benefits in my answer?

Lead with base salary, because that is what recruiters usually compare, then mention that you look at the whole package. For senior, sales and tech roles, bonus and equity can be a big share of pay, so ask how compensation is structured. Benefits such as health premiums and retirement matching are worth weighing before you accept an offer.

What should I put in a “desired salary” field on an application?

Put a range if the field allows text, or your target figure if it only accepts a number. Avoid zero or placeholder values, which can trip filters or look evasive. Write down what you entered so that your phone screen answer matches the form. If the posting lists a range, keep your figure inside or near it unless you have a clear reason.

Can I use AI to prepare my salary answer?

Yes, for research and practice: use it to summarize posted ranges, draft an email reply and rehearse pushback. Check every number against real sources such as BLS and posted ranges, because AI tools can be wrong about pay. Whether you can use AI during a live interview depends on the employer, so ask the recruiter and check the AI-in-interviews tracker.

The next step after this question, and the questions that come on the same call:

Company guides where salary expectations come up on the recruiter screen:

Sources and verification notes

Checked October 2026. Every dollar figure inside the sample answers is a placeholder or an illustration, not salary data. Direct fetches of government sites (dol.gov, bls.gov) failed with DNS errors during research, so the legal dates and thresholds below were confirmed through search results that summarize these pages and law-firm alerts. Pay transparency rules change often and trackers disagree on some dates; confirm with the state labor department before relying on any detail.

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) and the May 2025 OEWS release, published May 15, 2026: official US wage percentiles by occupation and area.
Levels.fyi and Glassdoor salaries: candidate-reported compensation; label any figure from them as candidate-reported.
Robert Half, how to answer “what are your salary expectations”: staffing firm guidance on giving a researched range.
Colorado CDLE, INFO #9: Equal Pay for Equal Work Act and Littler on Colorado’s 2024 amendments.
California Employment Law Report, California’s pay scale posting requirement: SB 1162 (15+ employees, January 1, 2023) and the Labor Code 432.3 salary history ban (January 1, 2018).
Trusaic, New York City pay transparency law guide and Cornell ILR explainer on the NYC pay law: NYC November 1, 2022, 4+ employees.
TCW Global, pay transparency by state and NBC, states requiring salary ranges on job ads: New York State, Washington, Hawaii, Maryland, Illinois, Minnesota dates.
Paychex, pay transparency laws by state: Minnesota and New Jersey thresholds; Loio 2026 tracker and Hunton, 2026 state laws: New Jersey, Massachusetts, Vermont and Delaware.
Morgan Lewis, Virginia pay transparency and wage history law (May 2026) and Epstein Becker Green Workforce Bulletin: Virginia, July 1, 2026, all employer sizes.
Foley, Connecticut expands pay transparency from October 1, 2026: HB 5003.
Paycor, states with salary history bans: state list; counts vary by tracker.
Baker McKenzie, UK government consults on equal pay reform (September 2026) and CIPP on the July 2026 consultation: UK proposals, closing October 27, 2026.
Government of British Columbia, pay transparency laws and DLA Piper on Ontario’s January 2026 rules: Canadian posting rules.

OphyAI product facts, checked October 2026: Interview Practice, Application Assistant and Interview Copilot. Before using AI during a live interview, confirm the employer’s rules with the recruiter.