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How to answer "What are your salary expectations?"

Research what the job usually pays where you live, then give a range you'd be happy with. Base it on the job and your skills, not your bills. Ask about the whole package. You don't have to share your current pay, and some places ban employers from asking. Check your local rules.

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Why they ask it

They want to know if you fit their budget before they go further. Some ask in the first phone call.

Advice on timing differs. The US Department of Labor's CareerOneStop salary advice says to wait to ask about salary until you get an offer.

Northern Ireland's guide says it's fine to ask what the salary is likely to be if it hasn't come up. Either way, be ready if they ask you.

Step 1: find the usual pay

Look up what the job pays in your area before the interview. Official tools can help:

  • UK: the National Careers Service's job profiles show a salary for each job.
  • US: CareerOneStop's Salary Finder covers more than 800 jobs, using Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
  • Canada: Job Bank lets you compare wages by job title and place.
  • Anywhere: job ads for similar roles that show a pay range.

CareerOneStop explains the risk at both ends. Too high, and they may think you won't accept their offer. Too low, and you may seem to lack confidence.

Its advice is to aim for the typical range.

Step 2: give a range

  1. Set the lowest figure you'd accept, before the interview.
  2. Make that figure the bottom of your range, or close to it.
  3. Give a reason: the usual pay for the role, and your skills.
  4. Ask about the whole package, such as leave, training and flexibility.

CareerOneStop says to base your request on the value you'd bring, and your skills and experience. Don't base it on your need for the job or for more income.

For word-for-word lines, see our free salary question scripts.

Your current pay: the rules differ

You don't have to share your current or past pay. In some places, employers aren't allowed to ask:

  • European Union: the Pay Transparency Directive says employers shall not ask applicants about their pay history.
  • European Union: applicants also have a right to know the starting pay or its range, such as before the interview. Countries had until 7 June 2026 to make the directive national law. Check whether yours has.
  • California, US: the state's Labor Commissioner says employers generally can't ask about your salary history.
  • California, US: you can ask for the pay scale of a job you apply for. Employers with 15 or more staff must put it in the job ad.
  • Elsewhere: rules vary by country, state and city. Check your government's employment site.

If you choose to share your pay, be accurate. Some employers check.

Common mistakes

  • Naming a number with no research.
  • Basing it on your bills or debts.
  • Giving a range whose bottom you wouldn't accept.
  • Making your current pay sound higher than it is.
  • Refusing again and again to give any range for this job. It can sound evasive.

Make it fit the job ad

If the ad shows a range, you already know their budget. Say where you fit in it, and why.

If the pay is set by levels, as in many government jobs, ask about the starting step instead.

When the offer comes, our guide to negotiating a job offer takes you through it.

A full answer, as a made-up example

This made-up example uses STAR: Situation, Task, Action and Result. It shows how one person prepared, what she said and how it ended.

Made-up example

Priya, applying for her first full-time accounts job

Question

“What are your salary expectations?”

Situation

In my first phone call for a junior accounts role, the recruiter asked my salary expectations. The ad had no range.

Task

I needed a fair range, based on facts, without selling myself short.

Action

  • Before the call, I found 5 local ads for similar jobs. Four gave ranges between $52,000 and $58,000.
  • I set my lowest figure at $53,000, the least I'd accept for this job.
  • On the call, I said: "I'm looking for $54,000 to $58,000, depending on the package. What range do you have in mind?"
  • She said $50,000 to $55,000. I asked if there was room near the top, given my two years with the same software.

Result

The written offer was $55,000, $5,000 above the bottom of their range.

Priya's range comes from her research, not her bills. She gives a reason for the top of their range, and gets the offer in writing.

Questions

Should I name a number first?

If you've done your research, a range is fine. If you don't know what the job pays, ask for their range first.

Do I have to tell them my current salary?

No. You can say you'd rather focus on what this role is worth, and give your range. In California, and in EU countries that have made the directive law, employers aren't meant to ask.

What if the form won't accept a range?

Enter the figure your research supports, such as the middle of the usual range. Be ready to discuss it.

Is it rude to ask about pay?

No. Northern Ireland's guide says it's fine to ask what the salary is likely to be, if it hasn't come up.

Sources

Written by Seal the Offer from these pages, last checked on . Rules change, so check the employer's own page and the job ad before you apply.

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