How to Answer "What are your salary expectations?" (With Sample Answers)
By Andrew Johnson · Updated
The interviewer wants to know whether your expected pay fits the budget for the role, and whether you’ve based it on research rather than a guess.
Also asked as: “What are your pay expectations?” · “What salary are you looking for?” · “What are your compensation requirements?” · “What would you expect to be paid in this role?”
Why do interviewers ask “What are your salary expectations”?
Employers have a pay band for each role. Asking early saves both sides time if the numbers are far apart. Later in the process, the question opens the negotiation. Either way, a researched answer shows you understand the market for your work.
How to answer: the Research → Range → Flexibility formula
Do the homework before the interview so the answer is calm and short.
| Step | What to say | Example line |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Research | Look up pay for the occupation and location. CareerOneStop’s Salary Finder publishes BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics by state and metro area; also check the posting itself and similar postings. | You find the local range for medical assistants and note where your experience puts you. |
| 2. Range | State a range whose bottom is a number you’d accept. Tie it to your research and experience. | “Based on my research for this role in our area, I’m looking for $X to $Y.” |
| 3. Flexibility | Show you’ll consider the whole offer — benefits, schedule, training — without abandoning your range. | “I’m open to discussing it as part of the full package.” |
Sample answers to “What are your salary expectations” by job type
Illustrative answers — swap in your own experience. An answer you can back up with a real story beats a polished one you can't.
Entry-level / new graduate
Graduate applying for a first marketing coordinator job. (Figures are placeholders — use your own research.)
“Based on my own research — the pay data for marketing roles in this area plus the ranges I’ve seen on similar postings — I’m looking for something in the range of $X to $Y. I know I’m early in my career, so I’m also weighing the training and mentoring this role offers. I’m open to talking about the full package once we both know it’s a good fit.”
Career changer
Teacher moving into corporate training.
“I’ve looked at what training and development specialists earn in this metro area, and I’ve factored in that I’m new to the corporate side but bring years of classroom and curriculum experience. Based on that research, a range of $X to $Y feels right to me. I’m flexible within it depending on benefits and professional development support, and I’m happy to hear the range you have budgeted so we can see where we overlap.”
Nurse / healthcare
Registered nurse moving to a new hospital.
“Based on my research for RN roles in this area and my four years of med-surg experience, I’m looking for a base rate in the range of $X to $Y per hour. Shift differentials and the schedule matter to me too, so I’d want to look at the whole offer. Can you share the range budgeted for this position? That would help me make sure we’re working from the same picture.”
Sales / customer service
Account executive discussing a base-plus-commission role.
“For an AE role with this kind of deal size, I’m thinking about total compensation rather than base alone. Based on my research and what I earn now, I’m looking for a base of $X to $Y with on-target earnings that reflect the quota. I’d like to understand how the commission plan works — the quota, the payout rate, and how realistic hitting target has been for the team.”
Tech / analyst
Data analyst asked in a first recruiter screen.
“I’d like to learn more about the scope of the role before settling on a number, but to make sure we’re in the same ballpark: based on my research for data analyst roles at this level in this area, I’m targeting $X to $Y. Does that fit the range you have for the position? If the scope turns out to be larger or smaller than I expect, I’m happy to revisit it.”
What to avoid
- Naming a number with no research. You risk pricing yourself out or leaving money on the table.
- A range whose bottom you’d resent. Employers often anchor to the bottom of your range.
- Basing it on what you need to pay bills. Personal expenses aren’t a reason the employer can act on; market data is.
- Refusing to answer at all. Deflecting once is fine; refusing repeatedly can stall the process.
How to prepare
- Look up the occupation in CareerOneStop’s Salary Finder for your state or metro area before the interview.
- Asking for the employer’s range first is a reasonable, polite move — many postings already list one.
- Decide your walk-away number privately before you walk in.
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What should I say when asked “What are your salary expectations?”
Give a researched range: “Based on my research for this role in this area, I’m looking for $X to $Y, and I’m open to discussing the full package.” Set the bottom at a number you’d actually accept.
Should I give a range or a specific number?
A range is usually easier in an interview because it leaves room to discuss. Keep it reasonably narrow and make sure the low end is acceptable to you.
Where can I research salary expectations?
CareerOneStop’s Salary Finder shows pay by occupation and location from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ wage survey. Compare it with the pay ranges in similar job postings.
Can I ask the interviewer for their salary range first?
Yes. “Could you share the range budgeted for this role?” is a normal question, and it helps you answer accurately.
This question in role-specific interviews
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