Answering the salary expectations question

Why deflecting is worth a try

The company has a band. They know it; you do not. If you name a number below the band, that becomes your ceiling. If you name one above it, you may be screened out before anyone has decided they want you. Letting them go first costs you nothing and occasionally gains a great deal.

• "I'd rather learn more about the role and scope first. Do you have a band for this position?" - polite, and recruiters answer it more often than candidates expect.
• "What has the company budgeted for this role?" - direct, and perfectly normal to ask.
• In some jurisdictions the posting or the recruiter is legally required to disclose a range on request. Ask.

When you have to give a number

• Research first. Know the band for the role, level and city before the call. Walking in without a number is how people get anchored.
• Give a range whose bottom you would genuinely accept, because that bottom is what you will be offered.
• Make the range narrow. A wide range reads as uncertainty and gets read at its floor.
• Anchor on total compensation, not base, if equity and bonus are meaningful in your market.
• Add a condition rather than a hedge: "Based on what I've seen for this level in this city, I'm looking at X to Y, and I'd want to understand the full package before committing."

The variants

• "What are you currently making?" Illegal for employers to ask in several jurisdictions. You are not obliged to answer, and "I'd rather focus on the value of this role" is sufficient.
• "What's your minimum?" Do not answer this one literally. Your minimum becomes the offer.
• An exploding low offer - treat the deadline as information about the company as much as about the offer.

After the number

Naming a range is not negotiating; the negotiation happens when the offer arrives. The mechanics of that conversation - what is actually flexible, and the script - are in how to negotiate a new grad offer and, for experienced roles, the software engineer salary negotiation guide.

Where CoPilot Interview fits

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Frequently asked questions

How should you answer the salary expectations question?

Try to deflect once by asking for the company's band, since whoever names a number first gives up information. If you have to answer, give a researched and narrow range whose bottom you would genuinely accept, because that bottom is what you will be offered.

Should you give a salary range or a single number?

A narrow range, anchored on researched market data for that role, level and location. A wide range reads as uncertainty and gets interpreted at its lowest value, so keep the spread tight and make sure you would accept the floor.

Do you have to answer what you currently earn?

No, and in several jurisdictions employers are prohibited from asking. Redirecting to the value of the role you are discussing is a complete answer, and no reasonable recruiter will press it.

What if the recruiter insists on a number first?

Give your researched range rather than deflecting a third time - repeated deflection reads as evasive. Frame it with the basis: what you have seen for that level in that market, and a note that you would want to understand the full package.