The right answer to “What are your salary expectations?” depends on when you hear it. In an early recruiter screen, ask for the role’s level and pay band first, then give a researched total-compensation range whose bottom is a number you would happily accept. Mid-loop, confirm you are still aligned and keep the focus on the role. Once an offer is close, stop giving ranges and name a specific target tied to market data for that level. Dodging the question entirely rarely works for long; a range built from real data protects you far better than a guess.
Below: what the recruiter is checking at each stage, when to deflect versus give a range, how to research your number in about 30 minutes, word-for-word scripts, special cases (new grad, career switch, remote, startup equity) and the mistakes that cost the most. For the negotiation that comes after the offer, see our software engineer salary negotiation guide.
Why recruiters ask, and how the question changes by stage
Recruiters ask early so nobody spends a full interview loop on a candidate whose expectations sit far outside the budget for the role. They also want to know where in the band you might land. That is a fair question, not a trap, but whatever you say becomes an anchor for every later conversation, so treat it as part of the negotiation.
| Stage | What they are checking | Your best move |
|---|---|---|
| Application form (“desired salary” field) | A rough filter | Skip it if optional; if required, enter a researched figure that fits the posted range, or “negotiable” if text is allowed |
| Recruiter screen | Budget fit and the level you are targeting | Ask for the band and level, then give a researched range |
| Hiring manager or mid-loop | Whether anything has changed | Reconfirm alignment briefly; send numbers back to the recruiter |
| After the final round (“before we put an offer together…”) | What number gets a yes | Name a target for the level you are now being offered |
| Offer in hand | Whether you will accept | Counter with specific numbers per component (base, equity, sign-on) |
The early answer matters most because it is given with the least information. You often do not know the level yet, and level decides most of the pay difference between two offers at the same company.
Give a range, deflect, or ask for the band?
You have four options. Most strong answers combine the first and third: ask for the band, then give a range if the recruiter will not share one.
| Approach | Sounds like | When it works | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ask for the band first | “Could you share the range budgeted for this level?” | Almost always worth trying first | The recruiter may decline and ask again |
| Defer until later | “I’d like to understand scope and level before I put a number on it.” | Very early, when the level is genuinely unclear | Pushing it a second time can stall the process |
| Researched range | “$X to $Y in total compensation, depending on level and the full package.” | Most recruiter screens | The bottom of your range becomes the anchor |
| Single number | “I’m targeting $X total.” | Late stages, once you know the level and band | Too low leaves money behind; too high can end things early |
Two details decide whether a range helps you. First, recruiters remember the low end, so make the bottom of your range your target, not your floor. Second, say whether you mean base salary or total compensation. At companies that pay in equity and bonus as well as salary, “$X” means very different things depending on which one you meant.
Check the posting and your state’s rules first
Before you answer, look for a pay range in the job posting. Several US states now require one. As of October 2026, according to each state’s labor department:
- California: employers with 15 or more employees must include a pay scale in job postings and must give an applicant the pay scale for the role on reasonable request. Employers generally cannot seek your salary history, though the Labor Commissioner’s FAQ notes they may still ask about your salary expectations.
- Washington: employers with 15 or more employees must post a wage scale or salary range plus a general description of benefits and other compensation, and employers cannot seek an applicant’s wage or salary history.
- New York State: businesses with four or more employees must list compensation ranges for advertised jobs, promotions and transfers.
Other states and some cities have their own versions, and the details change, so check your state labor department’s site. Where a posted range exists, you can skip the guessing: “The posting lists $X to $Y. Given my experience with [relevant work], I’d expect to be in the upper part of that range.”
How to research your range in 30 minutes
- Pin down the level (5 minutes). Ask the recruiter which level the role is scoped at. Level names differ between companies, so compare scope and years of experience, not titles.
- Collect data from at least two sources (15 minutes). Use the table below.
- Set three numbers (5 minutes). Your walk-away (the lowest offer you would accept), your target and a stretch you could justify with data. Your stated range runs from target to stretch.
- Convert everything to total compensation (5 minutes). The free total comp calculator turns base, bonus, equity and sign-on into a Year 1 total and a steady-state annual figure, so you compare like with like.
| Source | What it gives you | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| The job posting | The employer’s own good-faith range for the role | Ranges can be wide and may cover base only |
| Levels.fyi | Crowd-sourced pay by company and level, with columns for total, base, first-year stock, and bonus plus sign-on | Self-reported; thin data for smaller companies; stock values move |
| US Department of Labor H-1B disclosure data | Employer, job title, worksite and the offered wage range on certified Labor Condition Applications, published by fiscal year on the OFLC performance data page | Wage only, no equity; large spreadsheets; job titles vary by employer |
| BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook | A national baseline: the median annual wage for software developers was $135,980 in May 2025 | Covers all employers nationwide, so it says little about big-tech total compensation |
| People | Recent offers from friends, former colleagues and recruiters at other companies | Ask about level and total compensation, not just base |
Scripts for every stage
These are example scripts we wrote. Replace the brackets with your own level, location and researched numbers, and say them out loud until they sound like you.
Recruiter screen: ask first
“Before I give a number, could you share the range for this role and the level you’re considering me for? I want to make sure we’re aligned before we both invest more time.”
If they share it: “Thanks, that works as a starting point. Based on my research for [level] roles, I’d expect to land in the upper half, depending on the full package.”
If they don’t: “Based on what I’ve seen for [level] software engineering roles in [city or remote], I’m targeting total compensation of $X to $Y. I’m flexible on the mix of base, bonus and equity; the full package matters more to me than any one part.”
When they push for one number
“If you need a single number for your notes, put down $X in total compensation, with the understanding that I’ll look at the full offer once we know the level.”
When they ask what you make now
“I’d rather focus on what this role is worth, since the scope is different from my current one. What range do you have budgeted?” In states that ban salary-history questions, a recruiter usually will not ask; elsewhere you can still decline politely and return to the role’s range.
Hiring manager or mid-loop
“I believe [recruiter] and I are aligned on the range. Right now I’m most interested in the team and the scope, and I’m happy to go through the numbers with [recruiter] once we’re closer to an offer.”
Before the offer: “Where do you need to be?”
“For [level], I’m targeting $X in total compensation. If the offer lands close to that, I’d expect to make a decision quickly.” Only mention other interview processes if they are real, and never invent a competing offer.
Offer stage
Once the written offer arrives, ranges are over. Thank them, ask for a day or two, then counter with specific numbers for base, equity and sign-on. Our negotiation guide covers counters, competing offers and “best and final.”
Special cases
| Situation | What changes | How to answer |
|---|---|---|
| New grad | Packages are often standardized by level | Say you expect the standard new-grad package and ask how sign-on and relocation work; see negotiating a new grad offer |
| Career switcher or bootcamp grad | The level you are slotted at matters more than any number | Ask which level they are considering first, and research that level |
| Remote role | Some companies set pay by location | Ask whether pay varies by location and which zone applies to you before you quote |
| Startup with equity | Equity is hard to value | Quote cash and equity separately; ask for share count and strike price later in the process |
| Contract or hourly | Your rate must cover benefits and gaps between contracts | Quote an hourly rate and confirm the contract type before comparing it with salaried offers |
Mistakes that cost the most
- Quoting your current pay as your expectation. It ties a new, bigger role to an old package.
- Putting your floor at the bottom of the range. Offers tend to gravitate toward the low end you named.
- Mixing up base and total. Say which one you mean, every time.
- Naming a number before you know the level. Ask first; a range for the wrong level is wrong in both directions.
- Using a national median for a big-tech role. Broad averages are a sanity check, not a target.
- Hedging out loud. “Maybe around… I don’t know, is that OK?” invites a lower offer. State the range, then stop talking.
- Refusing three times. Deferring once is normal; refusing repeatedly reads as evasive and can end the process.
- Inventing leverage. A made-up competing offer can cost you the real one.
Practice the answer out loud
This question takes about 20 seconds to answer and is easy to fumble when it comes unexpectedly. Rehearse it like any other interview answer:
- Write your walk-away, target and stretch numbers, and the source for each.
- Say the recruiter-screen script out loud five times, then record yourself once and listen for hedging.
- Have a friend push back with “That’s above our band,” “I need one number” and “What do you make now?”
- Practice the rest of the recruiter screen too. A free AI mock interview in CoPilot Interview reads questions built from your résumé and the job description aloud and scores each spoken answer out of 10 with what to fix, which is useful for the “tell me about yourself” and “why this company” questions that usually come right before the salary one.
For those openers, see “Tell me about yourself” for software engineers, “Why are you leaving your current job?” and our list of questions to ask a recruiter, which includes how to ask about level and band.
Rehearse the whole recruiter screen
Paste the job description and your résumé, answer an AI interviewer out loud, and get a score out of 10 with what to fix and a model answer for each question. Free for 15 minutes a day, no credit card.
Try a free AI mock interviewFAQ
Should I give a salary range or a specific number?
Early in the process, give a range after asking for the band, and make the bottom of the range your target rather than your floor. Switch to a specific number once you know the level and an offer is close.
Is it OK to refuse to answer "what are your salary expectations"?
Deferring once is fine, especially if the level is unclear: ask for the band and say you would like to understand the scope first. Refusing repeatedly tends to read as evasive, so have a researched range ready for the second ask.
Should my range be base salary or total compensation?
Say which one you mean every time. For companies that pay equity and bonuses, total compensation is usually the more useful figure, but some recruiters ask specifically about base, so have both numbers ready.
Can a recruiter ask what I make now?
It depends on where you live. As of October 2026, California and Washington generally bar employers from seeking salary history, while other places have different rules. Wherever you are, you can politely decline and steer back to the range for the role.
What if the range I gave turns out to be too low?
Update it before the offer is written. Tell the recruiter that after learning more about the scope and level, and after more research, your expectation is now $X to $Y, and explain what changed. It is much harder to move once the offer exists.
What should a new grad say when asked about salary expectations?
Many companies use standard new-grad packages, so say you expect the standard package for the level, ask what the range is, and ask how the sign-on bonus and relocation work. Those parts are often where new grads have the most room.