"What are your salary expectations?" is one of the trickiest questions in an interview — especially when it comes early. Name a number too high and you might get screened out; too low and you anchor yourself beneath what the role pays. The first number on the table tends to set the range, so handling this well protects both your candidacy and your future paycheck. Here's how.
This question is about anchoring. Whoever names a number first influences the negotiation that follows. If you give a single figure early — before you know the full role, the level, or the budget — you risk capping yourself or pricing yourself out. The goal is to stay flexible while showing you're informed.
Your approach depends on timing:
Before any interview, know the market:
A researched range lets you answer confidently instead of guessing.
Deflecting early:
I'd like to learn more about the role and responsibilities before discussing numbers. Could you share the budgeted range for this position? That would help me give a useful answer.
Giving a range when pressed:
Based on my research for this kind of role and my experience, I'm targeting somewhere in the range of [X to Y]. I'm flexible depending on the full scope and the overall package.
Turning it back:
I'm sure we can find a number that works for both of us. What range has the company budgeted for this role?
Asking for their range is completely fair — many employers will share it, which saves you from anchoring first.
When you can't avoid it:
A range keeps the conversation open; a single low number closes it at your expense.
Early on, politely deflect and ask for the budgeted range, or give a wide researched range. When pressed, provide a market-backed range anchored around your target, and signal flexibility based on the full package — never a single low number.
A range is almost always better. It keeps the negotiation open and avoids capping yourself. Anchor the low end at or slightly above your target, and base the range on research for the role, level, and location.
Yes, and it's a smart move. Asking what the company has budgeted is fair and common — it often gets them to anchor first, saving you from committing to a number before you have full information.
Give a researched range rather than a single figure, anchored around your target, and note you're flexible depending on the overall scope and package. Keep it tied to market data so it reads as informed, not arbitrary.
Handling salary questions with composure comes from preparation and practice — knowing your range and rehearsing the words. PrismResume's mock interview tool lets you practice the salary question and other tricky moments for your target role and get feedback, so you protect your leverage instead of fumbling the number. Try it at prismresume.com/interview/intro.
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