---
title: "How Do I Answer \"What Are Your Salary Expectations?\""
description: "Give a range, not a number. Research market rate on Glassdoor, LinkedIn Salary, or Payscale, anchor to the top third, and use your real floor as the low end. If asked too early, redirect with a question about the budgeted range."
canonical: "https://mortit.com/blog/how-to-answer-what-are-your-salary-expectations"
---
Interview Prep

# How Do I Answer "What Are Your Salary Expectations?"

Give a researched range, anchor to the top third of the market, and never name a figure below your real floor.

8 min read Updated October 2026

By [Arash Abdollahi](https://mortit.com/about), Founder Published by [MORT](https://mortit.com/) Updated October 2026

TL;DR

**Give a range, not a single number.** Research market rate before the interview using Glassdoor, LinkedIn Salary, or Payscale. Anchor to the top third of that range, with your real floor as the low end. If asked too early, redirect: "Could you share the budgeted range?" When pushed, give the range and commit to it. MORT shows salary data per matched job so you arrive knowing the market for that specific role.

The salary expectations question shows up in phone screens, HR rounds, and first interviews - often before you have enough information to answer it well. Answer too high and you risk getting screened out. Answer too low and you anchor the offer below what the employer was prepared to pay. The good news is there is a reliable approach that protects you in either direction.

## Why they ask it

Interviewers are not trying to trap you. The salary question is a practical filter used to confirm a candidate fits within the approved budget before investing further interview rounds in them. HR uses it to route candidates to the right level and scope. In a market where many roles attract dozens or hundreds of applications, it is one of the fastest ways to sort alignment early.

The complication is that it comes up before you know the full picture - the scope, the team, the equity structure, the promotion path. That is the situation this guide is designed for.

## Research the market rate before the interview

The only way to give a confident, defensible answer is to know what the role pays before the call. Use at least two sources and cross-reference them:

1

#### Check the job posting itself

Several US states now require employers to include salary ranges in job postings. California (AB 168, effective 2018), Colorado (Equal Pay for Equal Work Act, effective 2021), New York City (Local Law 32, effective 2022), Washington State (HB 1696, effective 2023), and Illinois (Equal Pay Act amendment, effective 2025) all require salary or pay range disclosure. If the posting includes a range, that is your starting point.

2

#### Glassdoor and LinkedIn Salary

Both aggregate self-reported compensation by role, location, and years of experience. Search for the specific job title at the target company, or for similar companies in the same sector. Look at the median and the top quartile, not just the average.

3

#### Payscale

Payscale offers a free salary report based on your specific title, experience, location, and skills. It is useful as a cross-check, particularly for non-tech roles where Levels.fyi has less data.

4

#### Levels.fyi for tech roles

For software engineering and tech roles, Levels.fyi breaks out total compensation by company, level, and location - including base, equity (RSUs), and signing bonus. More precise than general salary sites for this sector.

#### Salary transparency laws as a research tool

Even if you are not applying for a role in one of the states with disclosure requirements, many large employers post ranges on all their listings to stay consistent. Search for similar roles at the same company in a state that requires disclosure - the range will apply to the same level nationally.

## The range formula

Once you have your research, build a range using this structure:

-   **Low end:** your real floor - the minimum you would accept and still take the job, factoring in total compensation (base, bonus, equity, benefits, location). This is not a starting point you drop to seem flexible. If you go below it, you have negotiated against yourself.
-   **High end:** the top third of the market range for the role and location. Anchoring here gives the employer room to come in below it while still landing above your floor.
-   **Spread:** keep the range tight enough to be useful. A £30,000 to £70,000 range signals you have no idea. A £58,000 to £68,000 range signals you have done the work and know where you fit.

A useful framing: the number you give as your low end is the number the employer will likely target. If your research says the role pays £55,000 to £70,000 and your real floor is £58,000, your range is £58,000 to £68,000 - not £50,000 to £70,000. Never give a range with a low end below your floor to appear open to negotiation. That is the most common way candidates leave money on the table.

## If they ask too early

Sometimes the question comes before you know the full scope - in the first five minutes of a phone screen, before you have seen the full job description, or at a stage where the level is still unclear. You are allowed to ask before answering.

A redirect that works in most contexts:

#### Redirect script

"I want to give you a realistic number - could you share the budgeted range for this role? I am happy to tell you whether that works for me."

Most interviewers will give you a range or a ballpark. That tells you two things: whether the role is even in your range, and where in your range to anchor. If they decline to share a range, give a broad preliminary one and say you would revisit once you have a clearer picture of the full scope and responsibilities.

## What to do when pushed

Some interviewers will push for a specific number. The right move is to hold the range and commit to it without apologising:

"Based on my research for this role and location, I am targeting \[low end\] to \[high end\]. I am flexible depending on the full package, but that is the range I have in mind."

Saying "I am flexible" without a range is not an answer - it hands the employer the anchor. Saying a range and then dropping it when pushed signals that the range was not real. Give the range, hold it, and move the conversation forward.

## What goes wrong

The two most common mistakes, and why they matter:

| Response type | What it sounds like | What goes wrong |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Under-anchoring** | "I am open to whatever is fair," or naming a number below market to seem agreeable | The employer anchors to your low number. Even a successful negotiation starts from the wrong baseline. |
| **Over-shooting** | Naming a number well above the approved budget without a range to negotiate from | You get screened out before later rounds where you could have made the case for more. No second chance. |
| **No research** | A range that is either very wide or noticeably off-market for the location or level | Signals a lack of preparation. Interviewers use salary fluency as a proxy for how seriously the candidate has considered the role. |
| **Researched range, clearly anchored** | "Based on the market for this role in \[city\], I am targeting \[X\] to \[Y\], with \[X\] as my floor." | No problem. Employer knows you are prepared and serious. The conversation moves forward. |

"What goes wrong" outcomes are based on common patterns in hiring conversations, not measured data. Individual outcomes vary by employer, role, and context.

## How MORT helps

MORT is an AI job-matching platform for people who want to apply to more relevant jobs in less time. It scans thousands of company career pages, scores every job 0-100% for compatibility with your skills and experience, and generates a tailored resume for each application.

One side effect of that matching process is that you see salary data alongside every role MORT surfaces - so when the salary question comes up, you already know where that specific job sits in the market, not just the general range for a job title. That is a different kind of preparation than looking up a title on Glassdoor: it is per-job, per-company context, not an average.

For the negotiation that follows the offer, see our guide on [how to negotiate a salary job offer](https://mortit.com/blog/how-to-negotiate-salary-job-offer). The salary expectations question sets the anchor; the offer negotiation is where you move it.

## Frequently asked questions

### Should I give a number or a range when asked about salary expectations?

Always give a range. A single number either screens you out (too high) or anchors the offer below what the employer was prepared to pay (too low). A range keeps both sides flexible and lets you anchor toward the top end of what the role is worth.

### What if they ask about salary expectations before I know enough about the role?

Redirect with a question. Try: "I want to make sure I give you a realistic number - could you share the budgeted range for this role?" Most interviewers will give you a range or a ballpark. If they push back, give a broad preliminary range and say you would like to revisit once you have a clearer picture of the full scope.

### How do I research salary ranges before an interview?

Use at least two sources and cross-reference them. Glassdoor and LinkedIn Salary show reported compensation by role and location. Payscale offers free salary reports by title and experience level. For tech roles, Levels.fyi breaks out base, equity, and bonus for specific companies. Many US states now require employers to post salary ranges in job adverts - California, Colorado, New York City, Washington State, and Illinois all have active laws - so check the posting itself first.

### What is my real floor and why does it matter?

Your real floor is the minimum you would accept and still take the job, factoring in total compensation. It matters because the low end of the range you give in an interview is where the offer is likely to land. If your low end is below your real floor, you have negotiated against yourself before the conversation starts.

### What should I say if the interviewer keeps pushing for a single number?

Hold the range and commit to it confidently. Say: "Based on my research and experience, I am targeting \[low end\] to \[high end\]. I am flexible depending on the overall package." Do not drop the low end to seem accommodating - that is your floor, not a negotiating chip.

### Is it ever too late to negotiate salary after I have answered this question?

No. The salary expectations question sets an anchor, but the negotiation happens at the offer stage. If the offer comes in below your range, you have standing to push back - the range you gave is the reference point. For a full guide to negotiating after you have the offer in hand, see our post on [how to negotiate a salary job offer](https://mortit.com/blog/how-to-negotiate-salary-job-offer).

## Know the market rate before the interview

MORT scores every job 0-100% for how well it fits your skills and experience and surfaces salary data alongside each matched role, so you arrive at every conversation knowing what that specific job pays - not just the general range for a title.

[Start Free](https://app.mortit.com/signup) [Interview Prep Resources](https://mortit.com/interview-prep)

## Related Resources

### [How to Negotiate a Salary Job Offer](https://mortit.com/blog/how-to-negotiate-salary-job-offer)

What to say, when to say it, and how to hold your number at the offer stage

### [Behavioral Interview Questions](https://mortit.com/blog/behavioral-interview-questions)

How to structure STAR answers for the most common competency questions

### [How Do I Answer "Why Do You Want to Work Here?"](https://mortit.com/blog/how-to-answer-why-do-you-want-to-work-here)

The three-part answer that shows you have done your research

### [How to Prepare for a Second Interview](https://mortit.com/blog/how-to-prepare-for-a-second-interview)

What changes in round two and how to raise your chances of an offer

## Sources

-   California AB 168 (salary history ban and pay scale disclosure, effective 2018): [leginfo.legislature.ca.gov](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201720180AB168)
-   Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act (salary range disclosure in job postings, effective 2021): [cdle.colorado.gov](https://cdle.colorado.gov/equalpaytransparency)
-   New York City Local Law 32 (salary range disclosure in job ads, effective 2022): [nyc.gov](https://www.nyc.gov/site/cchr/law/pay-transparency.page)
-   Washington State HB 1696 (wage scale disclosure in job postings, effective 2023): [leg.wa.gov](https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=1696&Year=2022)
-   Illinois Equal Pay Act amendment (pay scale and benefits disclosure in job postings, effective 2025): [ilga.gov](https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=2901&ChapterID=68)
-   Glassdoor Salary tool (compensation data by role, company, and location): [glassdoor.com](https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/index.htm)
-   LinkedIn Salary (reported compensation by title, location, and experience): [linkedin.com/salary](https://www.linkedin.com/salary/)
-   Payscale salary reports (compensation by title, experience, and skills): [payscale.com](https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Country=United_States/Salary)
-   Levels.fyi (total compensation data for tech roles by company, level, and location): [levels.fyi](https://www.levels.fyi/)