6 Genius Ways to Answer Your Salary Expectations In Interviews

Given that 57% of employers ask about salary expectations at some point in the hiring process, it’s essential to be ready in case this question comes up in an interview setting.

To help you talk numbers with confidence, we asked 7 hiring and career experts how you can effectively answer interviewers when asked about salary, and provide example scripts that you can use.

1. Know your worth before the interview

Before you go into an interview, you should have a clear idea of what kind of salary range is fair. Otherwise, you risk getting lowballed by employers or passed up because they think you’re asking for too much.

Kolby Goodman, Career Coach and Candidate Experience Expert at The Job Huntr, believes negotiation starts “the second you submit your application.”

The salary your next employer is willing to pay you is in direct correlation to the kind of impact they think you’re going to be able to make.

Kolby Goodman, Career Coach and Candidate Experience Expert at The Job Huntr

Goodman urges candidates to clearly demonstrate their value and achievements in their resumes, cover letters, and LinkedIn profiles, noting that quantifying your contributions early on can significantly influence salary negotiations.

To help you get prepared before the interview, you’ll want a game plan for how you’ll expand on the information in your resume and cover letter, rather than just repeating information.

You can try preparing a list of your documented experiences and achievements, and get ready to elaborate on them with detailed examples of your successes.

Knowing the appropriate salary ranges for your role, based on your experience and location, is also a key step in negotiating your salary.

Travis Lindemoen, Founder of Enjoy Mondays, recommends job applicants to always do their homework when researching a company. He says:

“Going into an interview or negotiation without a solid understanding of typical salary ranges for the role, your skillset, and your geographic area is going to set you up for failure.”

Nicole Griffin, a Talent Acquisition Leader at Korn Ferry, notes that many job seekers benefit from learning about the standard pay rates for their skills, saying:

With so many resources available, including companies revealing their pay ranges, there’s no reason not to be ready for a conversation about salary.

Nicole Griffin, Talent Acquisition Leader at Korn Ferry

Here are some ways you can equip yourself for a successful salary discussion before an interview:

2. Redirect the question if necessary

If you’re asked about your salary expectations during an interview, you should respond tactfully while keeping the conversation focused on your qualifications and how they fit the requirements of the role.

John Goodison, Senior Manager of Talent Acquisition at the University of Phoenix, warns against being overly vague.

He recommends avoiding phrases that seem flexible but lack clarity, such as: “My salary expectations are negotiable.” or “I’m comfortable with your published salary range.”

In a situation where your target role’s salary range isn’t already published in the job ad — and the interviewer asks for your salary expectations, Goodison encourages candidates to politely but directly ask the interviewer about the salary range available for the position.

If they don’t have a salary range available, you can ask them what the company’s budget is.

Below are three ways to tactfully address salary expectations:

3. Leverage your skills and impact when the range is shared

When an interviewer shares the salary range for a position, remember that you don’t need to make a final decision at that moment. Instead, you should be thinking about how to position yourself optimally for when an offer is extended.

When discussing your salary expectations, explain how hiring you will uniquely contribute to the company’s success.

Goodison provides a script:

He adds, “This strategy demonstrates not just your worth, but also your awareness of the market and readiness to find the best fit, leveraging your alternatives if necessary. Always prepare to discuss the unique benefits you bring, making it clear why you’re worth the investment.”

Dominique Vatin, Career Expert at CV Genius, recommends always going for the higher end of the salary range — if you’re ready to back up your claims:

“If you’re new to the field, don’t automatically assume you should position yourself at the low end of a salary range. While employers are more likely to recognize your junior status, there’s a reason you were invited to the interview in the first place. If you know you have a highly valuable skill or experience, insist on this fact and the impact you can have on the business.”

Here are some practical steps for highlighting your value depending on how you feel about the interviewer’s response:

4. If the interviewer insists, present a salary range

You should enter interviews armed with your own salary bottom line.

If an interviewer continues to press for your salary expectations, present a thoughtfully researched range to help set expectations.

Goodison advises, “If you aim for $80,000, suggest a range between $80,000 and $90,000. Tie your expectations to your experience.”

He suggests including your years of experience in the field as well as leveraging what other companies list out in their job postings:

“With 8 years in this industry, I’ve observed salaries ranging from $80,000 to $90,000 for similar roles, aligning with my experience level.”

For seasoned professionals with in-demand skills and multiple job offers, Geoffrey Scott, Senior Hiring Manager at Resume Genius, recommends a direct approach:

“Only if you’re extremely experienced and confident that you can find other opportunities would I say it’s acceptable to provide a specific figure based on your expertise and skill set. However, tell the employer you’re still open to discussion about the final number as part of a collaborative process.”

5. Don’t share your previous salary during the hiring process

While you should be prepared with a salary range, you never want to reveal your previous salaries to prospective employers.

Sharing this information might cause employers to base their offer on your past earnings, potentially resulting in a lower salary than what you might aim for.

To ensure you’re getting a fair offer, job seekers can familiarize themselves with salary history bans in certain areas.

These policies are designed to reduce wage gaps and can guide you in understanding what a fair salary looks like.

You should also be aware that some companies may be legally allowed to ask for your previous salary slips, so research whether your specific city or state allows this, and under what circumstances.

Here are two polite responses you can give if you’re asked to disclose your salary:

6. Show you’re open to negotiating

Once you’ve received a tentative or official job offer, entering into salary negotiations is both recommended and expected as the next step.

“Salary negotiations can be scary because there was a school of thought that asking for more may make the company rescind the offer. This really isn’t the case. They’ve invested time and energy in interviewing you and have decided you’re the person for the job,” advises Griffin.

She suggests that if the initial offer is lower than you expected, approach the conversation with a collaborative spirit by saying:

Michelle Holahan, Vice President and Head of Employer Brand at HireMinds, says, “You should feel confident in your ask. If you know your worth and project confidence and transparency throughout the process, you’re demonstrating your value without having to fight for it.”

Job seekers should also prepare not just for the negotiation itself but also think about their backup plan, known as the Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement (BATNA), before discussing salary.

This strategy involves knowing what options you have if negotiations don’t go as planned.

A strong BATNA gives you confidence during negotiations because you’ll know your lowest acceptable offer and have a clear alternative path if the initial talks don’t meet your expectations.

If you’re interviewing with other companies with higher salary ranges, Vatin suggests the following script to follow:

Similarly, Holahan also recommends job seekers look at additional negotiation opportunities beyond the base salary.

“Remember there are a lot of other things outside of base salary that can be negotiated if there is no movement on that base number. You can look at things like incentive-based comp, PTO, flexibility, [and] equity. You can also negotiate [future] compensation reviews on a certain timeline should you meet the specific goals [asked of you].”

Sources

• Payscale, “2024 Compensation Best Practices Report”
• Resume Genius, “Communication Named #1 Soft Skill in AI-Influenced Workplace”

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