The interview
Salary expectations: what to ask for and how to answer
The salary expectations question makes people uneasy: you worry about asking too much or selling yourself short. With a few reliable benchmarks and a range prepared in advance, it becomes just another step.
Why the question comes up, and what changed in 2026
An employer has a budget for the role. Asking your expectations is mainly a way to check you fall within it before both sides invest more time. It’s a normal question, and it often comes early.
In the European Union, new pay transparency rules say employers must give the starting salary or its range, in the ad or before the interview, and may no longer ask about your pay history; details depend on each country’s law. Elsewhere, rules vary, but asking for the budgeted range is always reasonable.
1. Research market pay
Don’t start from your current salary or a figure you heard somewhere: start from what the market pays for this role, in this area, at your level. Some reliable sources:
- Official statistics: in the UK, the Office for National Statistics publishes employee earnings by occupation every year (Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings); in the US, the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Outlook Handbook gives median pay by occupation.
- Comparable job ads that show a salary range: note several for the same job title and area.
- Collective agreements or pay scales, in sectors and countries that have them (public sector, healthcare, many EU countries).
- Your network: former colleagues, professional bodies, alumni. People talk about ranges more easily than about their own pay.
Always note the basis of a figure: gross or net, annual or hourly, base pay alone or with bonus. In the UK and the US, salaries are usually discussed as gross annual pay.
2. Set your range
Prepare three figures, all on the same basis:
- Your walk-away point: the amount below which you’d turn the job down. Keep it to yourself.
- Your target: what you consider fair given the market and what you bring.
- The top of your range: a little above your target, to leave room to negotiate.
The range you state runs from your target to the top; your walk-away point stays private. Look at the whole package too, because two offers with the same base salary can be very different:
| Element | What to check |
|---|---|
| Base salary | Gross annual, and how often it’s reviewed |
| Bonus or commission | Target amount, criteria, cap, what was actually paid in past years |
| Pension or retirement plan | Employer contribution, matching |
| Benefits | Health insurance, life cover, travel, equipment, remote work |
| Hours and leave | Contracted hours, paid holiday, on-call duties |
3. Answer on a form or in an interview
On an application form, a “salary expectations” field is often mandatory. Give a range rather than a single figure, and if there’s a free-text field, add “depending on the scope of the role and the full package”.
In an interview, you can first ask for the budgeted range; if the question comes back to you, give yours calmly, with what it’s based on:
For a marketing executive role with five years’ agency experience, and based on comparable ads I’ve seen in the area, I’m looking for between [my target] and [the top of my range] a year. I’m open depending on the full package: bonus, remote working and benefits.
Then stop talking: whoever fills the silence first often ends up lowering their figure. If you’re applying in the European Union and are asked your current salary, you can politely say you’d rather discuss the role and its range.
4. Negotiate the offer
The real negotiation starts when the offer arrives. Read it in full, ask for it in writing if it was made verbally, and compare it with your target and your walk-away point.
- Argue from the role, not your expenses: the responsibilities, your experience, what the market pays.
- Make one counter-offer, with a figure and a reason.
- If the base is fixed, discuss the rest: bonus, a review date, remote work, training, extra leave.
- Keep the tone positive: thank them, show your interest in the role, stay factual.
Mistakes to avoid
- Mixing up gross and net, or annual and monthly: always check the basis before giving a figure.
- Revealing your walk-away point: it instantly becomes the ceiling of the negotiation.
- Giving a figure with nothing behind it: “it’s what I deserve” persuades less than “it’s what the market pays”.
- Letting a tool invent your expectations on a form: it’s a decision that commits you, so make it yourself.
Frequently asked questions
How should I answer “What are your salary expectations?”
Give a gross annual range based on market data (official statistics, comparable ads, pay scales) and say you’re open depending on the full package. You can also first ask for the range budgeted for the role.
Should I give a single figure or a range?
A range, with the bottom at your target rather than your minimum. It leaves room to talk without tying you to a figure that’s too low.
Can an employer ask for my current salary?
In the European Union, new pay transparency rules say employers may no longer ask candidates about their pay history; details depend on each country. Elsewhere, rules vary. Either way, you can politely steer the conversation back to the role and its range.
Should I give my salary expectations gross or net?
Gross, unless the form says otherwise: employers budget and advertise pay before tax. Say which basis you use (“£X–£Y gross a year”) so there is no misunderstanding.
What do I put in a mandatory salary field?
A gross annual range based on your research. If the field only accepts one number, enter your target; avoid “0” or “negotiable” when the form expects an amount.