What Are Your Salary Expectations? How to Answer in 2026

"What are your salary expectations?" feels like a trap: name a number too high and you risk being screened out, too low and you leave money on the table. It is actually a budget-alignment question, and you can answer it calmly with preparation. Below are a direct answer, word-for-word scripts for four common situations, a method for researching your range, and how pay transparency laws change your leverage.

Quick Answer: Give a researched range, not a single number, and anchor it to the role, your location, and your experience. If you do not yet know the scope or budget, ask for the employer's range first. Never refuse to answer outright, and never name a floor you would not be happy to accept.

What Are Your Salary Expectations? The Direct Answer

Answer with a salary range you researched for this specific role and location, and say you are open to discussing the full compensation package. For example: "Based on my research for this role in [city or remote] and my [X] years of experience, I'm looking at [$X to $Y], and I'm flexible depending on the overall package."

Career guides including Indeed's salary expectations guide describe the same core options: offer a range, ask for the employer's budget first, deflect early if the scope is unclear, or discuss total compensation. The right choice depends on where you are in the process, which is what the table below maps out.

How Do You Answer Salary Expectations With a Recruiter?

On a recruiter screen, the recruiter is checking whether your expectations fit an approved budget, so a clear researched range saves everyone time. Share it with the reasoning attached, then invite their response.

Script: "Based on what I've seen for [role] in [location or remote] and my background in [specific skill], I'm targeting [$X to $Y]. I'm flexible on the mix of base and other compensation. Does that line up with what you have budgeted?"

If you are in a state where employers must share a range, you can also lead with the question. A line from our guide on pay transparency laws and salary negotiation works well: "Could you share the salary range you have budgeted for this position? I want to make sure we're aligned before moving forward."

What Do You Put for Salary Expectations on an Application?

If the field is free text, write "Negotiable" or a short range. If it accepts only numbers, enter a researched figure from the middle of your range, then raise the full range once you are talking to a person.

Script (in a text box): "Negotiable based on the full scope of the role and total compensation. Researched range for this role: [$X to $Y]."

Avoid entering a figure that is far below market just to get past the form. It is hard to move an employer off a number you entered yourself, and it can quietly screen you out of better-paying levels of the same role.

What If They Push Back or Press for a Number?

Hold your position politely: restate your range, give one reason it is grounded, and move the conversation to total compensation. Pushing back is normal and rarely a sign you did something wrong.

Script: "I understand you need a number to work with. Based on market data for this role and my experience in [X], [$X to $Y] is where I'm comfortable. If the base is tighter than that, I'm happy to look at bonus, equity, paid time off, and flexibility together."

If they say your range is above budget, ask what the range is and what would make a higher level possible. The conversation is easier once both numbers are on the table.

What If You Do Not Know the Salary Range for the Role?

Say so honestly and ask the employer to share their budget first, or defer until the scope is clearer. Indeed's guide lists asking for the employer's range and deflecting early as standard approaches.

Script (ask first): "I don't have enough detail on the scope yet to price myself accurately, but I'd like to learn more about the range you have for this role. Could you share it?"

Script (defer): "I'd like to understand the responsibilities better before naming a number. I'm confident we can find something that works for both of us. What does the next step look like?"

If they still want a number, give the researched range from the next section rather than stalling a second time.

How Do You Research a Salary Range Before the Interview?

Start with the job posting itself, then cross-check against government wage data and two or three independent sources. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics runs the Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program, which publishes wage estimates for roughly 830 occupations at the national, state, and metro-area level, with the latest data from May 2025.

A simple method:

1. Posted range first. If the job posting lists a range, use it as your anchor.
2. Official data. Look up the occupation and your metro area in BLS OEWS.
3. Triangulate. Compare Glassdoor, Levels.fyi for tech, and similar sites. Treat them as secondary because they rely on self-reported figures.
4. Adjust for you. Move toward the upper end if you have specialized skills, such as the ones in the AI skills salary premium analysis.
5. Set your floor. Decide the lowest base you would accept before you ever take the call.

State your range as a band whose bottom is a number you would truly be happy with, because that is the figure most employers anchor on.

When Should You Bring Up Salary in the Interview Process?

Let the employer raise it first when you can, but be ready to answer it as early as the first recruiter call. The strongest negotiating position comes after the company has decided it wants you, so avoid pushing a detailed negotiation before an offer.

In practice, you should: give a range if asked at the screen, hold the detailed negotiation until there is an offer, and make sure your pitch for why you fit the role lands before the number comes up.

How Do Pay Transparency Laws Change the Answer?

In places with pay transparency laws, the employer's range may already be public, so you can anchor to it instead of guessing. Several US states now require salary ranges in job postings, and a growing number also ban employers from asking about your pay history.

Verified recent developments, per employment-law firm Foley & Lardner: Virginia's pay transparency and salary history ban took effect July 1, 2026; Maine's law, covering employers with 10 or more employees, took effect July 29, 2026; and Delaware's posting requirement for employers with 25 or more employees is set for September 2027. Colorado's law also covers remote jobs that could be performed in Colorado, which means a remote posting may carry a range even if you live elsewhere.

For the full jurisdiction list, thresholds, and penalties, see our guide to pay transparency laws and salary negotiation. Laws vary by state and change often, so confirm the rules for your state with an official source before relying on them.

What Mistakes Should You Avoid When Answering?

Avoid naming a number before you know the scope, naming a figure far below market, refusing to answer at all, and treating base salary as the only part of the package.

• Too low, too fast. It is hard to correct later.
• Single hard number. A range gives you room to move.
• Stonewalling. Refusing to say anything reads as evasive; deflect once, then give your range.
• Ignoring total compensation. Bonus, equity, time off, and flexibility can close a gap the base cannot.

In a market where hiring is competitive, preparation is the edge. For more context, see our guide to navigating a tough 2026 job market.

Your Next Step

Before your next interview, write down your researched range, your floor, and the one-sentence reason behind it, then say your chosen script aloud until it comes out calmly. Knowing exactly what to answer when someone asks "what are your salary expectations" is half the confidence.