How to Answer “What Are Your Salary Expectations?” A Career Coach's Playbook
Lucy Gilmour, Career and Job Search Coach · Published
Summarise with AI: ChatGPT · Perplexity · Claude · Gemini · Grok
Ever wondered why employers ask about your salary expectations when they're the ones hiring? It looks like a simple question. It isn't.
As a career coach with eight years of prior recruiting experience, and over a decade running my own company, I've sat on every side of this conversation. Internal recruiter. Agency recruiter. Hiring decision-maker. I've used most of the tactics myself.
Handle the salary expectations question wrong and one of two things happens: you get lowballed, or you get quietly ruled out before you even reach the interview. Handle it well and you stay in control of the entire process, and the offer.
This is the playbook.
Why Recruiters Actually Ask About Your Salary Expectations
The motivations differ depending on who's asking. Lump them together and you'll mishandle the conversation every time.
Internal Recruiters
Work directly for the employer
Have a defined budget to protect
Look good when they save the company money
Use the question early to filter you in or out
Agency Recruiters
Paid on commission (typically 25–30% of your starting salary)
Higher placements do earn them more
But they're risk-averse, and that's where most candidates get caught
Decision-Makers (Directors, Hiring Managers, CEOs)
More flexibility than recruiters
Care about ROI: are you a worthwhile investment?
Respond to clarity and directness, not vague answers
The Agency Recruiter Trick Most Candidates Miss
You've heard the line: "The more money you earn, the more money I earn."
Technically true. Functionally misleading.
Here's what actually happens. If you're shooting for $120k but tell the recruiter "anything from $90–100k works," they'll close the deal at $100k. Every time.
Why? A guaranteed 25–30% of $100k beats a maybe at 25–30% of $120k. Pushing for the extra $20k risks the placement, the relationship with the client, and weeks of wasted effort.
Recruiters aren't stupid. They're risk-averse. So your bottom line should be your real number, not a generous "minimum" you're secretly willing to drop below.
The 3 Salary Negotiation Mistakes a Career Coach Sees Most Often
These are the three things that cost senior candidates the most money, and sometimes the role itself.
Mistake 1: Being Vague or Evasive
Saying "I'm flexible" or "I'm looking for the market rate" sounds humble. It actually signals one of two things:
You haven't done your homework
If a recruiter has five candidates for a $100k role to fill that week, the vague one gets skipped. So does the one demanding $200k. The three with realistic, researched ranges get the calls.
Vagueness costs you the conversation before it starts.
Mistake 2: Being the First to Drop a Number
With agency recruiters, you can talk figures. They need them to do their job, and the conversation is more open.
With internal recruiters and employers, never go first.
Set the bar too high → you're cut from the shortlist
Set the bar too low → you've capped yourself before the interview
Instead, use a curiosity-based response that demonstrates research without anchoring you to a single number:
"I've been looking at a range of options, and the market seems to vary quite a bit. I've seen anywhere from [low figure] up to [high figure]. Since this is a more senior position, I'm curious how your range compares?"
That one move:
Shows you've done the research
Hands the question back to them
Keeps you out of an anchor you can't escape later
Mistake 3: Letting the Recruiter Run the Conversation
Watch for these classic anchoring lines:
"We've got a lot of strong candidates. Want to make sure your expectations align with our budget."
"This is the salary range we're working with, and it's non-negotiable."
Both are pressure plays. Both usually have wiggle room for the right candidate. And here's the part most people miss: don't ignore the anchor and assume you'll fix it at offer stage. By then it's too late. Silence reads as acceptance.
Push back politely while the conversation is still open:
"Thanks for sharing that. Based on similar conversations I've had, that range feels a little low for the level of role. I'd be looking at [your range]. If that's completely out of reach, should we call it a day and wish each other well?"
That last line flips the FOMO straight back onto the recruiter. Strong candidates aren't easily replaced, and recruiters know it.
I once had a candidate use that exact move on one of my clients. He doubled the original offer.
How to Prepare Before the Salary Question Comes Up
Most candidates wing this conversation. The ones who win it have done the work weeks in advance.
Research the real numbers. Glassdoor, Salary.com, LinkedIn Salary, Levels.fyi, and your own network. Triangulate.
Map a realistic range for your role, sector, location, and seniority.
Decide your floor: the number below which you walk away. Not your "I'd accept it if I had to" number. Your real one.
Practise the curiosity-based response out loud. Tone carries more weight than the words.
Prepare a redirect to pull the conversation back to value:
"If none of that's a deal breaker, I'm confident we can find something that works for both of us. For now, I'd love to focus on the role itself. Can you tell me more about [specific element]?"
That keeps the spotlight on your skills, not your paycheck.
Ofcourse, your Salary expectations are just one of the questions you need to prepare for.
Another is how to introduce yourself and communicate your value. I've also shared my recommended approach to answering "Tell me about yourself" in an interview.
When to Hire a Career Coach for Salary Negotiation Support
If you're applying for senior roles or making a strategic move, the salary conversation is where most of your future earnings get decided, often in under five minutes. Most candidates lose tens of thousands here without realising it.
A career coach with recruiter experience can:
Pressure-test your numbers against actual market data
Rehearse high-stakes conversations before you're in them
Spot anchoring tactics in real time
Build the wider strategy so you're never negotiating from a position of need
Inside my Career Growth Accelerator, clients have added up to $100k to their package with a single shift in how they handle this conversation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I answer salary expectations without giving a number?
Share your research, not a single figure, then hand the question back. For example: "I've seen anywhere from [low figure] up to [high figure]. Since this is a more senior position, I'm curious how your range compares?"
It shows you've done your homework without anchoring you to a number you can't move from later.
Should I give a salary range or an exact number?
A realistic, researched range. "I'm flexible" or "market rate" makes you look either desperate or unprepared, and the vague candidate is often the one who gets skipped.
With internal recruiters and employers, share the market range you've seen and ask for theirs rather than naming your own number first.
What salary range should I give an agency recruiter?
Your real one. Agency recruiters need figures to do their job, so it's fine to talk numbers. But they're risk-averse and will usually close the deal at the bottom of whatever range you give them.
If you want $120k, don't say "anything from $90–100k works".
Is it OK to ask for more than the salary range they give me?
Yes, and do it while the conversation is still open. A range described as "non-negotiable" often has room for the right candidate, but silence reads as acceptance, and by the offer stage it's too late.
Politely say the range feels low for the level of the role, and share yours.
What should I put for salary expectations on an application form?
Ideally, nothing, because I'd skip the application form altogether. Go and find the hiring manager and contact them directly instead of applying online.
A number on a form can rule you out, or cap your salary, before anyone has spoken to you, so you're at a disadvantage before your application has even been read.
The Bottom Line
The salary expectations question isn't a trap, but it is a test. Recruiters use it to filter, anchor, and close deals quickly.
You handle it by:
Knowing exactly who you're talking to
Doing your research before they ask
Never going first with internal recruiters or employers
Pushing back calmly when they anchor low
Keeping the conversation focused on value, not just price
Stay calm. Stay informed. Stay in control.
Ready to Stop Leaving Money on the Table?
If you're tired of being lowballed and want a strategy that helps you position yourself for stronger offers, that's exactly what I help professionals achieve through my Career Growth Accelerator.
Drawing on my experience as a recruiter and hiring manager, I teach you how to get noticed, secure more interviews and negotiate from a position of strength.
Lucy Gilmour
Lucy Gilmour is a career coach and job search strategist, helping professionals secure high-impact roles without relying on traditional applications. As a former recruiter who has interviewed thousands of candidates, she specialises in positioning, personal branding, and interview strategy to help clients stand out and get hired faster.