Interview question, answer in English
What are your salary expectations? How to answer (with scripts)
The question: “What are your salary expectations?”
The question isn't really about the number — it's about whether you can negotiate without getting defensive. Whoever says a number first usually sets the ceiling, so the answer has to be true, specific and said in the right order.
The answer, in 4 blocks
1. Ask for the range first
If you don't know the band, the honest answer is that you'd rather not guess. It isn't a dodge: it's how companies talk about money.
Example: Could you share the range you have for this role? That would help me give you a real answer.
2. Give a number with a basis
One number, with the reason it's your number: your current package, the market, or the level of the role.
Example: Based on my current package and the scope of the role, I'm looking at something between X and Y.
3. Separate the format
Gross monthly, annual, contractor vs employee. A number without a format doesn't mean the same thing to both sides.
Example: As an employee I'd be looking at X; as a contractor that would be Y, since the taxes are on my side.
4. Close with the priority
Say what actually moves you: the work, the team, the growth. It gives both sides room for the next round.
Example: The number matters, but working on a product with real users matters more to me — so I'm open to talking if the rest fits.
The full example answer
Read it out loud, swapping in your own details. An answer you've never spoken isn't yours yet.
Sure. Could you tell me the range you have for this position? ... That helps. Based on my current package and the scope of this role, I'm looking at something between 18 and 22 thousand a month as an employee. As a contractor the number would be higher, since the taxes are on my side. What I care most about is working on a product with real users and a team that reviews code — so if the range is a bit below that, I'm still open to talking.
What to avoid
- Giving a number before you know the range. You can only lower your own ceiling.
- "I'm flexible" with no number at all. The interviewer can't help you, and it reads as unprepared.
- Lying about your current salary. It's easy to check during hiring, and it costs you the offer.
- Assuming monthly when the job is quoted annually. Ask which basis they're using before you do any math.
Phrases that help
- “Could you share the range for this role?”
- Asking first, without sounding difficult.
- “Based on my current package and the scope of the role, I'm looking at ...”
- A number with a basis, so it doesn't sound invented.
- “As an employee ... / As a contractor ...”
- The same value in two formats, so the comparison is honest.
- “I'm open to talking if the rest fits.”
- Keeps the door open without giving away your floor.
If the question comes like this
- What are your compensation requirements?
- The formal version of the same question. Ask for the range first; the rest of the script doesn't change.
- What are you making right now?
- Answer with the whole package, not one isolated number: "My current package is around X, including the annual bonus." If you'd rather not share it: "I'd rather focus on the range for this role."
- Is that negotiable?
- "It's a starting point, not a wall. I'm considering the whole package, including the level and the contract."
FAQ
- Who should say a number first?
- Ideally the company. If they insist, give a range you researched and say what it's based on. Waiting isn't rude; a random number is worse.
- A range or a single number?
- A range of about 10%. A single number sounds rigid, and a 50% range sounds like you don't know the market.
- Does this work for a remote job abroad?
- The currency changes and the negotiation is usually annual. Convert carefully, quote in the contract's currency, and check whether the role is a contractor or an employee position.