Why This Question Feels Like a Trap (Because It Partly Is)
When an interviewer asks about your salary expectations early in the process, they are not trying to be helpful. They are trying to gather information that gives them an advantage in a negotiation that has not officially started yet. The number you say first will anchor every conversation that follows, and if you anchor too low, you have already left money on the table before you have received a single offer.
This question is different from negotiating after an offer exists. At that stage, you have leverage because they have already decided they want you. Before an offer, you have no formal leverage yet, and committing to a number early costs you flexibility without giving you anything in return.
Understanding what the employer is actually trying to learn helps you respond more strategically.
What Employers Are Actually Trying to Learn
When a recruiter or hiring manager asks about your salary expectations before making an offer, they typically have one or more of these goals:
They want to filter out candidates whose expectations are dramatically above their budget, so they do not waste time interviewing people they cannot afford. This is a legitimate use of the question, and if you are genuinely outside their range, it is better to find out early.
They want to gauge how much self-awareness and market knowledge you have. A candidate who names a number wildly inconsistent with the market either has not done their research or does not understand their own value.
They want to anchor the negotiation before making a formal offer. If you say a number lower than what they were planning to offer, they get to keep the difference. If you say a number higher, they can either walk away or use it as justification to offer you exactly what you asked for and no more.
Knowing these motivations helps you respond without volunteering information that only benefits them.
When to Deflect and How to Do It Without Being Evasive
If you are early in the process (first screening call, initial recruiter conversation) and you have not yet had a chance to evaluate the full role, the scope of responsibilities, the benefits package, or the team, you have a reasonable basis to defer the question.
A response that works: "I want to make sure I understand the full scope of the role before I put a number on the table. Could you share the budgeted range for this position? I can let you know whether that works for me."
This response is direct, not evasive, and it inverts the question back toward them. Many recruiters will simply tell you the range at this point, which gives you far more information than you would have gotten by answering first.
Some recruiters will push back and say they need a number from you before sharing theirs. If that happens, you have a choice: deflect a second time with something like "I am open to discussing compensation once I have a clearer picture of the total package, including benefits and equity," or move toward giving a researched range (covered below).
Do not deflect indefinitely. Doing so across multiple rounds reads as evasive or as if you do not know your own market value. If you have had substantive conversations about the role and are being pressed for a number in a second or third interview, deflecting at that point costs you more than it gains you.
How to Research Your Number Effectively
If you are going to name a range, it should be grounded in actual market data, not what you currently make, not what you wish you made, and not a number you picked because it felt reasonable.
Sources that give useful data for specific roles in specific locations: Levels.fyi for software and tech roles, LinkedIn Salary, Glassdoor, Payscale, Comprehensive.io, and direct conversations with people in similar roles. Government databases like the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics give broad data but lag behind the market and do not reflect compensation at competitive companies.
Your research should produce a range with a floor (the minimum you would accept to take the role, accounting for total compensation including benefits and equity) and a ceiling (what you think strong candidates in this role at this company level can realistically command). The number you share should be your research-backed range, not your floor.
If your current salary is below your researched market rate, do not use your current salary as an anchor. Many states and cities in the United States have now banned employers from asking about current salary for this exact reason. You are not obligated to share what you currently make.
The Range Game and How to Play It
Most candidates instinctively give a range because it feels softer than a single number. The problem is that the other party will always hear the lower number and respond to that. If you say "I am thinking somewhere between $90,000 and $110,000," the employer hears $90,000.
There are a few ways to use a range without automatically anchoring to the bottom of it. One approach: make the lower end of your range a number you would genuinely be satisfied with. If $90,000 is acceptable but $110,000 is what you want, set your range at $105,000 to $120,000 with the expectation that offers will come in at or below the midpoint.
Another approach: after giving a range, add context that explains why the higher end is reasonable. "I am targeting somewhere in the $105,000 to $120,000 range based on my research into what similar roles at companies of this size are paying, and given my background in X and Y, I think I am on the stronger end of candidates you are likely talking to." This is not arrogance. It is providing reasoning for your position, which is exactly what negotiators do.
What Happens If You Anchor Too Low
If you name a number below what the employer was prepared to offer, two things typically happen. First, some employers will simply offer you what you asked for, knowing it is below their internal range, because you told them it was acceptable. Second, some employers will interpret your low ask as a signal that you do not know your market value, which may affect how they perceive your seniority and negotiating ability in general.
There is a belief, sometimes sincere and sometimes self-serving, that asking for less makes you more competitive for the role. For most professional roles above entry level, this is not supported by how hiring actually works. Hiring decisions are primarily driven by whether you can do the job, not by whether you are the cheapest option. Being the cheapest option does not make you more attractive; it just costs you money.
When You Should Give a Specific Number
If you have done your research, you know what the market pays, and you know what you need and want, naming a specific number at or just above the top of your range is a legitimate negotiation move. It is a higher-risk approach because if the number is above their budget you may be filtered out, but it eliminates the downside of a range being interpreted at its floor.
Specific numbers also read as more confident and researched than vague ranges. "I am looking for $118,000 base" signals more conviction than "somewhere in the $100,000 to $120,000 range." Conviction, backed by actual market research you can reference if asked, is not off-putting. It signals that you know your value.
Bringing Up Equity and Benefits
Total compensation includes base salary, bonus structures, equity or stock options, retirement contributions, health insurance, paid time off, and other benefits. Before you commit to any number, understand what the full package looks like. A $95,000 base with no equity, high deductible health insurance, and no 401k match at one company may be worth less than a $85,000 base with meaningful equity and strong benefits at another.
When discussing salary expectations, you can explicitly note that your number is for base salary and that you would want to understand the full compensation package before finalizing anything. This is not a stalling tactic; it is an accurate statement of how total compensation works, and any reasonable employer will understand it.