How to Talk About Salary Expectations in an Interview Without Underselling Yourself

The most common mistake with this question is answering it with no preparation at all — either blurting out a number far below what the role typically pays (anchoring the negotiation low before it even starts) or refusing to give any number, which can read as evasive rather than savvy. A little preparation fixes both problems at once.

Do the Research Before the Interview, Not During It

Look at the role's typical range for your experience level and location using multiple sources — job postings for similar roles, salary-reporting sites, and your own professional network — rather than trusting a single number from one site. Ranges vary enough by source that cross-checking two or three gives you a far more defensible number than relying on one.

A Reliable Format for Your Answer

1. Give a researched range rather than a single figure: "Based on my experience and what I've seen for similar roles, I'm looking at a range of X to Y."
2. Pair the range with a brief reason tied to your specific value — a relevant project, a specific skill, prior results — not just a bare demand. This signals you've done your homework rather than picked a number arbitrarily.
3. Stay calm and matter-of-fact in tone — a well-researched number delivered confidently reads very differently from the same number delivered nervously.

What to Do If You Don't Have Enough Information Yet

If you genuinely don't have enough information (early-stage interview, unclear scope of the role), it's reasonable to redirect once: ask about the budgeted range for the role before committing to your own number. Most interviewers expect this, and it protects you from anchoring too low or too high before you understand the full scope of what's being asked of you.

Common Mistakes

• •Giving a number with no research behind it, which risks anchoring far below market rate.
• •Refusing to engage with the question at all, which can come across as evasive rather than strategic.
• •Quoting a number without any justification, which reads as an arbitrary demand rather than a reasoned position.
• •Fixating only on the base number and ignoring the rest of the compensation structure (benefits, bonuses, growth path) when comparing offers — see our government-vs-private pay comparison for why total compensation matters more than the headline figure.