How to Answer: “What are your salary expectations?”
A complete guide to answering this common interview question — including what interviewers are really looking for, practical tips, and a worked example answer.
What interviewers are really asking
Research the market rate before any interview. Give a specific range rather than a single number, anchor at the top of your range, and anchor on the market rather than your current salary. You can also ask what the budget is before committing to a number.
Tips
- Research the market rate using LinkedIn Salary, Glassdoor, and job ads.
- Give a range — anchored at the top of what you'd accept.
- Never anchor to your current salary if it's below market.
- It's legitimate to ask what the budget is first.
- Don't apologise for your number — say it confidently.
Example answer
Sample response
“Based on market data for this role and level in London, and looking at what comparable companies are paying, I'm targeting £75,000 to £85,000. I'm flexible depending on the overall package — equity, bonus structure, and development budget all factor in. What's the budget range you're working with?”
Adapt this to your own experience — never use any example answer verbatim.
Use the STAR method
Structure your answer as: Situation (brief context), Task (your specific responsibility), Action (what you personally did), Result (the quantified outcome). Most strong interview answers follow this pattern.
Full STAR method guide