Answering “What are Your Salary Requirements?”

It seems like an innocent enough question. It makes sense that potential employers would want to know a ballpark figure for your expectations, right?
Not so fast. Be aware that candidly stating your salary expectations too early in the interview process can lead to problems.
Problem 1. Early on, the company in question isn’t sold on you just yet. They’re still feeling you out and doing comparison shopping between you and the other candidates. You’ll have better leverage to negotiate later, so it serves you best to avoid naming a specific number too early.
Problem 2. You may be tempted to sell yourself short to move forward in the process. While some businesses will jump at the lowest offer, there are plenty of others out there that understand the marketplace and will shy away from candidates that seem too eager to lower their standards to get the job. It may make them worry that you’ll lower your standards elsewhere as well.
Furthermore, do you really want a company that makes you feel as though they’re only after the cheapest possible deal? Or do you want to work for a company that’s after the most qualified candidate for the job?
Problem 3. A high number can price you out of contention before you’ve even had a chance to make a good impression. Low or high, if you name a price that’s outside of their expectations, it can remove you from the running for the position.
Problem 4. Going too low can also put you in a position where you can’t afford to take the job, yet can’t afford to turn the job down. This is especially true for job candidates who offer low-end figures out of desperation and in hopes of getting the job. This rarely leads to a happy work situation.
Your goal is to arrive at a reasonable salary range that seems fair based on market value and your current or most recent salary. This way, if pressed, you can name a number that’s based on real data and position it as the market range and not just what you want.
You will also want to think a bit about best case scenarios (what salary offer would make you say yes on the spot) and worst case scenarios (what salary offer would you walk away from)
Tactics to Delay Answering
Experts recommend to put off answering the salary question as long as possible. Here are a few suggestions to strategically delay answering the salary questions with a specific number.
When asked: “What are your salary expectations for the job?”
This is a great opportunity to sell yourself while putting the pressure on the organization to make a fair offer by saying something along the lines of:
“I’m more interested in finding a position that’s a good fit for my skills and interests. I’m confident that you’re offering a salary that’s competitive in the current market.”
You’re letting them know that you’re confident of your abilities and respect yourself too much to sell yourself short.
At the same time, you’re giving them an opportunity to earn your respect by making a fair offer. By doing this, you’re tactfully letting them know you’re not desperate and expect to be compensated appropriately for your time and talent.
By playing hardball on the salary issue and not giving in and answering right away, you’re also letting the hiring company know that they’re getting a savvy and tough negotiator if they hire you. This may be the perfect incentive for a better salary offer.
Naturally, some interviewers will press further for a specific number. At this point, you can say something like:
“Well, according to my research and past experience, my understanding is that 75-90K per year is typical based on the role and requirements.”
This frames the number as “here’s my understanding of what’s competitive” as opposed to“here’s what I want.”
If you’ve done your research (see above), you’ll be able to quote a reasonable range and then they can respond.
When asked: “What are You Making Now?”
For the most part, interviewers ask this question believing that offering a salary 10 to 15 percent higher than your current salary will be sufficient to lure you away from your current position.
There are a number of reasons why this question may not be so straightforward for many candidates. Most typically, many candidates are either underpaid or overpaid in their current roles. They fear an overly high or low number could lead to an unattractive offer or knock them out of contention. Others may be making a career change or moving from commission-based to salary work or otherwise in a situation in which the comparison isn’t valid.
If you’re making “too much,” the interviewer may feel they can’t afford you or you are overqualified. This can be a problem if you are okay with taking a lower salary — perhaps because you know you are/were overpaid, you are making a career change, or you are prioritizing work-life-balance or other aspects of the job.
It’s far more common for someone to be underpaid and worried about the perception that there’s something “wrong” with them for that reason.
If you’re not making the market rate, or close to it, potential employers may begin scratching their heads and asking why. The problem is that many people choose jobs with lower salaries for reasons that have nothing to do with work ethic or job performance including the following:
Bonus/commission incentives
Flexible working options or reduced hours
Better benefits — health, retirement, tuition reimbursement, etc.
Fewer work hours
Location (cost of living, local job market, etc.)
Opportunity to take on new responsibilities and gain experience even if your salary didn’t increase accordingly
You don’t want to let the decision to work for a less than stellar salary in the past derail your opportunity for a competitive salary in the future.
In any of these cases, deflection, on this particular question, can be your best bet. Eventually, you will have to address this question. However, you will be in a much better position if you can deflect until they already love you and you have more leverage to negotiate.
When pressed to give your current salary when you know it would sabotage your chances, consider the following tactic to delay the question a little longer, if not put it off altogether:
“Since this position is not exactly the same as my current job, let’s discuss what my responsibilities at this company will be and work together to determine a fair salary for this position.”
If you feel you must reveal your lower salary earlier than you would like, don’t forget to mention the contributing factors too.