The salary expectations question is the interview moment where most candidates lose money without realizing it. Answering too early locks you in before you know the scope of the role, the total compensation structure, or whether the company is flexible. Answering with false precision signals inexperience. This guide covers when to delay, when to anchor, and how to use pay transparency laws and public salary data to your advantage in 2026.
Who is this guide for
Software engineers, developers, and technical professionals interviewing at companies in the US market. Particularly useful if you're interviewing at multiple companies simultaneously and need a consistent, flexible approach to this question across different stages.
Why the salary expectations question is a trap if you answer it first
The problem with answering the salary expectations question early is sequencing. At the moment the recruiter asks -- typically during the first phone screen -- you are in the weakest possible negotiating position:
- You don't yet know the full scope of the role
- You don't know whether RSUs, bonuses, or benefits are part of the package
- You haven't demonstrated your value in interviews
- The company hasn't extended an offer, which would tell you their number
Anchoring at this stage means one of two things: you anchor too low (leaving money on the table if they'd have offered more) or too high (getting filtered before you've had a chance to demonstrate value). Neither is a good outcome.
The goal is to gather information, not give it. When the question comes early in a phone screen, the most effective response delays commitment until you have more context.
How do you answer salary expectations without naming a number prematurely?
A deflection that works: "I'd love to understand the full scope of the role and the total compensation structure before settling on a number. What's the budgeted range for this position?"
This works for three reasons: it's honest (you genuinely don't have enough context yet), it signals confidence rather than evasion, and in states with pay transparency laws, the company may be legally required to provide a range if you ask.
Pay transparency as a negotiating advantage: As of 2024, 14 states and multiple major cities -- including California, New York, Colorado, Washington, and Illinois -- require employers to disclose salary ranges in job postings or on request during interviews. If you're interviewing at a company headquartered or hiring in a pay-transparency jurisdiction, asking for the range is not just acceptable -- it's your right.
If the recruiter redirects with "we'd like to understand your expectations first," a reasonable second response: "I'm flexible on structure and open to the right opportunity. Based on my research on comparable roles, I'd expect a range in the [$X-$Y] territory, but I'm more focused on the fit and total comp picture at this stage."
How do you research the right number before the interview?
Citing a range you've actually researched beats guessing.
Levels.fyi is the most accurate source for total compensation at tech companies. It breaks down base salary, stock (RSUs), and bonuses by company, level, and location, with real self-reported data from engineers. It's the data source engineering managers and recruiters at larger companies use internally.
Glassdoor is useful for smaller companies, agencies, and non-tech companies that hire engineers. Filter by job title, location, and company size. The salary ranges on individual job postings (where disclosed) are the most reliable numbers.
LinkedIn Salary Insights provides range estimates by job title and geography. Less granular than Levels.fyi for large tech companies, but useful for market benchmarking at mid-size companies.
Research the role at the specific company, not just the job title generally. A "senior software engineer" at a Series B startup pays differently than the same title at a publicly traded software company. The salary negotiation for tech guide covers how to use this data once you have an offer in hand.
Hiring manager insight
"According to Glassdoor's 2024 Compensation and Benefits Survey, 67% of employees say understanding their total compensation package -- base salary, equity, bonuses, and benefits -- is more important to their job satisfaction than base salary alone. Candidates who come prepared with total comp benchmarks, not just salary expectations, signal they understand how tech compensation actually works."
— Glassdoor Research: Compensation Trends 2024
The takeaway: framing your expectations in terms of total comp (base + equity + bonus) instead of just salary gives you more room to negotiate and signals market awareness.
When should you name a specific number?
Delaying has a limit. If you've gone through multiple rounds, received positive signals, and the recruiter is now clearly at the offer-preparation stage, naming a range is appropriate and expected.
At this point, anchor first if you can. Research consistently shows the first number named in a negotiation has an outsized influence on the final outcome. Name a number at the top of your researched range, not the middle.
The total comp framing: Instead of "I'm looking for $175,000," try "I'm looking for a total comp of $220-$250K, which I'm flexible on structuring between base and equity depending on the company's stage and liquidity timeline." This is specific, shows research, and opens the conversation to structure rather than just a single number.
For early-stage companies: Equity conversations are different from base salary conversations. Vesting schedules, cliff periods, strike prices, and liquidation preferences all affect the real value of an equity offer. If the company is pre-IPO, ask about the last 409A valuation and the most recent preferred share price so you can estimate the equity spread. This is technical due diligence, not negotiation aggression.
Key takeaways
Answering first costs you money in the absence of market data
The side that names a number first anchors the negotiation. If you name a number before you know the company's range, you risk anchoring below their ceiling. If they give you the range first, you know exactly where to anchor your counter. In pay-transparency states, asking for the range is now a standard and expected move.
Levels.fyi data is more accurate than Glassdoor for large tech company total comp
Glassdoor salary data includes self-reported figures of varying accuracy. Levels.fyi focuses specifically on total compensation at tech companies and has significantly higher response quality for FAANG-adjacent and Series D+ companies. Use Glassdoor for market context; use Levels.fyi for specific company benchmarking.
"I'm flexible" is not the same as "I have no number"
Saying you're flexible on structure (base vs equity) is a reasonable answer that signals sophistication. Saying you have no salary expectations signals either inexperience or lack of preparation. The difference: flexible means you'll trade base for equity at the right stage company; no number means you didn't research the role.
How to do this in Hire.monster
Job listings in Hire.monster that include salary ranges (sourced directly from Greenhouse, Lever, and Ashby ATS postings) show the published range on the job card before you apply. This lets you pre-screen for roles that match your target range before investing time in a phone screen, and gives you the company's stated range as a starting point for your research before the salary expectations question comes up.
Frequently asked questions
What if the company refuses to give me a salary range?
If you've asked twice and the company deflects both times, you have two options: give your range (top of your research) or note that their refusal to share a range tells you something about how compensation transparency is handled there. Neither answer is wrong; the second is information about company culture.
Should I tell the recruiter my current salary?
In most states you are not legally required to disclose your current salary, and in some (California, New York, Illinois, and others) employers are prohibited from asking. If asked, "I'd prefer to focus on the value I bring to this role and the market rate for the position" is a reasonable and increasingly accepted response.
What if the salary range is lower than I expected?
Ask if the range is flexible, and whether the job description has room for a higher level (e.g., "Is there flexibility to consider this for an L6 rather than L5 opening?"). If the range is genuinely not competitive, it's better to find out in the second call than after four interview rounds.
How do I handle the salary question during a take-home or technical screen?
Most companies don't ask about salary during technical rounds. If it comes up, it's usually an administrative question from an HR system, not a live conversation. Provide your researched range in the form field and follow up with the recruiter to clarify that you're open to discussing structure.
Is it bad to ask about salary early in the process?
Asking about the salary range is not the same as negotiating. Asking "what's the budgeted range for this role?" in the first call is practical and efficient for both sides. It's different from making demands before you've established value through interviews.
Bottom line
Answering the salary expectations question well in 2026 comes down to sequencing and data:
- Delay if you're in the first call and don't know the full scope yet
- Ask for the company's range first -- you're legally entitled to it in 14 states
- Research with Levels.fyi and Glassdoor before you walk into any compensation conversation
- When you do name a number, frame it as total comp and anchor at the top of your researched range
For what to do once you have an offer -- counteroffer mechanics, equity negotiation, and competing offer strategy -- the tech salary negotiation guide covers the full negotiation sequence.
Browse open tech roles with published salary ranges to see current market rates before your next interview.