Salary Expectations

Salary expectations are the compensation range or level a candidate considers appropriate for a role. They may be discussed in an application, recruiter screen, interview, or offer conversation.

Consider the role's responsibilities, level, location, industry, employment type, and total compensation; use current market sources when available, but remember that published ranges can use different definitions and may not reflect a specific employer's budget. Ask whether the employer can share the approved range before giving a number; when you answer, clarify whether you mean base salary or total compensation and explain that the complete role and benefits matter. Salary expectations differ from salary history; one describes the target for a new role, while the other concerns previous pay; clarify whether a range refers to base pay or total compensation and consider responsibilities, location, employment type, benefits, bonus structure, and the employer’s approved range.

For example, a candidate may give a researched base-salary range while noting that responsibilities and total compensation affect the final decision.