Your desired salary is a discussion you have at the end of the interview process in an ideal world. But what do you say when your interviewer presses for answers or when your job application demands it?
The short answer will be to put negotiable or leave the desired salary field blank. But what if the application demands numbers?
In this article, you’ll learn:
- Understanding what your interviewers want when they ask for your salary expectations.
- Tips on how to answer salary interview questions.
- What to put on the desired salary field on your job application.
- Sample responses to salary interview questions
- How to determine your desired salary.
- What to do when you don’t get your desired salary.
- How to negotiate for your desired salary.
What are salary negotiations?
A salary negotiation is where you discuss your wages or commissions with a company, usually someone who represents the employer. It’s common for employees to negotiate a pay rise in these situations for a variety of reasons.
You can negotiate your salary during your stay at a company or during the recruitment process, for example in job interviews. Salary negotiations are especially tricky when a job offer is on the line — you don’t want to push a potential employer away by asking for an unreasonable salary.
Examples of salary negotiations
Example 1
Salary negotiations normally occur during late-stage interviews (e.g., in the third-round). However, negotiations aren’t always instigated by the employee. For example, if you have multiple job offers at the moment, a company can choose to up your expected salary to encourage you to accept their offer.
Example 2
Alternatively, if you’ve received a job offer but the pay is lower than expected, you can ask your potential employer if they’re open to increasing your salary. However, if done in the wrong way, you could give the impression that you’re only there for money and not the company or job role.
Example 3
Employees already working for a company can also partake in salary negotiations. For instance, another company tries to scout you for a higher salary than your current one.
Since another company’s willing to pay you more for your skillset, you feel you deserve a raise from your current employer. However, you risk upsetting your boss if you bring up outside offers.
What to put for desired salary on application?
The best way to respond to queries about your desired salary is to be as vague as possible. For example, leave the field blank or give a salary range.
Is it ok to put ‘negotiable’ for salary requirements?
Yes, it’s generally acceptable to write ‘negotiable’ as your salary expectation. However, some forms only accept numeric values, so it’s not always possible.
What is the minimum acceptable salary on applications?
If you have to input a salary range on your job application, research average salaries for the occupation you’re applying for. When deciding on the minimum desired salary, make sure it’s a number you’ll be happy to receive. For instance, consider your minimum desired salary and go slightly above that.
Do companies offer more than expected salary?
With the right negotiation techniques, you can get companies to offer you a higher salary than you stated as your minimum desired salary in your application. Just make sure you have a justification for your demands. For example, you can say that during the interview, you learned things about the role you didn’t previously know about. Due to the more complex nature of the role, you believe a higher salary is required.
Alternatively, you can point to new data you’ve found about their competitors’ salaries. Perhaps they’re aiming for a higher salary than your expected one and you were only recently made aware of this fact through market research.
Understanding what your interviewer wants when they ask for your salary expectations
A hiring manager may ask any of the following questions when they desire to know about your salary expectations:
- What are your salary expectations?
- What salary would you anticipate to earn if we were to employ you for this position?
- We are currently offering a salary range of $35,000 and $40,000, based on your experience. Does this satisfy your needs?
These questions can come up at any stage of the job application process, so you’ll want to prepare for them. But you’ll also need to understand what your interviewer wants to answer better. Here are the following reasons:
- Firstly, your answer to this question will help the interviewer learn more regarding how much you esteem your experience. They understand that qualified workers have a deep sense of worth comparable to the current market. They further recognize that people who have illogically high salary expectations are less likely to have done proper research.
- Your salary expectations will also help your employer to determine whether to proceed with an interview or not. For example, if an employer has put $30,000 for a position and you believe you’re worth $50,000, they may decide not to hire you because they cannot raise the amount.
Knowing what your interviewer wants, how will you provide the ideal answer to avoid putting yourself at a disadvantage. We put together the following tips on how to answer salary interview questions for you.
Tips on how to answer salary interview questions
The best answers for “what is your desired salary” in an interview will assure your interviewer that you do not have a specific salary in mind but are focused on getting the best-fitting role for your career. This will stop your interviewer from continuing to ask you for a desired salary.
Once you recognize they want to give you the role, then you’ll get some negotiating advantage. But before then, don’t share your desired salary. Below are a few tips you can use to answer salary interview questions effectively:
Do your research on the position
You can present an informed response to a salary interview question by setting your expectation based on that position’s current market value.
Before going for an interview, make sure to research the salaries people in your job and industry earn. This way, you’ll get a better idea of what the employer may hold in their budget for that position. This will help you figure out a reasonable amount.
For instance, if you’re applying for a job on Amazon, you can expect the recruiter to ask for your desired salary or salary expectations during the screening interview as part of the Amazon hiring process.
Also, remember to consider your experience when researching salaries. More experienced applicants could have the edge over other job applicants when discussing salary, while less experienced applicants may go for a lower or entry-level salary. Location is an additional factor you should examine as every city has its own unique job market.
To do this research, you can employ the salary calculator or use sites such as Paysa, Indeed, or Glassdoor to research people’s average salaries in your particular industry, location, and position.
Create a salary range
Giving your interviewer a specific desired salary, like $50,000 per year, may feel very uncomfortable. What if they budgeted for a smaller amount? What if they expected you to suggest a lower amount?
Worse, you may get the salary you ask for even if the company has more budget for the position. Take the case of a recruiter who offered an $85,000 salary even though the job had a budget of $130,000.
When considering your desired salary range, it’s important to be realistic. If you ask for too much, you may risk losing the opportunity altogether. However, if you ask for too little, you may not be able to get the salary you truly deserve.
It would have been much easier if all the companies had published their salary ranges in their job postings and advertisements. That way, you wouldn’t have to ask questions like “Should I put negotiable for desired salary?”
Unfortunately, not all states have salary transparency laws where employers are required to provide the minimum and maximum pay range for a job position.
California, Maryland, Colorado, Connecticut, Nevada, and Rhode Island have laws that require employers to disclose salary ranges upfront, when asked, or when a job offer is made.
New York City will start to require the disclosure of job salary ranges on job advertisements to give employees bargaining power in negotiations. Until all states make it mandatory, applicants will continue to ask, “Can I put negotiable for desired salary?”
At MentorCruise, our professionals advise that you don’t share your desired salary until you earn the role. But If you think you must give a value to continue to the next phase of the hiring process, or if pressed, it’s better to state the desired range than a fixed amount.
This way, you’ll minimize the chances of ruling yourself out and getting rejected by going too high and or limiting your job offer by going too low. You’ll also be informing your interviewer that your desired salary is opened for negotiations.
Therefore, before going on your interview, be ready to state your desired range. Then, quickly shift the discussion back to the skills and value you will bring to the position.
Talk about benefits
Some corporations grant benefits in addition to a salary package. For example, you could be eligible to secure a healthcare package or work from home.
You could communicate to your interviewer that you seek a salary within a specific range and are willing to talk about benefits as part of the package.
While a recruiter’s budget may not be enough to hire you, they can offer benefits as supplements for some of your expected salary.
Justify your worth
Before going into an interview, you need to think about why you believe you’re worth your desired salary. Maybe you have a set of rare skills? Or you’ve got a broad experience using technology and processes utilized at the company?
Considering this beforehand means if you feel relaxed doing so, you can discuss in your interview how you arrived at your salary range by breaking it down. This will enable your interviewer to understand your motivations and help them estimate your sense of worth.
But if an amount does not instantly come to mind, then you need to assess your average market value to get a reliable answer. You can get mentoring advice if you still have a hard time figuring out what you’re worth or the salary information you’re lawfully entitled to.
Still, you can do so by these three steps.
How to determine your desired salary
Step #1 Compare your prevailing job to a benchmark job
A benchmark job is any position with constant salary expectations and obligations across organizations and industries.
By comparing your benchmark job to your role, you can resolve if your current pay range is fair or not.
The goal here is to find the right benchmark job. It will help if you base your comparisons on job descriptions and skills and not on the job’s title.
Once you find a benchmark job that matches yours in both the job title and description, you can move forward to step two.
Step #2 Analyze company factors that determine pay
The company size, type of industry, and location will directly control the salary range.
A smaller company will often grant you more access to executives, upper management, and a better professional experience. A bigger company will normally pay more than a smaller one.
For the industry, you’ll find that discussing salary negotiations with recruiters of a booming industry is easier than with those of a declining one.
Finally, your location is pivotal. Possibilities are a tech job in California will pay you higher than the same post in Florida merely because the cost of living is higher.
Step #3 Calculate your worth
After studying the company factors and job benchmarks, you also need to assess your job performance and skill set.
If you’re an entry-level employee with a base salary, you wouldn’t be worth as much as an experienced employee even if you hold the same title. You need to be honest about your experience and performances to get a genuine idea of the amount you should earn.
Now that you understand what an average salary for your role looks like, let’s discuss what to put for the desired salary on job applications that request it.
The do’s and don’ts of answering “desired salary” question on job applications
You need to understand that hiring managers and recruiters have a budget to consider when they hire.
The basis is to get through the application and into the interview process. Once you arrive at a job interview, you have the opportunity to address your desired salary in depth. Below is how you can land there.
The do’s
- If you can, leave the salary range area blank. This enables you to discuss your salary later in the interview with zero constraints.
- If you can’t leave the desired salary field blank, put down a practical range that’s comparable with your experience, performance, and your position’s market rate.
The don’ts
- Don’t set a base salary range that you’d like to advance. While it appears safe, it bars you into a lower number. Employers will often try to propose a lower salary than the number they’re willing to pay, so do not restrict yourself.
- Don’t tie yourself into a specific number.
- Don’t set a salary range if you’d be unhappy if an employer offered the lowest end of the range.
- Never provide your salary history. Demanding salary history is forbidden in some states, so don’t feel like you must provide the information. If a hiring manager asks for your salary history, tell them you would rather present it in person.
Recap of the best options
The best way to fill out the desired salary field on a job application form is to leave it blank or write ‘negotiable’ instead of providing a figure.
If the application doesn’t accept non-numerical text, enter “000” Then, check out if there’s any notes section in the job application form and write, “Concerning the salary expectations, this is negotiable and can be addressed at the interview.”
Can you negotiate salary after giving a range?
“Can you negotiate salary after giving a range?” is a common question amongst job applicants. To answer the question, yes you can. Here are some tips for negotiating your salary:
Stay polite and make a good impression
When negotiating a salary, it’s important to be polite and friendly. Good impressions are key in job interviews since they consider your character as well as your skillset.
Make sure to never appear greedy when discussing higher pay. This means every salary request must have a genuine reason behind it. Before your interview, do research into similar roles to see their average salary numbers.
Additionally, consider what makes you valuable as an employee and be sure to reference these points during negotiations. Once you’ve prepared your reasons, practice your negotiation pitch with a friend to see if you come off as friendly or too persistent.
Justify your requests
When requesting a salary or rejecting an offer, you must explain your actions to help the company understand why you deserve the salary you’re requesting. Back up your reasoning with references to your level of experience and previous work salaries. To raise your pay, they must believe you’re worth investing in.
When stating why you want a higher salary, give some more context. For example, if you say you deserve a higher pay due to your years of experience in the industry, explain what skills you’ve mastered during this time that make you valuable. What have you accomplished in previous roles?
Understand the company’s limitations
Every company has a budget, so you should know what their limits are. Don’t push for a salary they can’t provide. Learn their salary caps so you know where they’re flexible.
If you can’t find this out through researching the company online, ask them what salary range they have in mind to get an idea of their budget. It’s best to get them to give a salary expectation first so you have a basis to work with.
You should also be aware of any circumstances that may affect their budget. For example, if a company’s hiring a lot of people at once, it’s likely they can’t afford to pay you a higher salary than the other candidates.
In these cases, it may be better to focus on negotiating other things, such as vacation time, start dates, and sign-on bonuses.
Alternatively, if you’re discussing salaries with a smaller company and there’s no precedent for your role, you can afford to be more flexible with your salary negotiations — if there’s no precedent, then there’s no benchmark salary limiting your salary expectations. However, they may not be able to offer any flexibility in regards to your bonuses or vacation time.
Make it clear they can get you
Companies don’t want to negotiate salaries with someone who’s unsure about their job offer. Make sure to communicate your desire to work in the company so they know they’re not wasting their time with these negotiations.
You could also mention receiving a higher offer elsewhere but reaffirm your wish to work for the company. Explain what conditions would make you reject all your other offers in favor of this company.
Prepare to answer difficult questions
During negotiations, you may be faced with some tough questions, such as:
- Are we your first choice of employment?
- Do you have any other job offers?
- If we made an offer tomorrow, would you accept?
Try not to lie or evade these questions in your negotiations. It could come back to haunt you — plus, it’s unethical. However, you should also avoid giving an overly positive answer in an attempt to please the employer. This could cause you to lose your leverage.
For example, don’t discuss how enthusiastic you are about the company in your answer. Remain neutral by just stating facts. If you have other offers, tell the truth but don’t give any company names. If you don’t have other offers, say you’re not currently considering other job offers.
Prepare for these questions beforehand so you don’t fumble when answering them during actual negotiations. Do this for any questions that make you feel uncomfortable or unsure. Aim to answer honestly while retaining your appeal as a potential employee.
Think about the questioner’s intent
If you ever face an unexpected question in your salary negotiations, focus on the intent behind the question. This will help you formulate an appropriate answer.
For example, if the employer asks you if you’d accept an offer from them tomorrow, it’s likely they’re trying to deduce how interested you are in the company. They probably want to learn more about your job search and their chances of hiring you.
Consider other options
You’re not limited to only negotiating your salary. Consider discussing other aspects of the job that could help improve your work life. Don’t get too caught up with the money. Think about other things related to the job role, such as location, work hours, travel, promotions, and so on.
Sample Responses to Salary Interview Questions
Based on our discussions above, we put together the following sample answers to help you to provide answers to your salary interview questions.
Sample 1
“At this point in my job hunt, I’m focused on getting the best-fitting role for my career, and I do not have a definite figure in mind yet. What range did you budget for the job?”
Sample 2
“I am looking forward to earning between $65,000 and $75,000. I reached this amount by viewing the fair market salary for people in this role. Regarding my unique skill set and broad experience, I believe this range is fair.”
Sample 3
“Thank you for asking. I am quite flexible on the decisive number. Still, I think that a salary range of $55,000 and $60,000 is reasonable, provided that this is the fair salary given to people in this industry with a comparable level of experience.”
Sample 4.
“Thanks for asking. I anticipate earning $32,000 for this position. I consider that my experience utilizing tools like Salesforce CRM, which you stated is crucial to the job, and my soft skills range supports this number. Would this work for you?”
Sample 5
“This sounds like a unique position, and I really acknowledge being considered for an interview. I look forward to earning a salary of between $38,000 and $43,000 yearly. I think this is reasonable given my wide range of hard and soft skills and subject matter knowledge in this industry. Notwithstanding, if the right benefits were extended, I think I could be even more flexible on my salary expectations.”
Sample 6
“I look to earn between $90,000 and $95,000 for this job. I consider that my experience in the paper industry and my expertise in managing large teams put me well for this position. Nonetheless, I am flexible and would like to hear more regarding your budget for this job and the number you had in mind.”
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Changing salary expectations after interview
Salary negotiations can take place across multiple interviews. After negotiating your salary expectations in one interview, you can continue making your case for a higher salary in your next round of negotiations. On average, salary negotiations take 1 to 2 weeks to reach a consensus.
What to do when you don’t get your desired salary?
So, you already know what to put for desired salary and after acing the job interview, you got a callback. To your dismay, the potential employer offered you a lowball salary. What do you do next?
Keep in mind that it’s not uncommon for employers to offer a salary that’s lower than what you expected or what you’re currently making.
Why do companies make lowball salary offers?
- Some hiring managers still think that the job market is an employer-driven market and they offer salaries that are below market average to see if they will fly with jobseekers.
- When recruitment managers disclose a salary range, applicants will naturally anchor to the highest number. However, in practice, the offer is usually the lower end of the salary range.
- Companies want to save money. Skimping on salaries is one of the usual cost-cutting measures to increase profitability or survive a financial crisis.
- Hiring managers expect applicants to negotiate salaries. Offering a low salary gives them some wiggle room at the negotiation table.
- In some cases, outside recruiters are given incentives by companies to offer a lower amount than what is earmarked for the job position.
If you’re not happy with the salary offer, there are a few things you can do:
Ask for more time to think about the offer.
Sometimes it helps to take a little time to think about an offer, especially if it’s lower than what you were expecting. You can let the employer know that you need some time to consider the offer and will get back to them with an answer.
Employers may give you a week to accept the offer or not. However, if the job needs to be filled immediately, you may only be given a day or two to make a decision, which is a reasonable time frame.
If the offer is too low and way off the lowest figure you’re willing to accept, you don’t have to prolong the decision. The faster you decide, the sooner you can move forward with your job search and career.
Here’s an example of what to say if you’re still considering the offer:
“Thank you for your offer. I would like some time to go through the offer. Would it be all right for me to get back to you tomorrow to make a decision?”
_ _
Respectfully decline the offer outright.
If the salary offer is way too low (say, $40,000) and the company tells you that they can’t offer anything more, it’s safe to say that any negotiation will just be a losing battle. You must politely decline the offer and explain your reasoning.
You can say something like:
“Thank you for extending an offer to me and considering me for the marketing position. Given my skills and extensive experience in marketing, I can’t accept your offer.”
It’s important to be respectful and professional when declining a salary offer. Remember, the company has already put time and effort into extending an offer to you, so it’s important to handle the situation with care.
Negotiate and make a counteroffer.
It’s always worth trying to get a better salary. You do not want to start off the negotiation process by asking for too little or too much. Instead, you should first research the average salary for the position for which you are applying. This will give you a good starting point for your negotiation.
Employers are usually prepared when you ask for a higher amount, especially if they have a salary budget range. Once you make it known that you are looking for something higher than what they are offering, they will initiate the negotiation.
You can start by explaining why you think the offer is too low and suggesting a higher amount. If you have a specific number in mind that you’re hoping to make, be prepared to back up your counteroffer with research on what other people in similar roles are making.
When negotiating for your desired salary, always remember that the employer is looking out for their best interests as well as yours. The goal is to come to an agreement that benefits both parties, so be prepared to compromise on some points in order to get the salary that you want.
You can say:
“Thanks for your offer. Based on my skills, experience, and accomplishments, it would make sense for me to be in a higher salary range of $70,000, which is closer to the average salary for the position. If you could increase your offer, I’d be happy to accept it.”
At this point, the employer may say that he’d consult with the team to see if they have some room to go any higher but would not make any promise.
You can respond with:
“I appreciate the consideration. I’m looking forward to hearing back from you.”
If the employer refuses to budge on their initial offer, you may need to decide whether or not the position is worth accepting at that salary. In any case, thank the employer for the opportunity.
Get a career mentor with MentorCruise
To conclude, it is not uncommon for recruiters to ask you to include your cover letter’s salary expectations. Still, try to stay as vague as possible.
Setting a high amount could scare them off instantly, while setting an amount too low could paralyze your ability to negotiate later.
The goal is to save all salary discussions until you’re sure they want to offer you the position. You may want to talk with a career mentor to better guide you.