Should you go high? Should you go low? Or should you say nothing at all? Times have changed and so should your response to the expected salary question.
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Previously the safest response to this job application question was 'negotiable' or $0 just to fill the blank - but now you need to think differently to get the edge on your competition.
Key Takeaways
Why employers & recruiters ask for your expected salary on job applications
The main reason they want this information is for screening purposes. Along with many other filters, this will help them decide whether applicants get shortlisted for the next stage or rejected and sent a ‘regret letter’ - or no response at all in some cases.
They will likely be working with an agreed salary range for the position so they will be checking to see if you sit within this, but they will probably also be looking at which end of the scale you have chosen to place yourself.
Why Higher Isn’t Always Better And Lower Isn’t Always Safer
For example, I am currently recruiting for a Project Manager for one of my clients. The salary range for this position within their organisation is between AUD $220 – 270K pa. In this case I know they are particularly interested in the upper end of the range because they are hoping to promote this person in a few months to an Operations Manager role when the budget is available due to winning a certain project. So, the preference here is definitely for those with an expectation near $270K with a high level of confidence in their value and capability.
Conversely, I am also looking for an Accounts Payable Officer for a different company. The salary range for this is AUD $70 – 95K. This company has a preference for someone at the lower end of the scale because they want to have room left in the budget to reward them with pay rises over the next couple of years in an effort to retain them. This is important for them because their two last hires left within 12 months.
Sometimes the Employer Is Guessing Too
In addition, there is one other reason why employers and recruiters want to know your salary expectations when you apply for a job. Sometimes they are not confident about the salary range they have in mind or don’t have one at all.
Job postings without a specific salary are frustrating for job searchers but very useful for employers because they enable them to test the market and tell them where the position sits regarding salary expectations.
So, when you apply online, keep in mind that every part of your application paints a picture of who you are, what you can offer, and what you are looking for.
A recruiter or hiring manager is looking to find a variety of reasons why they should shortlist or reject you and your desired salary is one of these factors.
The question is, given how important it is to get this right, how do you know where to pitch yourself?
If you go too low, they may decide you are not the right quality of candidate or worse, give you a lowball job offer that you can’t accept.
If you go too high, you may price yourself out of their budget and get rejected instantly.
Ultimately you have 5 options – although I would stress that number 4 should never be chosen.
Let’s look at each.
Options for handling the expected salary question on a job application
1. Leave it blank
This has been traditionally seen as the ‘safest’ option because although a recruiter would ideally like your answer for all the reasons I gave earlier, it is a great way to avoid playing your hand too soon.
Once you are in the interview process, you can continue to deflect and avoid answering the salary expectation question until the job offer stage when you will then have more negotiating power.
However, more often than not, you won’t be able to do this because it is a mandatory field that needs to be completed to enable you to submit your application.
I also have a word of caution here for you too. Some Applicant Tracking Systems will fill this field in if you leave it blank.
For example, one of my clients uses the Humanforce ATS and it ‘guesstimates’ the expected salary of candidates so regularly that when I call them, I always double check by asking “on your application it says you would be ideally looking for $X. Is that correct?”
Often they tell me that they didn’t state this and then go on to give me an alternative figure that is higher or lower than the false AI estimate. Luckily, I am aware of this, so I never screen out applicants based on their salary expectations alone before I talk with them. But what about the recruiters or hiring managers using this ATS or similar that don’t know this?
And one other thing about Applicant Tracking Systems. Most now use some level of AI to help recruiters and hiring managers screen the vast number of applications they receive.
If you got away with not inputting anything for the expected salary question, you may end up being rejected if the AI is given the responsibility of the first screen and that was part of the essential criteria it was looking for. Incomplete applications get thrown out.
So, given the fact you have no control over whether an ATS uses AI to guess your expectation or reject you for not giving a figure, plus the fact others who state an actual figure might gain an advantage over you, this safe option can actually turn out to be quite a risky choice.
2. Write negotiable or something similar.
If the expected salary question is a mandatory but open field box, you won’t be restricted to just numbers.
This means you can use phrases like “negotiable depending on the total remuneration package” or “negotiable depending on the role requirements”.
Of course, other candidates may still get the edge over you if they hit the right figure they are looking for but this is a way to stay in the ‘safe zone.’
However, if the box is mandatory and not text but figure based, you will have no choice but to enter an actual salary figure.
3. Give a figure
You will be presented with either a drop-down menu where you can input a range, or a single figure salary box.
If the salary for the position has been disclosed in the job advertisement, then input that exact figure or one close to it. Don’t worry, you can negotiate later when they understand what you can offer them should they want to employ you.
If the salary was not advertised, then it’s time for some thinking and researching.
You can find typical ranges for the position and industry on websites like SEEK, Glassdoor, Salary.com, and LinkedIn that provide valuable comparative data.
If you are able to, it's a good idea to provide a range rather than a specific number, which shows that you're open to negotiation.
If you have to give an exact figure, base your desired salary on your skills, experience, and the cost of living in the location of the job. Customize your answer based on the specific job, company, and industry. What you might ask for in one situation may be different in another.
While it's important to negotiate for fair compensation, avoid inflating your expected salary to an unrealistic level, as this may lead to your application being rejected.
However, you also need to set a walk away figure that you would not be prepared to accept.
4. Game the system
I’ve seen various articles, videos and reels - usually from people who have never recruited anyone in their life - that advise job seekers to just put anything in the desired salary field to get past this problem like $0 or $100.
Please don’t do this. There are two very good reasons for this.
First, Applicant Tracking systems may reject you. As I mentioned before, a recruiter may have set up their ATS to initially only shortlist candidates within a particular salary range.
This means that your ‘clever’ answer may cause you to be automatically rejected before they even get to look at your skills and achievements.
Second, It’s annoying and unprofessional. As a recruiter it says this to us – “I know you asked for this, but I refuse to tell you.” We are naturally left to wonder why? What’s the big deal? What’s the story here? Are you not confident in your own worth? Or are you overconfident and feel the rules don’t apply to you – AKA a huge red flag.
Trying to ‘game the system’ is not a great look and does not instil any level of trust.
Now, if you have ‘unicorn status’ and have very specific, unique skills that are highly in demand, you may still get away with this.
But, if like the majority of people, you are up against equally qualified candidates, this is a big mistake.
Be professional and choose one of the previous options or consider the following, more proactive approach.
5. Choose to bypass this altogether.
Don’t use job board sites to apply for jobs online.
Instead, apply direct to human beings so that your skills and experience are highlighted first.
This way, you bypass the Applicant Tracking System and any specific questions you don’t want to answer.
Sure, this approach is not as easy as firing off a load of applications from a job board but, because it isn’t, you will face far less competition.
Use LinkedIn to research potential companies where you would like to work and then find the names of hiring managers and HR within these organisations. Send them targeted resumes and cover letters that will sell what you can offer and land you an interview. Then you can talk about your salary expectations face to face later on when the time is right.
FAQ
Should I Reveal My Current Salary If An Employer Asks For it?
Not necessarily. Your current salary and your market value are not always the same thing. Plenty of people are underpaid simply because they stayed too long, accepted low increases, or started on the wrong salary years ago. If possible, redirect the conversation toward the value of the role and the market rate instead of anchoring yourself to an outdated number.
What if the advertised salary range is far below what I want?
Don’t ignore the warning sign. If a company’s budget is dramatically below your expectations, no amount of interviewing magic is likely to fix it later.
You’re usually better off clarifying the range early rather than spending weeks in a process that was never financially viable for either side.
Can Asking For Too Little Hurt My Chances?
Absolutely. Many people assume lower equals safer. Sometimes it does the opposite. A very low figure can make employers question your experience, confidence, or understanding of the market. In some industries, pricing yourself too cheaply can actually damage your credibility.
Is it better to negotiate salary before or after the interview?
After. Before the interview, you’re just another applicant in a pile of resumes. After a strong interview, you become a potential solution to their problem and that changes the conversation completely. The more they want you, the stronger your negotiating position becomes.
What if I genuinely have no idea what salary I should ask for?
Then pause the job search and do the research first. Too many people spend hours applying for jobs but zero time understanding their actual market value. Look at salary guides, job ads, recruiters, industry reports, and comparable positions in your location. Walking into a job search without knowing your number is like showing up to an auction with no budget.
Conclusion
In the ideal world, you don’t divulge your salary expectations until the job offer stage because at that point they have already decided they want you and you have leverage in negotiations.
But this is the real world.
And in the real world, humans and AI want answers to questions to filter through the ridiculously high volume of applications they receive for every job posted.
So, if you are applying through a job site and they want to know your salary expectations, answer within a sensible range for both yourself, the company and their location.
After all, researching where you currently sit in the market and establishing your personal expectations and needs prior to your job search should be a non-negotiable essential if you are serious about your next career move.
No employer will hold you to your original answer post-interview.
It will be logical and reasonable to say “now I know more about this role, I feel it would be in the region of $[more than you quoted].”
These days the old rule of playing it safe with no answer or something ‘clever’ like $0 just isn’t safe anymore.
