How to answer "what's your expected salary" starts with research, not a guess under pressure. Know your market rate before the interview. Give a range, not a single fixed number. This protects you from pricing yourself out or leaving money on the table in the same breath.
Why This Question Catches People Off Guard
Many candidates haven't researched a real number before the interview, so they either freeze, guess too low, or guess too high. All three responses weaken your position in different ways. Preparation beforehand removes the pressure entirely.
Step 1: Research Before the Interview, Not During
Look up typical pay for your role, experience level, and the client's likely market. Trying to calculate this live, mid-interview, usually produces a worse number than preparation would have.
Step 2: Give a Range, Not One Number
A range gives you negotiating room while still answering directly. Pick a range where even the bottom number is one you'd genuinely accept, so you're protected regardless of where the conversation lands.
Step 3: Frame It Around Value
Instead of a bare number, briefly connect it to what you bring. For example: "Based on my experience with [specific skill], I'm looking at [range], though I'm open to discussing based on the full scope of the role."
Step 4: Stay Open to the Full Package
If the base number can't move, other things sometimes can, like flexible hours or a review after a few months. Our guide on negotiating a salary offer for a remote job covers this part of the conversation in more depth.
Glassdoor's salary data is a useful starting point for researching typical ranges before any interview.
What If You're Asked for an Exact Number?
If pushed for a single figure, give the top of your researched range, stated confidently. This still leaves room to accept something slightly lower without having anchored yourself too low from the start.
Preparing the Rest of the Interview
This question is just one part of a larger conversation. Our broader guide on remote job interview preparation covers the rest, and a strong elevator pitch sets the tone before this question even comes up.
The Bottom Line
How to answer the expected salary question is a learnable skill, not something to improvise under pressure. VAA Global's interview preparation resources cover this and other common interview questions directly.
