Salary Expectations: When to Include Them and How to Negotiate

“What are your salary expectations?” Few moments in a hiring process create more anxiety. Answer too high and you risk being screened out. Answer too low and you leave money on the table — sometimes permanently, since future raises typically build on your starting salary.

This guide covers when to include salary information, how to research the market, what to say in the interview, and how to counter-offer with solid data. For a full interview preparation guide, see also how to answer the most common interview questions.

When to include salary expectations

The rule is simple: only when explicitly asked. Many job applications (including on platforms like Gupy, common at Brazilian companies) have a mandatory salary field — in those cases you have no choice. But if the field is optional or the posting doesn’t mention it, don’t volunteer the information.

Never put salary expectations in your resume header, cover letter, or anywhere not specifically requested. Sharing the number without reason reduces your negotiation leverage before you’ve even had a conversation.

How to respond when a form requires a number

When the platform forces a response, the best strategy is to give a range, not a fixed amount. The range should be 10–20% wide above your acceptable minimum.

Instead of “$80,000,” write “$80,000–$95,000.” If there is a free-text field, add: “negotiable based on full benefits package.”

This format preserves negotiation room. The recruiter sees you researched the market and aren’t anchored to a single number.

Researching market salaries

Before quoting any number, research. Useful sources:

• Glassdoor — employee-reported salaries at specific companies
• LinkedIn Salary Insights — ranges by role, city, and sector
• Robert Half Salary Guide — published annually, strong reference for management and specialist roles
• Levels.fyi — reference for tech roles with equity and bonus detail (BRL for Brazilian market; USD for US/international)

Cross-reference at least two sources. Beyond base salary, consider total compensation: benefits, health insurance, profit-sharing, and remote work flexibility can represent significant monthly value. An offer with a lower salary but robust benefits can outperform a higher salary with sparse benefits.

Location matters. Remote roles at companies with regional compensation policies may adjust salary by location — worth researching whether your target company has this policy.

In the interview: how to respond without committing too early

When a recruiter asks about salary expectations early in the conversation, you don’t yet have enough information to negotiate well. An effective deflection:

“Before we get into numbers, I’d love to understand the full scope of the role and the benefits package. That way I can give you a more precise answer.”

If the recruiter pushes, use your researched range: “Based on market data for this role and location, I’m targeting $X–$Y, but I’m open to discussing the full package.”

One critical rule: never reveal your current salary. That number anchors the negotiation to your history, not to market value or the value you’ll generate for the company. If asked directly, redirect: “I prefer to focus on what the market pays for this specific role.”

Counter-offering: negotiate with data

Received an offer below expectations? You have every right to negotiate — companies expect it. The key is negotiating with data, not emotion.

Your strongest leverage comes from competing offers. If you have another offer in progress, you can mention it without detail: “I’m evaluating another opportunity at a similar range and would like to see if we can get closer to $X.”

Even without another offer, use market data:

“I’ve researched the market for this seniority level and the range is $X–$Y. The current offer is below that. Is there room to adjust?”

Also negotiate beyond salary: remote work arrangement, flexible hours, education budget, additional vacation days, or an earlier performance review. Companies that can’t move on salary often have room in benefits.

Quick reference: how much to ask in each scenario

• Promotion at same company— +15–25% over current salary. Less than that doesn’t reflect the increased responsibility.
• Lateral move to new company — +20–30%. You lose informal seniority, take adaptation risk, and forfeit accumulated perks.
• Career transition — may accept lateral or even -10% if the new area has a faster growth curve.

With an ATS-optimized resume, you arrive at negotiations with more offers — and more offers mean more bargaining power. Run your resume through our free ATS checker to ensure you’re being called for the right interviews.