“What pay range are you looking for from this role?”
What an awful question! Why would they even ask me that?
First, take a breath. I know questions like this seem wildly unfair, but lots of employers will ask such a thing because they want to make sure they aren’t wasting their time or yours on something that won’t work. (Bonus to them: if you low-ball yourself, they have the potential to save some money.)
What can you do to prepare for a situation like this?
The first and most obvious step is to see if there’s a salary range posted. Some states have pay transparency laws that mean employers must give a range in the actual posting, but some states don’t. If you can’t find any information, try calling HR and just asking what the range is. If they can’t or won’t tell you and you’re genuinely interested in the job, go ahead and apply.
If there is a range listed, your answer to the question will become something like, “I would be comfortable within the range posted.” You can add things like “at the higher end” if your experience and background warrant that. If they press you for a number even after that, have a figure in mind that’s slightly above what you would be okay with (still within the stated range) and slightly below the top of the range listed, adding “depending on benefits.”
If you can’t find any concrete info on the range, look around at similar job titles at similar employers, and research what a typical pay range is for your education and level of experience. Sites like GlassDoor and Payscale are good tools for this. Crunch some numbers and aim for a little above the middle: “Well, it looks like someone with my education and level of experience generally makes around $85-95K a year, and I would be happy somewhere in that range, depending on benefits.”
Whatever you do, don’t feel as though you’ve locked yourself into your stated range though! You should still negotiate when you have an offer, and you should ask about growth and promotions.
As is usually the case with interviews, prep will be the magic that gets you through to the next level, so put in the time to run through this stuff so you feel prepared to answer hard questions like this one.
