What to put in the salary expectations box
Give a range in US dollars, per year, base pay before taxes, and label it: $72,000–78,000 a year, base. For an hourly job, give an hourly rate: $23–25 an hour. If the box takes only a number, type the one figure you'd be glad to accept, not your lowest.
Of all the boxes on the form, this is the one people stare at longest.
- What are your salary expectations for this position?
- What are your salary expectations for this job? *
- Desired salary
- Desired salary/hourly rate
The asterisk means the form won't let you skip it.
On this page
What they're really asking
- Do we overlap? The question is there to check that what you want and what they can pay meet, before either side spends time on interviews.
- Do you know the market for this role? A figure far above or below the usual pay for the job says something too.
- Where will talks start? Whatever you type here, expect to hear it again when an offer is made.
Three things to check before you type
- Yearly or hourly. Match how the job is posted. An hourly rate in a yearly box is out by about 2,000.
- Before taxes. Give pay before taxes unless the form asks for something else.
- What's in the number. Base only, or base plus bonus, commission or equity? If you mean base, write "base".
Find the range first
Last checked:
Look at the posting. In several states and cities, employers must include a pay range in it, and in several they can't ask what you earn now:
| Where the job is | Pay range in the posting | Can they ask your pay history? |
|---|---|---|
| California | Employers with 15 or more employees; applicants can also ask for the pay scale | No |
| Colorado | All job postings, with a description of benefits | No |
| Illinois | Employers with 15 or more employees, since January 1, 2025 | No |
| New York State | Employers with 4 or more employees | No |
| New York City | Employers with 4 or more employees, since November 1, 2022 | No (New York State law) |
| Washington | Employers with 15 or more employees, with benefits | No |
This isn't a complete list; check the rules where the job is. This is general information, not legal advice.
How to write it on the form
A box that takes only numbers. Type one yearly figure, with no symbol or commas if the box rejects them: 44000. If there's a separate currency or period menu next to it, set that too. Choose the number you'd be glad to accept.
A text box. Give a range, say what it is, and add one line if you want to show room to move: "$72,000–78,000 a year, base salary. Open to discussing the package as a whole."
Keep the range narrow. About 10% from bottom to top reads as a real answer. The bottom of your range is the number they'll remember, so put it where you'd be content.
Tone. Numbers first, no apology, no explanation of your rent.
If the box shows a character counter, stay under it. If it doesn't, pick the length in Short, medium and long that matches the size of the box.
Three examples for three situations
The posting gives a range
Dana, a marketing coordinator, is applying for a job in Denver. The posting says $52,000–58,000 a year.
$56,000–58,000 a year, base. That's within the range in your posting.
No range, and a box that takes only numbers
Marcus, an IT support specialist, is applying for a job in Dallas. The form says "Desired salary *" and accepts digits only.
68000
An hourly job
Rosa is applying to lead a warehouse shift in Columbus, Ohio. The form asks for "Desired salary/hourly rate".
$23–25 an hour.
All examples are fictional. The figures are illustrations, not market data.
Short, medium and long
- Short: one line, under about 150 characters, for single-line boxes.
- Medium: two to four sentences, for a small text box.
- Long: a full paragraph, for a large box with no counter.
Short (27 characters, for single-line boxes)
$72,000–78,000 a year, base
Medium (151 characters, for a small text box)
$72,000–78,000 a year, base salary. That reflects five years in similar roles and the scope in your posting. Open to discussing the package as a whole.
Long (329 characters, for a box that asks you to explain)
$72,000–78,000 a year, base salary. I've based this on five years in customer operations, most recently running support for a 40-person team, and on the responsibilities in your posting, which go further than my current role. If the role includes a bonus or equity, I'm open to a lower base. I can start two weeks after an offer.
Mistakes to avoid
- An hourly rate in a yearly box, or the other way round.
- Net pay without saying so. Your figure looks far lower than you meant.
- A range so wide it says nothing, like “$30,000–60,000”.
- Your lowest acceptable figure as the bottom of the range. It's the number they'll remember.
- “0”, “1” or “999999” to get past a required number box. The number may be read exactly as typed.
- Your current salary when they asked what you expect. It's a different question, and in some places they shouldn't ask for it (see the table above).
- “Negotiable” on its own in a required text box. Give a range, then add “negotiable” if you like.
If the form asks what you earn now
In the states in the table, employers can't ask. New York and Washington say outright that you can still share it yourself, without being asked, if it helps you. Anywhere else, you can answer or give your expectation instead:
Expected: $75,000 a year, base.
This page covers US rules. If you're applying in Canada or Australia, check the rules where the job is.
How Trabalero handles this box
- Autofill types the Desired salary saved in your active profile. Each profile keeps its own, so a product profile and an operations profile can ask for different amounts.
- It doesn't convert. If the box asks for a monthly or hourly figure, or names a different currency from the one you saved, Autofill doesn't type your saved figure there. It marks the box for you to review, and AI Answer can draft a figure for it if you ask.
- For a box that wants sentences, press AI Answer in the side panel. Trabalero drafts an answer from your profile and the job description and writes it into the box. You read it, change what isn't you, and press submit yourself. AI Answer needs a free account.
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