How to answer salary expectation questions

This question shows up on application forms, in the first call with a recruiter, and again at the offer stage. It feels like a trap because it partly is one: whoever names a number first sets the anchor for the rest of the conversation. You usually cannot avoid answering, but you can answer well.

Do the research before anyone asks

• Job postings for similar roles that do list a salary. Collect five to ten from the same city and seniority, and note the range.
• Salary ranges published by job sites, filtered by job title and city. Treat them as a rough guide, since they are averages across very different companies.
• People already in the role. A friend, an alumni contact, or someone in a professional community one or two years ahead of you is often the most accurate source you have.
• Your current package, all of it: base salary, allowances, bonus, and insurance. Without this you cannot tell whether a new offer is actually better.

Give a range, and start it where you actually want to be

A range is easier to say out loud and leaves both sides room to move. Set the bottom of your range at a number you would genuinely be happy to accept, not at your absolute minimum. Offers tend to land near the bottom of whatever range you give, so your minimum should sit below the range, not inside it.

Wording you can use

When you have done the research and are ready to give a number:

When it comes up very early and you would rather hear their number first:

Check what the number includes

• Gross or take-home. Ask whether a figure is before or after income tax and BPJS contributions. The difference is large enough to change your decision.
• What sits on top of the monthly salary: bonus, health insurance beyond BPJS, and transport, meal, or internet allowances.
• THR. The religious holiday allowance is paid on top of the monthly salary, so compare offers on their yearly total rather than the monthly figure alone.
• Probation. Some companies pay a lower amount during probation. Ask how much, and for how long.

On an application form

If a form requires a single number, use one near the middle of your researched range. If it accepts text, a range is fine. Avoid typing 0 or a placeholder just to get past the field. It looks careless to the person reading your application, and it does not avoid the conversation, it only delays it.

When the offer is lower than you hoped

Thank them, ask for a day to think it over, and come back with one specific counter tied to a reason: the scope of the role, a competing offer, or the market range you found. If the base salary truly cannot move, ask about what can: a salary review after probation, a signing bonus, more remote days, or a later start date.