"What Are Your Salary Expectations?" Eight Model Answers
In this article (12 sections)
- Work your number out before the call
- The eight answers
- 1. You are a fresher with no current salary
- 2. You are asked at the very first screening call
- 3. An application form wants a single number
- 4. You are asked for your current CTC
- 5. They tell you the band first
- 6. The role needs you to relocate
- 7. You are switching careers and accept a step sideways
- 8. They ask again after the final round
- Three things not to say
- Keep a written record
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The best answer to "What are your salary expectations?" is a figure you have already worked out, stated on fixed pay, with one sentence explaining it. Before any call, fix three numbers: the fixed pay you want, the lowest you would accept, and the monthly in-hand the lower figure gives you. The eight answers below reuse one hypothetical set of numbers, so you can see how the same preparation fits different moments.
Work your number out before the call
Say you are currently on ₹6,00,000 fixed and want a move that improves both scope and pay. Your figures, all hypothetical:
| Figure | Amount | How you got it |
|---|---|---|
| Target fixed | ₹7,80,000 | a 30% rise you have decided to ask for |
| Lowest acceptable fixed | ₹7,20,000 | what would still make the move worth it |
| In-hand at the lowest figure | about ₹58,000 a month | ₹7,20,000 ÷ 12 = ₹60,000, less ₹1,800 employee PF |
At ₹7,20,000 of salary, taxable income after the ₹75,000 standard deduction is ₹6,45,000. That is within the new-regime rebate for tax year 2026-27, so no income tax is deducted. The slab page on the e-filing portal sets out the rates. Here the PF assumes a ₹15,000 monthly basic, so 12% is ₹1,800; professional tax, if your state levies it, would reduce the figure a little more. If you would rather start from an in-hand target, working backwards from in-hand reverses the calculation.
The eight answers
1. You are a fresher with no current salary
"I am looking for fixed pay of around ₹7,80,000. I have based that on the scope of this role, which includes building the weekly reporting pipeline, not only running reports. I am flexible on the split if the total is close."
You have no current figure to anchor to, so anchor to the job's responsibilities.
2. You are asked at the very first screening call
"Before I give a number, could you share the range budgeted for this role? If it is not fixed yet, I am targeting ₹7,80,000 fixed."
Asking first is reasonable. Giving your figure straight after, if they will not share, keeps the call moving.
3. An application form wants a single number
Enter ₹7,80,000. If there is a comments box, add: "Fixed pay; open to discussing the structure." A form cannot negotiate, so put the target, not the minimum.
4. You are asked for your current CTC
"My current fixed pay is ₹6,00,000. The rest of my CTC is employer PF and insurance, which I can break down if useful. For this role I am looking for ₹7,80,000 fixed."
Give the fixed figure, not the CTC total. CTC can include items you never receive as cash. EPFO's wage ceiling FAQ itself notes that CTC is not a statutory concept. CTC items you never receive as cash explains why the two figures differ.
5. They tell you the band first
Suppose the recruiter says the band is ₹6,50,000 to ₹8,00,000. "Thanks. Given the SQL and dashboard work I have done in my current role, I would expect to be towards the upper end, around ₹7,80,000."
Your target is inside their band, so name it. If it had been above the band, say so plainly and ask whether the band has any flexibility for the right candidate.
6. The role needs you to relocate
"For this role in Noida I would need ₹7,80,000 fixed, plus help with the move. The fixed figure is what matters most to me."
Keep the relocation ask separate from salary. A one-off payment is easier to approve than a higher fixed figure, but it does not repeat every year.
7. You are switching careers and accept a step sideways
"I know this is my first analyst role, so I am not expecting a premium for past experience. I am looking for ₹7,20,000 fixed, which is about what I earn now, and I expect the next review to reflect the analytics work."
State the lower figure directly, and name what should change it. That is more credible than asking for your target while also saying you are new.
8. They ask again after the final round
"My expectation is still ₹7,80,000 fixed. If the fixed figure needs to be lower, I would want to discuss a review at six months, with that figure as the target."
Repeating the same number signals it was considered. Offering a structured alternative stops the conversation from stalling.
Three things not to say
- "Whatever is standard." It gives them the choice, and "standard" will be their lower figure.
- A range starting below your minimum. "₹6,50,000 to ₹8,00,000" is heard as ₹6,50,000.
- A number you have not checked in hand. If ₹7,20,000 fixed would not cover your rent, find that out before the call, not after the offer letter arrives.
Keep a written record
After each conversation, note the date, who you spoke to, the figure you gave and any band they shared. Offers often arrive weeks later, from a different person. Your notes let you say, accurately, "In our first call on the 3rd I said ₹7,80,000 fixed."
Structuring a number, stating its basis and recording it are the same habits you use when presenting an analysis. Our Data Analyst programme runs 3–4 months, live online with optional in-person labs at our Noida centre.
Frequently asked questions
Should I give a range or a single number?
A single number on fixed pay is clearer. If you must give a range, set its lower end at the figure you would actually accept, because the lower end is the one that will be heard.
Is it rude to ask what the budget is first?
No. Asking what range the role has been budgeted for is an ordinary question, and it can save both sides a wasted interview. If they decline to say, give your own figure.
Pankit Kumar has 10 years in Data Science & AI, building and shipping production systems in regulated pharma and clinical environments. He is a freelance trainer at Boston Institute of Analytics, AnalytixLabs and Scaler, and has taught this material to thousands of working professionals.
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