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“What are your salary expectations?”: how to answer without losing money

The one interview question with a direct rupee value on the answer. Research a range, anchor it, deliver it calmly, and retire “as per company norms” forever.

Updated 15 September 2026 · 6 min read · Published by Interview Sarthi

How to use these examples: These are our practice suggestions, not employer rules or guaranteed answers. Replace the situations, numbers and results with your own experience.

Prepare for the salary discussion by researching the role and asking about its budget. The scripts below are examples to adapt; their numbers are not verified pay ranges for a company or a promise of a larger offer.

Why “as per company norms” fails

A broad answer such as “as per company norms” does not tell you whether the offer fits your needs. Ask which components are fixed, variable or conditional and what range is budgeted. Some roles have a fixed package; others allow discussion.

Step 1: research the range before the call

• Look up the specific role at the specific company (and city) on the salary data sites: AmbitionBox, Glassdoor, Levels.fyi for tech. Company-specific numbers beat generic “average salary for X” articles every time.
• Ask one human. A senior from college inside the company, or anyone who interviewed there recently, will calibrate you better than any website.
• Set your range so the bottom is a number you'd genuinely be happy with; negotiations gravitate to the bottom of whatever range you state. Anchor the top slightly above your target.

Step 2: the script

The variations that trip people up

“What's your current CTC?” asked first

In India you'll usually be asked, and stonewalling stalls processes. The practical play: answer it, then immediately reframe to the market: “Current is 8 fixed. But I'd rather anchor on what this role is worth. Market range main 12–14 dekh raha hoon.” If your current salary is low, that reframe is everything: the market rate for the role is your basis, not a percentage on top of an underpaid number. The gap between your CTC and the market is the reason you're switching, own it instead of apologising for it.

The fresher version

If a fresher posting specifies a fixed package, confirm the components and decide whether it works for you. If pay is open for discussion, research the role and ask about the employer’s range. Do not assume asking a reasonable question automatically harms your application.

“That's above our budget”

Not a rejection, an invitation. Two honest responses: ask what the band is and decide against your real bottom number, or trade: “If 12 isn't possible on fixed, main joining bonus ya 6-month review pe baat kar sakta hoon.” A future review is not a guaranteed increase; clarify its conditions before weighing it against fixed pay.

The counter-offer trap at your current company

If your employer makes a counter-offer, compare the written terms and the reasons you started looking: work, growth, location and pay. We do not have a verified statistic predicting how long someone will stay after accepting one.

Delivery beats content

The script above only works said calmly, at normal speed, with a full stop at the end. Rushed, mumbled, or trailed off (“12 to 14… but I mean, I'm flexible, whatever works…”) it reads as a bluff and gets treated like one. Practise saying your range out loud until it sounds boring. Boring is what confidence sounds like in a salary conversation. And if you tend to blank under pressure in general, the fixes in stop blanking out in online interviews apply doubly to this question; it usually lands at the end of the call, when you're most tired.