Ways to Start Salary Talks
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01
Use a Text Field Placeholder If the application has a free-text salary field, write "Flexible based on total compensation package." Save your specific number for the interview, where you can discuss the full role scope and benefits before committing to a figure.
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02
Set Your Minimum as the Low End If you have to give a salary range, make sure the lowest number you enter is the absolute least amount of money you can accept. That way, even if they pick the bottom number, you are still okay.
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Mention Total Pay Mix Use any text box to say your expectations depend on the "whole pay package." This hints that you are open to a lower basic salary if they offer better benefits or bonuses.
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Anchor to Market Rate Enter a number that comes only from real local pay information for that exact job. This switches the focus from what you personally need to what the job is worth right now.
How to Handle Salary Talk
The blinking line in the "Expected Salary" box (a small, empty spot that feels like a dangerous trap) stops more job seekers than almost any other field on the form. For people looking to move up, it can lock them into a lower salary for years. For experienced workers changing jobs, it’s a big risk where being honest about your pay needs might cause them to click "Reject" right away.
This is the "Just Right" Problem: ask for too much money and you get ignored; ask for too little and you cheat your future self. Most experts say to avoid the question by typing "Can be discussed," but modern screening software often sees that as a reason to throw away your application before a person even looks at it.
To get past these digital checks, you must stop seeing the salary box as a test of your worth and start using it as a smart tool to show you know your professional value and the market rate.
What Is the "Expected Salary" Problem?
The expected salary field on a job application asks you to state your desired pay before you know the role's full scope, budget, or benefits package. Answering too low anchors future negotiations downward. Answering too high can filter your application out before a recruiter reads it.
The challenge is partly technical. Modern Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) scan salary fields for valid numerical values. An entry of "0," "Negotiable," or any non-numeric text in a number-only field often triggers automatic rejection before a recruiter sees your name. Your goal is to submit a number grounded in real market data: one that passes the ATS filter and still reflects your actual market value.
The problem is also psychological. According to a 2024 survey by Resume Genius of over 1,000 U.S. job seekers, 55% of candidates accept the first salary offer without attempting to negotiate at all. That hesitation often starts at the application stage, when an early salary commitment locks expectations in place before a recruiter has seen the full picture of what you bring to the role.
Expert View: Smart Moves vs. Falling for the Trap
Stop trying to trick the computer by typing "Negotiable" or leaving the salary box empty. That's old advice that will get you rejected by today's application systems. Most software is set up to see an empty box as a missing part of the application. If you type "0," the system might think you are a robot. If you type "999,999," a human will think you aren't serious.
The financial stakes are real. Data compiled by Procurement Tactics (2024) shows that professionals who negotiate during job changes earn an average of 18% more than those who accept initial offers. Over a full career, that gap compounds to over $1 million in additional earnings. A single salary field, filled in with an under-researched number, can start a chain reaction that takes years to undo. Once you understand how to answer salary expectation questions with confidence, the application stage becomes much less intimidating.
Relying on old tricks like writing "Negotiable" or leaving the salary spot blank, which modern hiring software often flags as a broken application, causing an instant rejection.
Setting the price based on the job's market value*, not your *past earnings. This means setting a fair minimum for experienced workers or finding out the actual market rate by asking three people in the field what they think. Your number must be based on facts, not fear.
If you spend way too much energy trying to perfectly manage one salary box across many job sites, you aren't being careful—you are fighting Information Imbalance, which is a system designed to see how low you are willing to accept.
If a company treats the first salary question like a trick question, they will probably treat your future performance reviews and raises the same way. Stop trying to win over companies looking for cheap labor and start looking for those that are open about pay.
Using Your AI Career Helper for Salary Questions
For Planning
Career Planning ToolActs like a coach, asking tough questions about your achievements and market data to help you figure out a real salary number.
For Defense
Interview Practice ToolHelps you organize your reasons for your desired salary, with quick practice cards for important phrases.
For Proof
Achievement LogSaves your work successes in a way you can search easily, so you always remember proof that you deserve high pay.
Common Questions Answered
If I give a salary range, won't the company just offer me the lowest number?
Not necessarily. Even if they start their offer at the low end of your range, giving a range shows you understand what the market pays.
It sets your "minimum acceptable amount" while still leaving room for them to offer more once you discuss the exact job duties in the interview.
If you give one high number, they might just ignore you. A range keeps you in the running while protecting what you absolutely need.
Should I just type "0" or "1" to skip the salary box and negotiate later?
No. Today's application software is programmed to look for real data, and entering "0" often leads to the system marking your application as incomplete, causing automatic rejection.
More importantly, it signals to the recruiter that you are trying to avoid a standard business question. Using a realistic range based on research proves you are a prepared candidate who respects their time.
What should I put if I don't know the market rate for the role?
Research before filling in the form. Check salary data on Glassdoor, LinkedIn Salary, or the Bureau of Labor Statistics for the specific job title and your location.
Aim for the median range for someone with your experience level. If you still feel unsure, enter a range where the bottom number is the least you can accept, not the least you can imagine.
Avoid anchoring to your current salary. The application asks what the job is worth, not what you've been paid before.
Is it smart to put a high number to leave room to negotiate?
Only if your high number is still within market range for that role. Entering a number significantly above the job's typical budget signals poor market awareness to recruiters and can get your application filtered out automatically.
A better approach: research the 75th percentile salary for the role and use that as your upper bound, with the median as your lower bound. This shows you've done your homework while leaving a real negotiation window open.
Can I change my salary expectation after submitting the application?
Yes. Your application-stage number is not a binding contract. Once you reach the interview stage and learn more about the scope of the role, you can revisit salary.
Most recruiters understand that early figures are estimates. You might say: "Now that I know more about what this role involves, I'd expect compensation in the range of..."
It rarely causes issues. Research from Procurement Tactics (2024) found that 94% of negotiated offers remain intact, meaning the fear of an offer being pulled is almost always unfounded. If you want to go deeper on this, see our guide on answering salary expectation questions in interviews.
Focus on what matters.
Handling the salary box means moving from guessing to knowing your price based on the market. Don't let a computer form decide your money future before you even get to talk to anyone.
Getting good at answering salary questions on job forms is the first key step to taking charge of what you earn and making sure you succeed long-term in your career.
Start Taking Charge
