What are your salary expectations?
Reported in X (Twitter) USA engineering loops. HR negotiation question requiring research and flexible framing.
Interview scenario
Often asked in X (Twitter) on-site or virtual loops at US offices (Bay Area, Seattle, NYC, Austin, and remote US). Prepare a clear spoken answer plus key trade-offs.
Model answer
Try answering aloud first
Cover trade-offs, structure, and a concrete example before revealing the baseline response.
How to frame this at X (Twitter): Connect your answer to measurable impact, clarity of thought, and trade-offs the team cares about. Below is a strong baseline response you can adapt with your own project examples.
Never give a number blind. Research market ranges for role, level, city, and company tier using levels.fyi, Glassdoor, and peer networks. Express range aligned with data, not wishful thinking.
Sample framing: "Based on my research for SDE roles in Bangalore with my experience, I am looking at ₹X–Y total compensation, but I am flexible depending on the full package—base, bonus, equity, and benefits."
If pressed early, deflect politely: "I'd like to understand the role scope first; can you share the budgeted range for this level?" Many companies have bands—fitting within band matters more than winning a single counter.
Consider whole package: learning, title, WFH, stock refreshers. Never lie about current CTC; inconsistencies destroy trust during background checks.
Discussion
Comments (0)
Share how this question came up in your loop, or add tips for others preparing.
Log in to comment on this question.