How to negotiate salary in an interview

Salary negotiation doesn't start when you get the offer — it starts the moment salary comes up in the interview. Here's how to handle it.

Most people think salary negotiation happens after the offer. That's wrong. The salary conversation starts the first time a recruiter or interviewer brings it up — which is often in the very first call. How you handle that moment sets the tone for everything that follows.

Here's exactly what to say and do when salary comes up during an interview.

When they ask your salary expectations early in the process

The first salary question usually comes in the initial recruiter screen: “What are your salary expectations?” or “What are you currently making?” Both are designed to anchor the negotiation to your current situation rather than your market value.

Your goal at this stage is to deflect without being evasive. You want to learn about the role and demonstrate your value before locking in a number.

This is professional, direct, and puts the ball back in their court. Most recruiters will either share the range or accept the deflection and move on.

For more scripts on handling the current salary question, read what to say when a recruiter asks your current salary.

If they push for a number

Sometimes a recruiter will push back and say they need a number to move forward. In that case, give a range — but put your target at the bottom of the range, not the middle.

By putting your target at the bottom, even if they come in at the low end of your range, you're still where you want to be. The “flexible depending on the full package” line signals you're open to negotiating other components too.

Before you give any number, make sure you know your market rate. Hayven's Compensation Analyzer gives you a precise number for your role, level, and city so you're never guessing.

During the interview itself

Salary rarely comes up in the middle of a technical or behavioral interview — that's handled by recruiting. But if an interviewer brings it up, treat it the same way: deflect to the range question, or if pressed, give the same range you gave recruiting.

The more important thing happening during the interview is building your leverage. Every example you give of your impact, every problem you solve in a case question, every signal you send that you're the right person for the role — that's what gives you negotiating power when the offer comes.

Companies pay more for candidates they really want. Your job in the interview is to become the person they really want.

At the end of the interview: ask about the timeline

At the close of any interview, ask about next steps and timing. This does two things: it shows you're engaged and serious, and it gives you information you need to manage competing offers if you have them.

Mentioning that you're actively interviewing is not a bluff — it's a signal that you have options, which increases your leverage when the offer comes.

When the offer arrives

Everything you did during the interview — deflecting the salary question, demonstrating your value, signaling competing interest — pays off when the offer lands. You've protected your leverage and given yourself room to negotiate from a position of strength.

For a complete guide to what happens next, read how to negotiate salary after a job offer.

Practice before your next interview

The salary question catches most people off guard because they haven't practiced answering it. The first time you say “I'd prefer to understand the full scope of the role before discussing numbers” out loud should not be in a real interview.

Hayven's Negotiation Simulator lets you practice salary conversations in a realistic setting and get scored feedback — so you walk into your next interview prepared for whatever they ask.