Expected salary - how much?

[fivetriangulartrees]

I'm applying for a more senior role and want to put a number in the "expected salary" field. (Having hired people previously, I know that "to be negotiated" is a bit annoying and doesn't help the hirer.) But what number should I put?

• I'm currently on 80k at a different company in the same city
• This is probably 1-2 grades more senior
• There is no pay scale for the new role. The grade below is advertised at 60-120k but I know some people will be paid in excess of that anyway
• The role isn't as senior as some that I know pay 150k
• I have most but not all of the experience asked for
• I don't really want the job (would be a rubbish commute) but see this as practice for a potential role closer to home and want to get a measure of my worth to a new employer
• I'm on a good salary now but I have a long previous history of being underpaid and not asking for enough

What is my expected salary?

I would also put £140k given the grade below is £120k.

You dont have to tell them your expectation. When hubby had his last interviews a few months ago, he knew at some point they would ask him about his salary expectations. Previously he had always been honest.

This time we did a bit research and I suggested him not to give the mumber and let the company come up with an offer. They offered him 30% more than he expected. I was sure if he tried to negotiate he could have got even more, but he was very happy with the offer and accepted it.

I really hope you aren't serious.

I would also leave it blank and ask at interview. If they're decent they'll offer what they can and if they're not you probably don't want to work there.

£145 and have a minimum you would accept in mind - probably £125

130k and i’d settle at 125k or slightly less. any more than that 125k and you lose all your tax personal allowance and it makes a massive difference

I don’t agree with pp about time wasting; i think do it for the practice, plus it really helps determine what you actually want from
a role / team / company, in my experience

If the grade below is advertised as up to 120 then surely you should be asking for over 120 as you are a higher grade? I’d ask for 140. Always ask for a number than makes you feel slightly ill. Not really wanting the role is a great place to be.

% uplift shouldn't be relevant to the hiring manager.

So if they matched your hybrid arrangements and offered £120k would you take it?

Quite often pay grades overlap

£140k

A man would put £140k, probs anticipating meeting at 130k.

Women are (mainly) rubbish at this sort of thing. We apologise for the space we take up, instead of manspreading and taking our share of the space.

Probably, yes. I would find it hard to turn down. But I'd also have to consider the impact on my family/sleep/health if I were commuting for 4.5 hours a day instead of 3, so I would probably take the opportunity to think about what arrangement might work better than the one I currently have, and try to negotiate that instead.

Anyway, the application is in, so I'll see what happens...

£140k

Since you don't want it, 40K. Will accept 130K. If you get offers in this range, accept it. Don't jerk people around.

140K

If more senior roles are being paid £150k, and they may well have been in post for a while and have moved up the banding, I'm struggling to see how £140k is appropriate.

How do the ranges work? 80-120, 120-140, 140-160?

Or 80-120, 100-140, 120-160 etc?

Personally, I probably put down £120k. That's a 50% payrise which is huge. If you go too high, you run the risk of 1) putting them off, especially if you're relatively new to even £80k - they may think you're over-valuing yourself. 2) if you jump too high, you're likely to get massive imposter syndrome. Being paid what you're worth is much more comfortable all round than being overpaid and constantly feeling people will 'find you out'.

But then I'm also of the mind that £150k is ludicrous for most professions and I'd expect someone of that pay to be extremely well qualified AND well experienced, with evidence to prove they're worth that salary.

We've had a few time-wasters too. I know it works both ways, employers do the same thing when they want to justify an internal hire.
Poor behaviour inconveniences everyone but some people - employers and employees selfishly don't care - but it does have an impact.