Salary Talk

How to Answer "What Is Your Expected Salary?" in India Without Underselling Yourself

This one question has probably cost Indian job seekers more money collectively than any other. Here is how to stop leaving lakhs on the table.

The number you say in this moment follows you for years. Get it right.

The Question That Costs You Lakhs

Let us be real about something. When HR asks "what is your expected salary," they are not making conversation. They are trying to figure out the lowest number you will accept. That is their job. And if you blurt out a number without thinking, you have just set a ceiling on your own earning potential at that company. Every raise, every bonus, every increment for the next few years will be calculated from that number.

The frustrating part is that most freshers in India have no idea what they are worth. They have never had a salary before. They do not know what the market pays. So when HR asks, they either say something absurdly low because they are afraid of being rejected, or they throw out a random number they heard from a friend. Both approaches cost them money. Real money. The kind of money that compounds over a career.

The first person to name a number in a salary negotiation usually loses. That is not a theory. That is how negotiation works.

What HR Is Really Checking

HR asks this question for three reasons, and none of them are about being generous. First, they want to know if you are within their budget. Every role has a salary band, and if your expectation is wildly above it, they would rather know now than waste everyone's time. Fair enough.

Second, they are testing whether you have done your research. A candidate who gives a well-reasoned range based on market data signals competence. A candidate who says "whatever you think is fair" signals that they have not thought about it at all. Neither extreme is good, but the second one is worse because it suggests you do not value your own work.

Third, and this is the part nobody says out loud, they are looking for a deal. If you ask for less than what they budgeted, they will happily pay you less. No company is going to say "actually, we were planning to offer you more." That is not how it works. The number you say becomes the starting point, and it only goes down from there, not up.

Data is your best friend in a salary conversation

Do Your Homework Before the Interview

You would not walk into a technical interview without preparing. Do not walk into a salary conversation without data either. Here is where to look.

Glassdoor and AmbitionBox

Search for the exact role and company. If the company is not listed, search for similar companies in the same city and industry. AmbitionBox is particularly good for Indian salary data because it has a large base of Indian employees reporting their CTC breakdowns.

LinkedIn Salary Insights

LinkedIn shows salary ranges for many roles if you have a premium account. Even without one, you can often see ranges in job postings. Pay attention to the location. A software developer in Bangalore and one in Jaipur will have very different salary ranges for the same title.

Talk to People

This is the most underrated research method. Talk to seniors from your college who are in similar roles. Talk to friends who recently got placed. People are more willing to share salary information than you think, especially if you ask respectfully. "What range should I expect for a junior developer role in Pune?" is a perfectly reasonable question.

How to Frame Your Answer

The golden rule: always give a range, never a single number. A range gives you flexibility and shows that you are open to discussion. But here is the trick. Your bottom number should be what you would actually be happy with. Your top number should be aspirational but not delusional.

If your research tells you the market rate is 5 to 7 LPA for this role, say your range is 6 to 8 LPA. You are anchoring slightly above market, which gives room for negotiation while still being realistic. If they come back with 5.5, you can negotiate up. If you had said 5 to begin with, there is nowhere to go.

Always tie your number to something concrete. "Based on my research on Glassdoor and conversations with professionals in similar roles, and considering my skills in Python and cloud deployment, I am looking at a range of 6 to 8 LPA." That sounds very different from "I want 8 lakhs." The first one is informed. The second one is a wish.

Pro tip: if you can, try to get them to share their range first. "I would love to understand the budget you have in mind for this role so I can see if we are aligned." This works more often than you would expect, especially with smaller companies.

Scripts for Freshers

When You Have Done Your Research

"Based on my understanding of the market for this role in [city], and considering my skills in [relevant skills] and my internship experience at [company], I am looking at a range of [X to Y] LPA. But I am also open to discussing this based on the overall compensation package and growth opportunities."

When You Want Them to Go First

"I am flexible on compensation and more focused on finding the right role and team. Could you share the range you have budgeted for this position? That would help me give you a more informed answer."

When They Push for a Specific Number

"If I had to put a number on it, I would say [X] LPA would be a fair starting point given the market data I have seen. But I am genuinely more interested in the role itself and the learning opportunities, so I am open to a conversation around this."

Scripts for Experienced Professionals

If you already have a salary, the game changes slightly. Companies will often ask for your current CTC and then offer a percentage hike. The problem is that if your current salary is below market rate, a 20 percent hike on a low base still leaves you underpaid.

Redirecting From Current CTC

"My current CTC is [X], but I believe this role involves significantly more responsibility and a different scope of work. Based on the market rate for this level and the value I can bring, I am targeting [Y to Z] LPA. I am happy to discuss how we can make this work for both sides."

The key for experienced professionals is to decouple the conversation from your current salary and anchor it to market value instead. Your current salary reflects your past negotiation, not your current worth. Do not let a low starting point from three years ago define what you earn today.

Salary negotiation is uncomfortable. It is supposed to be. But the discomfort of asking for what you are worth lasts five minutes. The regret of accepting less than you deserve lasts until your next job change. Do the research, practice the scripts, and walk in knowing your number. Modncv's career analysis tools can help you benchmark salaries for your specific role, location, and experience level so you never walk into this conversation unprepared.

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