Almost everyone gets this question wrong in the same direction: too low, too early, and stated as a single number. Then it becomes the ceiling for the entire negotiation, because the first figure mentioned tends to be the one everything else is measured against.
It is worth a bit of preparation for that reason alone. Five minutes of research changes what you say, and what you say here is often worth more per minute than anything else in the interview.
Do the research first
You cannot answer well without a number in your head, and the number needs to come from somewhere real. Three sources, used together:
- Live adverts for the same role. The most useful source by a distance, because it is what employers are offering right now, not what a survey said last year. Look at ten similar roles in your region and note the ranges.
- Region, not national. UK pay varies enormously by location, and a London figure applied in the North East will make you look like you have not checked. Search where you would actually work.
- Sector. The same job title pays differently in the public sector, a charity, an agency and a listed company. Compare like with like.
From that, form a range about £5,000 to £8,000 wide for a mid-level role. The bottom of it should be a number you would genuinely say yes to, because it is the number you are most likely to be offered.
If they ask early — usually the recruiter screen
One polite deflection is entirely acceptable, and often works:
"I would rather understand the role properly first. Do you have a budgeted range for the position?"
Roughly half the time they will tell you, and you have gained the information for free. If they push back and ask again, answer. A second dodge starts to sound evasive and you lose more goodwill than you gain leverage.
If you have to give a number
Give a range, attach a reason, and stay relaxed about it:
"Based on what similar roles in the region are advertising, I have been looking in the region of £38,000 to £45,000 — though I would want to understand the whole package and the scope of the role before being firm about it."
That does three things. It shows you have researched rather than guessed. It leaves room to move. And the mention of the whole package opens the door to the parts of an offer that are not base salary — which are frequently where the negotiation actually succeeds.
Do not forget the rest of the package
Base salary is the headline, but pension contribution, annual leave above the statutory minimum, bonus, flexible or hybrid working, training budget and notice period all carry real value. An employer with a fixed salary band very often has room on those, and asking about them signals that you are thinking like someone who intends to stay rather than someone shopping on price.
If flexibility or location genuinely matters more to you than the top of the range, say so — it makes you easier to hire, and it gets you the thing you actually wanted.
When the offer arrives
Ask for it in writing before responding. Then, if you want to counter, do it once, with a reason:
"Thank you — I am really pleased. I was hoping for closer to £45,000 given the team-lead element we discussed. Is there any flexibility there?"
One reasoned counter is normal in the UK and very rarely costs a genuine offer. Repeated haggling is what sours things. Ask once, accept the answer gracefully either way, and if the answer is no, you can still ask whether there is movement on the leave or the review date instead.
Two mistakes worth avoiding
Anchoring on your current salary. If you are underpaid now, answering with your current figure carries that underpayment into the next job and often the one after. Answer about the market rate for the role you are applying for.
Naming a single number. A single figure is a ceiling, never a floor. Ranges leave room; numbers do not.
Underneath all of this is a simpler question, which is whether the role is one you actually want. Pay is a great deal easier to discuss confidently when you are clear about the direction you are heading — which is what working out what career is right for you is really about.
Know what the roles that fit you actually pay.
The reason this question is uncomfortable is usually that you are guessing. Valiown searches real, current UK vacancies and ranks them against your profile, your constraints and your salary requirements — so you are working from what roles that genuinely fit you are advertising right now, not from a number you half-remember. It also tailors your CV and cover letter per role, which is the other half of being taken seriously on pay. Free preview on Google Play.
Common questions
Should I give a number first?
If the advert had a range, work within it. If it did not and you are pushed, give a researched range rather than a single figure, and make the bottom of your range a number you would genuinely accept — because that is the number you will be offered.
Can I refuse to answer?
You can deflect once, politely, by asking what they have budgeted. If they ask again, answer — a second deflection starts to read as evasive and it is not a hill worth dying on.
What if my current salary is low?
Answer about the market rate for the role you are applying for, not about your history. If asked directly what you currently earn, you can answer honestly and immediately reframe: what you are looking for in this role is X, based on what the role involves.
Is it rude to negotiate a UK job offer?
No, and it is more normal than people assume. One polite, reasoned counter is standard practice and rarely costs you an offer that was genuine. Ask for the offer in writing first, then respond once, with a reason attached.