The First Number: Why You Should Give It (and How to Calculate It)

About half of job-seekers never say the first salary number—and quietly lose thousands. A recruiter asks: “So, what were you hoping for?” Your pulse jumps. You stall, toss the question back, and think you’re being smart. In reality, you just handed them control of your entire range.

Most candidates think staying vague keeps options open: “I’m flexible,” “I’m sure you’ll be fair,” “I’m more interested in the role than the money.” On paper, that sounds cooperative. In practice, it strips you of one of the only levers you fully control: the first concrete number tied to your value.

The data is blunt. In one experiment, every extra $1,000 in the initial ask pulled the final salary up by about $500. For a role with a realistic spread—say $135,000 to $185,000—that difference in anchoring can mean walking away with $150,000… or $175,000… for doing the same job.