“What are your salary expectations?”

The question seems simple. Yet it is probably one of the questions candidates are least prepared to answer in an interview.

Some immediately give a number without really knowing why. Others provide such a wide range that it becomes almost meaningless. Some try to avoid the question altogether. And then there are those who simply throw out a number and hope they landed somewhere close to the mark.

Yet a poor answer can have very real consequences. You can unnecessarily eliminate yourself from a process because your expectations seem too high. On the other hand, you can position yourself far too low and potentially leave thousands of dollars on the table.

The good news? This is a question you can absolutely prepare for.

1. Do your research before the interview

You should have a good idea of your market value before you are asked the question… and your market value is not necessarily your current salary.

In the legal profession, many factors can significantly influence compensation: your years of experience, your area of practice, demand for your expertise, your client base, your ability to generate business, your experience at a major law firm or recognized organization, your management responsibilities and, of course, the type of employer you are considering.

Two lawyers with exactly the same number of years of experience can therefore have very different values in the market.

Before an interview, do your homework. Review available salary data, speak with trusted colleagues and, most importantly, talk to recruiters who genuinely understand your market. The objective is not to find the perfect number. It is to understand where you fall within the market.

2. Lawyers: Early in your career, understand the “lockstep”

For lawyers in the early years of practice, the salary expectations question comes with an important consideration: the famous “lockstep.”

At many firms, particularly larger ones, associate compensation follows a relatively structured scale based on year of call. A first-year associate earns a certain salary, a second-year associate moves to the next level, and so on.

These scales help maintain a certain degree of salary consistency among lawyers within the same cohort. They also create market benchmarks that other firms may choose to follow in order to remain competitive when recruiting junior lawyers.

But be careful: there is no universal salary grid that every law firm is required to follow.

Some firms closely follow the scales observed among their main competitors. Others have their own compensation structures. Specialized boutiques, regional firms and smaller firms may operate very differently. Some firms also have a degree of flexibility when recruiting a candidate whose profile is particularly sought after.

This is why I advise junior lawyers to be careful about setting their salary expectations simply based on what they have heard from a friend or colleague.

“My friend was called to the Bar the same year as me and makes $145,000, so I’m asking for $145,000.” That is not necessarily how the market works.

Votre année d’admission au Barreau est un excellent point de référence, mais elle n’est qu’un des éléments à considérer. Your year of call is an excellent point of reference, but it is only one factor to consider. The type and size of firm, your area of practice, your experience, your billing rate, your billable-hour targets, bonuses and overall employment conditions can all have a significant impact on your compensation.

A lawyer billed to clients at $500 per hour does not necessarily generate the same economic value for a firm as a lawyer from the same year of call who is billed at $300 per hour.

Early in your career, understanding the market is therefore often more important than knowing how to negotiate.

3. Don’t simply calculate your current salary + 10%

This is a reflex I see regularly. “I make $150,000, so I would need $165,000 to make a move.” Maybe. But why?

Your current employer may be paying you below market. It may also be paying you above market. Your next position may involve greater responsibilities, or it may offer something else you are specifically looking for: lower billable-hour expectations, greater flexibility, a stronger path to partnership, a better platform, more flexibility for remote work, more interesting work or a more strategic role.

Your current salary is one piece of information. It is not necessarily a measure of your market value.

The better question is: considering my experience, my profile and the position I am pursuing, what is my candidacy reasonably worth in this market?

4. Determine three numbers before the interview

Before meeting with an employer, you should have three numbers in mind.

1. Your target is the compensation you consider attractive and consistent with the market.
2. Your ideal number is the amount that would make the opportunity particularly attractive from a financial perspective.
3. Your minimum is the threshold below which, all other things being equal, you would probably not be prepared to change jobs.

That last number is particularly important and should generally remain… in your head. Your minimum is not necessarily the number you should communicate to the employer. It is your own decision-making tool. This is something you should determine before the interview, not in the five seconds after the question is asked.

5. Think about total compensation, not just base salary

A salary of $180,000 is not automatically better than a salary of $170,000. You need to understand what comes with it.

Bonuses, pension or retirement plans, insurance, vacation, professional dues, remote-work arrangements, business-development incentives, equity or other forms of compensation can significantly change the overall value of an offer.

For lawyers in private practice, you should also pay close attention to billable-hour expectations and the criteria required to qualify for a bonus.

A $10,000 salary difference can suddenly become much less attractive if it comes with an additional 200 billable hours.

Your billing rate also deserves consideration. It provides some indication of how the firm positions you with its clients and the economic value your work can generate. You need to compare apples to apples.

6. A salary range can be useful, but it needs to be well considered

Providing a range generally allows you to maintain some flexibility. However, avoid ranges so broad that they become meaningless. “I’m looking for somewhere between $140,000 and $200,000” does not really tell the employer much about your expectations.

And remember one important thing: if you give a range, the employer will definitely hear the number at the bottom. Your lower number should therefore be an amount you would genuinely be comfortable accepting.

An answer like this is generally much more effective:

“Based on what I know about the market and considering my experience, I would be targeting a base salary in the $165,000 to $175,000 range. That said, I also want to consider the overall compensation package, the responsibilities of the role and the other terms being offered.”

You have answered the question. You have demonstrated that you understand your value while avoiding unnecessarily boxing yourself in.

7. You can also ask about the salary range for the position

You do not always have to be the first person to put a number on the table. It is perfectly reasonable to respond:

“I have a good sense of my expectations, but before giving you a specific number, would you be able to share the salary range budgeted for the position?”

If they provide it, you suddenly have an extremely useful piece of information. If the range aligns with your expectations, say so.

If it is slightly below what you had in mind, there is no need to immediately end the conversation. It may be worth learning more about the role, advancement opportunities, billable-hour expectations, bonus structure and total compensation before making a decision. And pay attention to your body language! This is not the time to visibly show your disappointment.

If the employer turns the question back to you without revealing the range, you should be ready to answer. That is precisely why preparation matters.

8. Avoid artificially inflating your current compensation

It can be tempting to add a few thousand dollars to your current salary because you think it will give you more leverage in the negotiation. I don’t recommend it.

You do not need to inflate your current salary to justify your value. You can simply say:

“My current compensation is approximately $155,000, but for my next role, considering my experience and the market, I would be targeting something closer to $170,000.”

That is a much stronger position. You are not saying: “Pay me more because I already make a lot.” You are saying: “This is what I believe my value is for this next role.” And that distinction matters.

9. Be careful with the answer: “I’m open”

This is probably one of the answers I hear most often. “I’m open.”

I understand the intention. The candidate does not want to close any doors and would prefer to see what the employer is prepared to offer. But being open does not mean you should not have thought about your value. If an employer asks about your expectations and you are genuinely flexible, you can say so while still providing some parameters:

“I’m fairly open because the opportunity and the nature of the role are very important to me. That said, based on what I know about the market, I would expect compensation somewhere in the $160,000 to $170,000 range, depending on the overall package.”

That is a much more reassuring answer. It demonstrates flexibility, but also an understanding of the market.

10. Salary is not always the number-one priority

This is particularly important when considering a job change.

If you are leaving because you want a better culture, greater responsibility, a different type of practice, better work-life balance, stronger career prospects or a platform that will help you develop professionally, do not lose sight of your original objective the moment salary enters the conversation.

I have seen candidates turn down excellent opportunities over a few thousand dollars while they were deeply unhappy in their current positions.

I have also seen candidates accept significant salary increases only to find themselves, a few months later, in exactly the type of environment they were trying to leave.

Compensation matters a lot, but it is part of a much bigger decision. Sometimes, the best career move is not the one offering the highest base salary. It is the one that puts you in a better position two, three or five years from now.

11. Prepare your answer and say it out loud

This is probably the simplest piece of advice in this article, yet it is one of the most important. Before your interview, practise your answer, not just in your head. Say it out loud!

You should be able to calmly explain your expectations, your reasoning and your flexibility in about 30 seconds. Your answer might sound something like this:

“I’ve done some research on the market and, considering my year of call, my experience and my area of practice, I believe compensation around $170,000 would be consistent with the market. That said, I’m also looking at the opportunity as a whole, including the responsibilities, billable-hour expectations, bonus structure and advancement opportunities. So I remain open to discussion.”

Simple. Clear. Thoughtful.

When the question comes up, you should not look like you are discovering your salary expectations at the same time as the employer.

The salary question is not a trap

When an employer asks about your salary expectations, they are not necessarily trying to catch you off guard. They primarily want to know whether your expectations and their budget can reasonably meet.

Your objective is therefore not to “win” this part of the interview. Your objective is to demonstrate that you understand your value, that your expectations are well considered and that you understand the market in which you operate.

And if you are working with a recruiter, use them!

An important part of our work at Lépine Talent is understanding the market, compensation structures and employer expectations We often have a good sense of the salary scales used by different types of firms, how much flexibility they may have and how a particular profile can be positioned.

Your recruiter can therefore help you determine where you stand, prepare your answer and, eventually, navigate the compensation discussion with the employer. Because at the end of the day, it would be unfortunate for a poorly prepared answer to a 30-second question to compromise an excellent career opportunity.