How to Ask a Recruiter for the Salary Range (6 Templates)

Asking First Is Normal

You're allowed to ask what a job pays before you spend hours interviewing for it. The company has a budget for the role, and the recruiter usually knows it. Asking early saves you both from finding out at the offer stage that you were never close.

Keep it to one sentence and one short reason, and keep the rest of the email about the role. You're checking fit, not opening a negotiation.

When to Ask

Earlier is easier. The later you ask, the more the question sounds like a negotiation.

• If a recruiter contacted you, ask in your first reply, before you agree to a call.
• If you applied, ask when they invite you to the first interview, or at the end of the screening call.
• If you're several rounds in and nobody has mentioned pay, ask before the final round.
• Don't wait for the offer. By then you've both put days into the process.

What to Ask For

Ask for something the recruiter can answer.

• The range, not "how much does it pay." A range is usually what the recruiter has to work with.
• Whether the figure is base salary or total pay, and whether there's a bonus or equity.
• Which level the range is for. The same title can mean a different level at another company, and different pay.

6 Templates for Asking About Salary

Replace the bracketed parts. Reply in the recruiter's thread when there is one, so your question sits under their message.

Hi [Name],

Thanks for reaching out about the [Role] position at [Company]. It sounds interesting, and I'd like to learn more. Before we set up a call, could you share the salary range for the role? I'd like to check we're aligned before either of us puts time in.

Best,
[Your name]

Hi [Name],

Thank you for the invitation to interview for [Role]. I'm looking forward to it. Before we meet, could you share the salary range for the position, and whether it includes a bonus or other variable pay? It helps me come to the conversation with the right expectations.

Best regards,
[Your name]

Hi [Name],

I've applied for the [Role] position posted on [site]. The listing doesn't include a salary range. Could you share it, along with the level the team is hiring at? I'd like to understand the scope before we talk.

Best regards,
[Your name]

Hi [Name],

Thanks again for setting up my conversations with [interviewers] last week. I'm more interested in the role after meeting the team. One thing we haven't covered is compensation. Could you share the salary range for the position before the final round? I'd like to make sure we're aligned.

Best regards,
[Your name]

Hi [Name],

That makes sense. Could you share the full band for the role, from the bottom to the top? With my [years / experience in X], I can tell you where I think I'd fit, and we'll know quickly whether it works for both of us.

Best,
[Your name]

Hi [Name], thanks for thinking of me for [Role]. Happy to talk. Could you share the salary range first, so I know it fits?

When the Posting Has No Range

In some places you may not need to ask. Several US states, including California, Colorado, New York and Washington, require most employers to include a pay range in job postings. In the EU, the Pay Transparency Directive gives applicants a right to know the starting pay or its range, for example in the job ad or before the interview, and bars employers from asking about your pay history. EU countries had until 7 June 2026 to put it into national law, and not all of them have, so check whether it applies where you're applying.

Either way, a posting without a range doesn't stop you asking. Templates 2 and 3 work as written.

What to Do With the Answer

If the range covers your number, say so in one line and get back to the role. If the top of it is below what you need, say that now, with your number. One sentence now is easier than turning down an offer later.

If they still won't give a number after you've asked twice, you have two options: name your own range and see how they react, or decide the process isn't worth your time.

• When they ask for your number instead: how to state your salary expectations by email
• Got an offer below your range? How to counter by email
• How to decline a job offer, including over salary

Subject Lines

If you're starting a new email rather than replying, put the role in the subject.

• Salary range for [Role]?
• Question about the [Role] position
• [Role] at [Company]: salary range

Drafting It With Applyvo

Paste the recruiter's message into Applyvo's Reply Assistant, set the intent to Ask for details, and write what you want to know in the notes, such as "ask for the salary range and whether it's base or total." Pick a warm, professional, or concise tone, and you get a draft based on your resume to edit before sending. Link the recruiter as a contact and Log interaction saves the exchange on their timeline, so you have the range they quoted when the offer arrives.

Common questions