Australians are strange about money in interviews. We will discuss anything except the one thing the whole process is about. The result is people going through four rounds to discover the budget was $30,000 below their number. Here is how to handle it without being the awkward one.
When should you bring up salary in an interview?
At the first screening call, before any technical or panel round. Ask for the band rather than naming your own number. Framing it as avoiding wasted time on both sides makes it a practical question rather than a greedy one, and recruiters expect it.
The rule that decides everything else
Do not name the first number if you can avoid it. Whoever speaks first sets the anchor, and in Australia the applicant usually speaks first — which is precisely why so many offers land at the bottom of the band. Every line below is a way of not being that person while still sounding easy to work with.
What to say when they ask your expectations
| They say | You say |
|---|---|
| “What are your salary expectations?” | “Happy to talk numbers — what has been budgeted for the role? I would rather work to your range than guess at it.” |
| “We need a figure to proceed.” | “Based on market data for this role in [city], I am looking at $X to $Y base. Where does that sit against your band?” |
| “What are you on now?” | “I would rather anchor to the role than my current salary — my last package is not a great guide to this one. What is the range here?” |
| “The range is $100,000 to $130,000.” | “That works. Given [specific experience], I would be aiming at the upper end — let us see where the process lands.” |
That third row matters more than it looks. You are not obliged to disclose your current salary, and doing so caps you at a percentage of a number set by a different employer for a different job. Redirect to the role every time.
Questions worth asking about pay
The band is only part of the deal. These five questions tell you more about your next three years than the base salary does:
- “Is that base or package?” In Australia this single question is worth about 12% — the difference between a salary plus super and one with super baked in.
- “When is the next salary review, and what is the cycle?” A June review when you start in July means an eleven-month wait.
- “Is there a band for this role, and where would I sit in it?” Being hired at the bottom of a band with no plan to move is the most common quiet underpayment.
- “How is the bonus calculated, and what did it actually pay last year?” Target and actual are different numbers. Ask for the second one.
- “What would take someone from this level to the next, and how long does that usually take here?” The answer tells you whether progression is real or decorative.
On the first question specifically — “$120k package” and “$120k plus super” are about $13,000 apart. The full breakdown is in base, package and OTE.
Three mistakes that cost real money
- Naming a number without research. If you cannot say where it came from, it reads as a wish rather than a position.
- Anchoring to your rent. “I need $130,000 because of my mortgage” is not a fact they can act on. “Comparable roles pay $130,000” is.
- Negotiating before the offer. Your leverage peaks in the gap between them choosing you and you saying yes. Push hard then, not during round two.
Walk in with the number already
Every line above works better when the range you name is defensible. Check the market for the role free — role, city, level, about a minute, no signup — then take that percentile into the screening call. The wider ladder is in the Australian salary percentile table, and once an offer lands, how to counter it with wording from the email templates.
The best answer to “what are your expectations?” is a question. The second best is a researched range. The worst is a number you made up in the car.
