Decoding competitive salary in job postings
Competitive salary means the employer has not decided, or has decided and does not want to anchor you. Both readings point to the same response: get the band before you name a figure.
Where the law forces a number
A growing set of states and cities require a pay range in the posting itself, including California, Colorado, New York, Washington, Illinois, Minnesota and Hawaii, with more joining and the exact rules changing frequently. Some apply the requirement to remote roles that could be performed in the state, which is why a national posting often carries a California range. The value of these laws to a candidate is real: the band is disclosed before the first conversation, and it is a range the employer must be prepared to defend.
How to get the band when it is missing
- Check the posted range in a comparable posting by the same company, especially a hybrid or remote version.
- Check the disclosed band for a level below and a level above to infer the middle.
- Ask the recruiter one question before the screen: what range has been approved for this role. Recruiters usually answer, because a mismatch wastes their own time.
- If pressed for your number in the same breath, answer with a band and the basis for it.
Reading a posted range
- A range wider than 25 per cent usually means the level is undefined and the bottom is the real budget.
- A range topping out at the market midpoint tells you the role is scoped mid-level.
- Location-tagged bands, for example a tier for high-cost metros, tell you which side you are on.
- A band with no location qualifier on a national posting often means the low tier is the budget.
The wording that costs money
Salary commensurate with experience means the employer will pay for a reason it can document, so bring the documentation: comparable posted bands, a scope match and a number. The one phrase that gives away the most is a question about your current salary before any band is on the table, which is why the notice-period and history rules on the next page matter to your answer.