How do I negotiate my salary in English without sounding demanding?
When asked about your salary expectations, give a range: "My salary expectations are in the range of €65,000 to €70,000." Back it up with facts: "That's based on my experience and the market rate for this role." If the offer comes in lower, thank them and name your figure: "I was hoping for something closer to €70,000. Is there any flexibility?" German "Gehaltsvorstellung" is "salary expectations", not "salary imagination".
- The three steps: name a range, back it up, respond to the offer.
- "My salary expectations are …", not "My salary imagination is …".
- "I was hoping for something closer to …" names your figure clearly; the past form makes the request softer.
B2 · Negotiation · 10 minSalary negotiation in English, taught brick by brick.
A structured ten-slide lesson for B2 learners. Hear an answer to the salary question in context, learn the three steps from a tutor — name a range, back it up, respond to the offer — then practise them in the interactive drills before a final quiz. The whole arc is under ten minutes and nothing requires a signup.
- CEFR levelB2 · Upper intermediate
- Time to completeAbout 10 minutes
- SkillsSpeaking, Vocabulary, Listening, Business English
- Bricks10 blocks
01 / 06
What the salary conversation is about
Sooner or later in an application process comes the question many people dread: "What are your salary expectations?" In English it is doubly hard. You have to talk about money without sounding greedy, and you have to find the right phrases in a foreign language while the other person waits for a number. The good news is that a simple pattern and a handful of sentences go a long way in preparing for it. This lesson breaks it into three steps. Step one names a range when you are asked what you expect to earn. Step two backs that range up with facts the employer can follow: your experience, your skills, what similar roles usually pay. Step three responds to the offer that comes next: you accept it, you ask for more, you ask about other parts of the package or you ask for time to think. In their shortest form, steps one and two sound like this: "My salary expectations are in the range of €65,000 to €70,000, based on my experience and the market rate for this role." And if the offer comes in lower, you answer with step three: "Thank you for the offer. I was hoping for something closer to €70,000. Is there any flexibility on the base salary?" That is clear, but not demanding. That tone is exactly what you practise here.
02 / 06
Step 1: name a range
When you are asked "What are your salary expectations?", it is best to answer with a range rather than a single figure. The usual phrases are "My salary expectations are in the range of €65,000 to €70,000", "I'd be looking for something between €65,000 and €70,000" and, a little more informally, "somewhere in the region of €65,000 to €70,000". A range gives both sides room to negotiate and sounds less like an ultimatum. Choose the lower end carefully, though. An employer will often aim for it, so it should be a figure you would genuinely be happy with. A range whose lower end you would not really accept can work against you later. Be precise about what the figure means, too. Say whether you mean a yearly or a monthly amount and whether it is before tax: "€65,000 gross a year" or "€65,000 a year before tax". In many conversations in English, salaries are given as yearly figures; if you are used to thinking in monthly amounts, work out the yearly figure beforehand so that you do not stumble in the conversation. And if you would rather not name a figure yet, you can turn the question round politely: "Could you tell me the budget for this role first?" That is not dodging the question but a common request — you should still have a range ready, though.
03 / 06
Step 2: back the figure up
A figure is more convincing when it comes with a reason. The reason should show that your range is not plucked out of thin air but rests on facts the employer can check. The phrases for this are "That's based on …", "Given my experience in …" and "Looking at the market rate for similar roles, …". For example: "That's based on my five years in project management and the market rate for similar roles in Hamburg." Or: "Given my experience in leading international teams, I think that's a fair range." "The market rate" is what similar jobs usually pay. If you can say how you know — from job adverts, salary surveys or conversations in your industry — your figure sounds even more solid. Keep the reason about what you bring to the company and what the market pays. Private reasons such as "I need more because my rent is high" turn the figure into a question of your costs rather than the value of your work, and that is not an argument for the employer. Keep the reason short as well. One or two facts are enough. A long justification can sound unsure, as if you had to apologise for the figure. Say the figure, give the reason, then leave a short pause.
04 / 06
Step 3: respond to the offer
When the offer comes, start with thanks and interest, even if the figure is lower than you hoped: "Thank you for the offer. I'm very interested in the role." Then name the figure you were hoping for: "I was hoping for something closer to €70,000." This phrase is clear, but not demanding. After that, open the door with a question: "Is there any flexibility on the base salary?" This invites the other side to move without putting them under pressure. Sometimes the base salary really is fixed. Then it is worth looking at the rest of the package: a bonus, extra days of holiday, a training budget, days working from home. For example, ask: "If the base salary is fixed, could we look at other parts of the package?" Or ask for a later review: "Would you be open to reviewing the salary after six months?" Watch the form here: after "open to" comes the -ing form, because "to" is a preposition in this phrase. If you need time to think, say so: "Could I have a day or two to think it over?" And if the offer is right, accept it clearly: "I'm happy to accept the offer." Whatever you answer, put the main points in a short email afterwards, so that both sides have understood the same thing.
05 / 06
The German traps: Vorstellung, bekommen, brutto, ich will
Four places where German gets in the way. First, "Gehaltsvorstellung": the word "Vorstellung" has many English equivalents depending on the context — for example, "imagination", "idea", "presentation" and "introduction". "My salary imagination is …" is not idiomatic. The fixed phrase is "salary expectations", usually in the plural: "My salary expectations are in the range of …". By the way, a "Vorstellungsgespräch" is not an "imagination talk" either, but "a job interview". Second, "bekommen": English "become" means "werden", not "bekommen". So "I would like to become a higher salary" would mean that you want to turn into a higher salary yourself. Say "get a higher salary" or "earn more". And the German "Gehaltserhöhung" is "a pay rise" in British English and "a raise" in American English. Third, "brutto" and "netto": these are not the usual words in a modern English salary conversation. "Brutto" is "gross", "netto" is "net", and what reaches your bank account after tax and deductions is often called "take-home pay". So say "€65,000 gross a year" or "€65,000 a year before tax". Fourth, a smaller trap: German "Ich will …" quickly sounds too direct in an English salary conversation. "I want €70,000" sounds like a demand. "I was hoping for something closer to €70,000" says the same thing, but in the tone of a request.
06 / 06
Getting the tone right: soft in form, clear in figures
In an English salary conversation, a few language tools help you stay friendly without becoming unclear. The most important one is the past form for something that is actually true now. "I was hoping for something closer to €70,000" looks back at what you expected before the offer, but it is also a request for now. The past form creates a little distance and so makes the request softer. The same goes for "I was wondering if there's any flexibility on the salary." "Would" and "could" work in a similar way: "Would you be open to …?", "Could we look at …?". What matters is that the soft tone does not blur the figure. Say "€70,000", not "a bit more" — a vague request only invites a vague offer. After you have named your figure, you are allowed to stay silent. Many people fill the pause straight away with explanations or even a step back; let the other side answer instead. And keep the tone positive. Sentences like "I'm really excited about this role" show that you are not only interested in the money and make it easier for the employer to move. Finally, practise your sentences out loud before the conversation. If you have already said "My salary expectations are in the range of …" a few times, you will say it more calmly in the interview.