From Lowball to Win: How to Master Salary Talks with One Simple Question

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‘LPT: When negotiating a salary for a new job, always ask them what their range is. If they tell you ‘we don’t have a range’ they’re almost always lying. HR and finance will almost never sign off hiring a new employee without a budget being in place’

Companies typically have a budget, and denying a range is often a tactic, so you’ll know where you stand and negotiate smarter.

This strategy works for several reasons. First, as the input highlights, waiting until the employer is invested in you—near the offer stage—gives you leverage, as they’re already picturing you in the role. Asking for the range then helps you position your skills against their budget, aiming for the higher end if you match key job criteria. Second, HR and finance almost always require a predefined budget, as the input notes from experience with over 40 hires. Claiming “no range” is usually a lowball tactic, except in rare cases like C-suite roles where market rates dictate pay. Knowing this, you can push back confidently, sometimes even securing above-range offers, like the £6k example in the input. This approach ensures you’re not shortchanged and exposes potential red flags.

Understanding the range empowers you to negotiate a salary that reflects your worth and sets a strong foundation for your role.

  • Spots shady practices: It helps you identify companies misrepresenting budgets or exploiting candidates for free work.
  • Boosts negotiation power: Knowing the range lets you anchor discussions to your advantage.
  • Encourages transparency: It promotes an honest dialogue, signaling a healthier workplace culture.

What’s your go-to move when negotiating salary? Have you ever caught a company dodging the range question?

This Reddit tip is a masterclass in negotiation smarts—asking for the salary range flips the script on corporate gamesmanship. Companies claiming “no range” are often dodging to lowball candidates, as HR and finance almost always set budgets to align with market rates and ROI. By asking, you force transparency, gaining leverage to position yourself higher in their range.

Career coach Alison Green, creator of Ask a Manager, advises, “Asking for the range early signals you’re informed and sets the tone for a fair negotiation” (source: Ask a Manager). Green’s insight underscores the Reddit post’s point: budgets exist, and knowing them helps you avoid being underpaid. Her advice aligns with the OP’s strategy—ask early, ideally before the offer stage, to calibrate expectations without wasting time.

The broader issue here is pay inequity. A 2023 PayScale study found that employees who negotiate their salaries earn up to 7% more than those who don’t (source: PayScale). Men are statistically more likely to negotiate, while women and marginalized groups often hesitate, fearing pushback. This Reddit tip levels the playing field, encouraging all candidates to advocate for themselves.

To apply this, research market rates on sites like Glassdoor or PayScale before asking for the range. If they deflect, as some Redditors noted, politely push back: “I’d like to ensure we’re aligned—could you share the budgeted range for this role?” If they accept your counteroffer too quickly, like one Redditor’s $25k win, you might’ve left money on the table—so aim high. What’s your negotiation style? Share your tips to spark a discussion!

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Here’s what Redditors had to say:

The Reddit thread is a treasure trove of real-world negotiation tales, from savvy counters to recruiter insights that pull back the curtain on corporate tactics. Some swear by early research, others lament the “no range” dodge, but all agree: knowledge is power. Here’s what the community shared—raw, practical, and occasionally cheeky.

deeljay77 − I have asked the question on what the range is and they always flip it to what amount am I looking for. Do we just keep going back and forth or how should someone handle that? I hate giving out a number first.

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zoink540 − LPT 2.0: always do your research for salary ranges BEFORE you are in an interview. There are plenty of websites out there now that will have salaries (lowest, avg, highest) from the specific company and position that you are applying for. If you are applying for anything other than a minimum wage position, you should already have a number researched and in mind.

WhiteRumBum − In my experience this would never work, companies usually want to know your figure

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[Reddit User] − I have a question about this, based on my experience. So I’m in a high skill position, $130K+ with specific technical and commercial requirements. I find frequently when I get contacted by recruiters that unless I ask bluntly up front what the salary range is it’s a colossal waste of time. I’ve had numerous people try and head hunt me for a job with my title $50k less than I make in my current job. How do you avoid this and NOT discuss salary until the offer timeframe? That makes no sense to me.

windyx − I'm sorry OP but there a few areas when it comes to internal decision making where you're misled or give advice based on very high-level stuff. I'm a Talent Partner / Technical Recruiter / Senior Recruiter whatever you want to call it, who actually sits in the meetings where salary ranges are decided for certain roles. I also negotiate salaries from entry level roles to C-level roles as I'm responsible for hiring entire departments from the top down. From this POV I'd like to point out a few things and shed some light on a few assumptions:

' As a first point, you should always push back on discussing salary as close to an offer being made '- That is horrible advice. Both you and the company should make your expectations clear as early as possible. If you're looking for a 6 figure salary but the position is capped at 80k for budget reasons, there is no way you can negotiate your way to 100k+.

There are also internal limits due to 'fairness policies'. Most companies will ask you for your salary expectations not to soft lock your salary but to understand if it's worth spending both your time and their time going through the entire process. If you don't know what salary you want and you think the company will s**ew you over, do your homework.

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Research the market, ask other people, calculate your expenses and come up with a good number that you're comfortable with. You can ALWAYS negotiate. You can also ask what the range is at the early stages. You don't need to ask in the interview but you can email the recruiter early asking to calibrate expectations.

' Once you're at that point, ask them what their range is. Your goal is to understand where you fit within the range. The more of the essential and desirable points in the job spec you meet, the higher up the range you'll be able to negotiate. '- That's fair. But find out this information earlier.

' company can ensure that they will be able to afford the new hire, and that the salary is less than the ROI they will bring to the company. '- That's not how it works. Employees are called called Human Resources (as opposed to machines or buildings) and it's calculated differently, you don't exactly use ROI to calculate salaries.

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The **only** 'ROI' when calculating human resources is based on Program Management and 'the lack of a resource' can push back the delivery gate which would cost money. It's WAY more up in the air than that, because if salaries really depended on ROIs then the bottom layer of the company would be paid the highest since they're the ones actually generating tangible results, everyone else is just managing resources and can be replaced by a trello board.

Salary bands are 90% market rate and 10% competitive strategy. 99.9% companies are not in a position to pay more than the market rate therefore they will try to acquire talent at that price and in exceptional cases pay a little more. Some companies can afford to 'buy out' people from their jobs and that explains the entire Silicon Valley.

' If you don't have sign off from HR and finance (potentially via a senior manager), then there isn't a position to hire for. '- Although this is true on a very high level, often times positions are signed based on levels and not on specific ranges or titles. For example: A department can get 2 junior, 1 staff and 1 senior staff position approved.

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There are soft caps on these levels and they often depend on market rates based on demand, internal alignments and other policies. There can be hard caps but they differ from company to company. What I'm trying to say is almost nobody sits and goes through the salary range of every single position ahead of time and says: yep, this one is 50-53k / year.

More often than not it's something like market starts at 50 and if you find a senior candidate then we can discuss on a case by case basis. If you ask me what the range is I'll tell you that it starts at 50 for a junior candidate and goes up from there. Probably not higher than 60 but it's negotiable.

' Now the only time that this might not apply is if they are hiring for a highly specialised position (either technical, or executive/c-suite level) where they need to pay whatever the market is demanding. '- That is true however there are still some internal benchmarks that need to be respected. Highly specialized positions are not 'uncapped'.

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' Sometimes unscrupolous companies have been known to use fake jobs to farm ideas from highly qualified candidates without having to pay them for them. '- That's an urban myth, I am yet to see a real case scenario of this happening.

Overall, the takeaway should be: Do your homework and calibrate early! Ask around, research the web, there is lots of information out there. Go into the interview knowing your worth in the market and then try to get a little more, if you fail you still got a good deal.

Bluelabel − Almost never?. Company finance here and it's always never. Budget is always signed off on new hires, sometimes we have to re approve when the figure comes in above.

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Gingrpenguin − Just to add to op on recruiters they do get a % of salary as their fee although this is paid directly to them and does not affect your earnings. Recruiters are also useful to help price you and advise you on the actual questions you will be asked. If you're able to work with recruiters do so.

They are by no means perfect but it removes alot of effort for you and alot of stress. Your interests do aline far better with them than theirs and the companies and they only get paid if a candidate is successful so they will give advice to improve their own pool of candidates so they are likely to be asked to look again.

On the flip side anything about the process you tell them will be given to their other candidates so being last is an advantage. Edit: by recruiters im talking about agency or thrid party recruiters rather than a dedicated in house staff member or team.

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[Reddit User] − This is great info I wish I had seen before I negotiated my first promotion from hourly wages to salary. I had earned a significant amount of experience and education during my time as an hourly worker and made my way to management position.

Initial offer was about $10k less than what I made hourly w/ OT. Granted, there was a lifestyle benefit from moving from hourly to salary, but it certainly wasn’t worth a paycut. Moreover, there were many more responsibilities that I needed to be compensated for. I countered at ~$25k over their initial offer and they accepted it on the spot.

I know for a fact I could have gotten a few thousand more than what I asked for, but was happy with the number I proposed. I’ve always wondered what the range was if they lowballed me initially, and accepted my counteroffer so quickly.

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belizeanheat − It would be completely foolish of them to tell you their upper limit. I don't see this LPT being at all effective.

[Reddit User] − If that's true and they tell you the range, you will ask for the higher number. So why would they honestly tell you the range???

These Reddit takes prove negotiation is an art, but are companies always hiding a range, or do some play fair? What’s the boldest negotiation move you’ve seen or tried?

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This Reddit tip is a wake-up call: asking for the salary range isn’t just smart—it’s a power move that can secure you a better deal. It’s about knowing your worth, doing your homework, and not letting corporate vagueness dim your shine. Whether you’ve scored a win like the Redditor who nabbed $25k more or faced the “no range” dodge, share your story. What would you do to outsmart a lowball offer and claim your worth?

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