According to Barbara Safani, who posted about this on the Career Hub Blog, there's a good chance, that during your first interview with an employer, you'll be asked how much you expect to earn. Ms. Safani came to this conclusion after she conducted an informal survey of internal recruiters and hiring managers. She wanted to know if they asked candidates to reveal their salary expectations on a first interview and if they will reveal the salary range for their open position if asked by a candidate. It didn't come as a surprise to her, and it doesn't to me, that most did ask candidates to reveal their salary expectations, but most did not reveal the salary range for an open position.
Candidates who asked for too much money, according to Ms. Safani's survey, were eliminated from consideration. The reason: "Why waste time with candidates with excessive salary expections? " Ms. Safani has a better question and one I have as well. Wouldn't it be a better idea to post a salary range for a job opening before you begin interviewing? Wouldn't this waste less time? Read more of Ms. Safani's post: Salary Expectation Dance.
You can dread the salary question and think it's unfair, but that doesn't mean you don't have to answer it. The best way to answer this question, is to state a salary range instead of a single number. Anytime you negotiate your salary, whether it's on your first interview, when considering a job offer or asking for a raise, you need to do your homework first. You need to know how much others, with similar qualification and experience and in your geographic region, are earning in your field. Use salary surveys to help you obtain this information. You can also learn a lot by talking to other people working in your field and consulting your trade or professional association.