As a fresher, my priority is the role and the training. I understand the company has a standard package for freshers in this role, and I am comfortable with it.
Interview prep
What is your expected salary
To answer "what is your expected salary", give a researched range rather than one number, based on the role, city and your experience, and say you are flexible for the right role. Freshers in mass hiring can accept the company's standard package. Know whether you are quoting CTC or in-hand pay, because the two differ.
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Expected salary: sample answers for freshers and experienced
Freshers
From what I have researched for [role] roles in [City] for freshers with my skills, the range is about [₹X to ₹Y LPA]. I would be comfortable with an offer in that range, and I am flexible depending on the overall package and the learning in the role.
Given my six-month internship in [area] and my [certification], I am looking for something in the range of [₹X to ₹Y LPA] CTC. That said, the role and the team matter more to me at this stage, so I am open to discussing it.
Experienced
I would like to understand the role and its responsibilities better before I give a number. Could you share the budgeted range for this position? I am sure we can find something that works for both of us.
My current CTC is [₹X LPA]. Based on the bigger scope of this role and what I have seen for similar roles in the market, I am looking for [₹Y to ₹Z LPA]. I am open to discussing the structure: fixed pay, variable pay and benefits.
I have an offer at [₹X LPA], but this role interests me more because of [reason]. If you can come close to that range, I would be glad to move forward with you.
Do's and don'ts
| Do | Don't |
|---|---|
| Research the range for the role, city and experience before the interview. | Give a number with no research behind it. |
| Give a range, with the bottom of it a figure you would accept. | Say "anything is fine" when it is not. |
| Say whether your figure is CTC or in-hand. | Inflate your current salary; payslips are often checked. |
| Show flexibility and interest in the role, not only the money. | Bring up salary yourself in the first round. |
| Be honest about your current CTC and any other offer; companies often verify. | Argue over a standard fresher package in a mass hiring drive. |
How to work out your expected salary
Look up the range for your role, city and experience: job posts that show salaries, company career pages and people you know in similar roles.
Decide your walk-away number: the least you would accept, after your living costs and commute.
Work out what that CTC means in hand each month, because PF, tax and other deductions come out of it. Our in-hand salary guide shows the maths.
Set a range whose bottom is slightly above your walk-away number.
Practise saying the range calmly in one or two sentences, with flexibility built in.
What not to say
- "Whatever you think is right." It hands over all control and can sound unprepared.
- A single exact number, which leaves no room to negotiate.
- A number far above the market, which can end the conversation.
- Confusing CTC with in-hand pay and being disappointed by the offer letter.
Should freshers negotiate salary?
In campus and mass hiring, packages for freshers are usually fixed by role, so negotiation is rarely possible. In off-campus roles at smaller companies and startups, there is often some room, especially if you have an internship, a certification or a competing offer. Ask politely, give a reason and accept the answer gracefully.
What is the difference between CTC and in-hand salary?
CTC (cost to company) is the total the company spends on you in a year: basic pay, allowances, employer PF and sometimes variable pay, gratuity and insurance. In-hand salary is what reaches your bank account each month after deductions such as employee PF, professional tax (in states that levy it) and income tax (TDS), where they apply. In-hand is usually lower than CTC divided by 12, because employer PF, gratuity and variable pay sit inside CTC. See LPA full form and, for an example, 5 LPA in-hand salary.
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Questions freshers ask
In mass hiring, say you are comfortable with the company's standard fresher package. Elsewhere, give a researched range for the role and city, and say you are flexible for the right role and learning.
Yes, for most off-campus roles. Give a narrow range you have researched for the role and city, make the lower end a figure you would accept, and say whether it is CTC or in-hand. In a mass hiring drive, accept the standard fresher package instead.
It is acceptable for freshers in campus drives with fixed packages. In other interviews it can sound unprepared; a researched range shows you know the market.
Thank them, ask whether there is any flexibility, and give a reason, such as your skills or another offer. If not, weigh the role, learning and growth before deciding.
Yes. When changing jobs, people commonly ask for an increase over their current CTC, especially for a bigger role. Base your number on the new role's market range, not only your current pay.