What Salary Should I Ask For: Salary Range Calculator, Range Penetration and Midpoint
Pay transparency put the range in the posting, and then left you alone with it. A 90,000 to 130,000 dollar band is not an invitation to ask for 130,000, and it is not a hint to ask for 110,000 either. Where you should ask depends on how the employer's own compensation rules place people inside that band, and those rules are public.
Coaching, not legal or financial advice.
What are you negotiating?
Your offer or current pay
Market-rate band
Talking points
Email template
Timing
Coaching, not legal or financial advice.
Direct answer
Ask for a number above the midpoint of the posted range if you meet the listed requirements, and in the top quarter if you clearly exceed them. Employers place a fully proficient hire at the midpoint, and their placement convention for a new outside hire is a compa-ratio of 0.85 to 0.90, which is why first offers land in the bottom quarter of the range. On a 90,000 to 130,000 dollar posting the midpoint is 110,000, the conventional opening offer is 93,500 to 99,000, and someone who meets the requirements should ask for about 116,000. Enter your own range above to get the figure. This is coaching, not legal or financial advice.
Run the numbers
Put the posted range in, get the number to say out loud.
Enter the minimum and maximum from the job posting and tell the calculator honestly whether you fall short of, meet, or exceed the listed requirements. It returns the midpoint, the spread, where HR's new-hire placement convention puts the opening offer, the band for your fit, and the one figure to ask for. Switch to "Check a number" to place an offer you already have.
Salary range calculator
Against the posted requirements, you
Years, scope and the specific skills listed. Be honest here; the recruiter will be.
Enter the posted minimum and maximum. The maximum has to be higher than the minimum.
The number to ask for
of the way through the range, a compa-ratio of .
Where that number sits
of the way from the minimum to the maximum. Compa-ratio .
- Midpoint (fully proficient)
- Range spread
- Opening offer HR convention points to
- Target band for your fit
Range penetration is (number minus minimum) divided by (maximum minus minimum). Compa-ratio is the number divided by the midpoint. The opening-offer line uses the HR placement convention of a 0.85 to 0.90 compa-ratio for a new hire, floored at the posted minimum. Guidance, not a guarantee.
The problem
The posting says 90,000 to 130,000. You are not sure whether saying 125,000 marks you as unrealistic or saying 100,000 leaves 20,000 dollars on the table, so you say "I am flexible, what did you have in mind," and the recruiter comes back with 96,000. Nothing about that number was personal. It is where the placement grid told them to open, and you just accepted their grid as your anchor.
How Counteroffer handles it
Paste the posting and the offer, and Counteroffer maps where the number sits in the employer's range, works out the ask that fits your level and evidence, and writes the counter around it: the market band, the exact figure, the two sentences that justify it, and the email. Members get the full package for every negotiation on their plan.
The numbers
Where the opening offer lands, and what to ask for, on common posted ranges.
Every row is generated by the same formula the calculator runs. The opening-offer column applies the HR placement convention for a new hire (a compa-ratio of 0.85 to 0.90, never below the posted minimum). The ask columns are the top of the target band for someone who meets the requirements (65 percent range penetration) and someone who exceeds them (85 percent), rounded to the nearest 500 dollars. Notice that on narrow ranges the opening offer is simply the minimum.
| Posted range | Midpoint | Spread | Opening offer by convention | Ask if you meet the bar | Ask if you exceed it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $70,000 to $90,000 | $80,000 | 29% | $70,000 to $72,000 | $83,000 | $87,000 |
| $80,000 to $110,000 | $95,000 | 38% | $80,750 to $85,500 | $99,500 | $105,500 |
| $90,000 to $130,000 | $110,000 | 44% | $93,500 to $99,000 | $116,000 | $124,000 |
| $100,000 to $150,000 | $125,000 | 50% | $106,250 to $112,500 | $132,500 | $142,500 |
| $120,000 to $180,000 | $150,000 | 50% | $127,500 to $135,000 | $159,000 | $171,000 |
| $150,000 to $250,000 | $200,000 | 67% | $170,000 to $180,000 | $215,000 | $235,000 |
The spread column is (maximum minus minimum) divided by the minimum. Internal salary structures usually run 30 to 60 percent wide; a posted range wider than 100 percent is normally several levels stacked into one posting, and its midpoint means nothing until you know which level you are being considered for.
The stat everyone quotes
"The midpoint is what they expect to pay, so asking for the midpoint is the safe, reasonable move."
Half right, and the wrong half costs you. The midpoint is what the employer pays a fully proficient person in the role. It is not where they plan to start you, and it is not where a counter should start either.
In a compensation structure the midpoint is the control point: the pay for someone who is fully competent in the job, which HR expresses as a compa-ratio of 1.00. New hires are deliberately placed below it, usually at a compa-ratio of 0.85 to 0.90, on the theory that they have not yet proven themselves in this particular seat. That is not a judgment about you. It is a rule that was written before your resume arrived, and it produces the bottom-quarter opening offer almost every candidate receives.
So if you ask for the midpoint, you have asked for a number the employer already considers fair for a proven employee, and you have left no room to be met partway. A recruiter who splits the difference between their conventional opening (say 96,000) and your midpoint ask (110,000) lands you at 103,000, below the midpoint, in the still-ramping zone. Asking above the midpoint is what puts the split at or above it.
The exception is the candidate who genuinely falls short of the listed requirements. Asking above the midpoint then invites a line-by-line comparison against the posting that you will lose. The calculator handles that case by targeting just under the midpoint, which is still far above the conventional opening offer, and the script below explains how to justify the gap without conceding the number.
How to do it
How to decide what salary to ask for when the range is posted.
Confirm the range is for your level, not the whole job family
A posting that reads 95,000 to 210,000 is not one range. It is a senior, staff and principal band stacked together, which some employers do to satisfy the disclosure laws with one posting. Ask the recruiter which level the role is leveled at and what that level's range is. Every calculation after this step is meaningless if you skip it.
Work out the midpoint and the spread
Midpoint is minimum plus maximum divided by two. Spread is the maximum minus the minimum, divided by the minimum. A 30 to 60 percent spread is a normal single-level range. Under the thirteen jurisdictions that require a posted range, the band is supposed to be what the employer expects to pay in good faith, so treat it as real information, not decoration. The salary transparency laws page lists which states require the posting and at what employer size.
Place yourself against the posted requirements, honestly
Count the requirements you meet outright, the ones you exceed (more years, direct experience with the named tools, the same industry) and the ones you fall short of. This is the single input the calculator needs that no benchmark site can give you, and it is the one the recruiter is going to test in the first ten minutes.
Predict their opening offer before you hear it
Multiply the midpoint by 0.85 and by 0.90. That band, floored at the posted minimum, is where the placement convention points a first offer to an outside hire. Knowing this in advance changes the conversation: when 96,000 arrives on a 90,000 to 130,000 posting, you recognize it as the grid, not as a verdict, and you counter from evidence instead of from hurt.
Set the ask at the top of your band, not the middle of it
If you meet the bar, target 50 to 65 percent range penetration and ask at the top of it. If you exceed it, 70 to 85 percent. Ask with a single specific number, rounded to the nearest 500 or 1,000 dollars, because a precise figure reads as researched and a round range reads as a guess. The counter offer salary calculator does the same arithmetic starting from an offer instead of a range.
Check the range against what you earn now
If your current pay or a competing offer is already at the posted maximum, the range cannot reach you and no amount of technique changes that. Ask whether the role can be leveled up or whether the maximum has flexibility for a candidate with a competing number, and be ready to walk. Negotiating inside a band that caps below you is the one situation where a great counter does not help.
Name the number once, then justify it in two sentences
State the figure, tie it to one requirement you exceed and one piece of market data, and stop talking. Do not explain your rent. If they ask for salary expectations before an offer exists, the guide to negotiating when the range is posted covers the wording for that earlier stage.
Decide the split before they propose one
Most counters resolve by the employer moving part of the way. If you asked for 116,000 and they opened at 96,000, a split lands at 106,000, which is still below the midpoint on that range. Know in advance the lowest number you will accept and whether a sign-on bonus or an earlier review would close the gap, so that you answer their counter in the same call instead of asking for a week.
copy and paste
The reply that names a number above midpoint without sounding like you are ignoring the range.
Send this after a written offer that opened in the bottom quarter of a posted range. It works because it uses the employer's own posting as the anchor, states one specific figure, and attaches the two facts that justify it. Replace the bracketed parts with your numbers and evidence.
Subject: Re: Offer for [role] Hi [name], Thank you for the offer. I am excited about the team and I want to get this done. The posting listed a range of [minimum] to [maximum] for this role. The offer of [offer] sits in the lower part of that range, and I think my background places me above the midpoint: I have [X years] against the [Y years] listed, and I have [specific requirement you exceed, e.g. shipped exactly this kind of migration twice]. Based on that and on current market data for the level, I would like to ask for [ask]. If that is workable I am ready to sign this week. If base is constrained, I am open to talking about how a sign-on bonus or a six-month review could close the gap. Thanks again, [your name]
Swap the bracketed parts for your own numbers. Counteroffer writes this for your exact offer.
Frequently asked
Questions people ask about what salary to ask for in a range.
What salary should I ask for if the range is posted?
Ask above the midpoint if you meet the listed requirements, and in the top quarter of the range if you clearly exceed them. Employers place a fully proficient hire at the midpoint and open outside hires below it, so asking at the midpoint leaves no room to be met partway. On a 90,000 to 130,000 posting, someone who meets the bar should ask for about 116,000.
How do you calculate the midpoint of a salary range?
Add the minimum and the maximum and divide by two. A range of 90,000 to 130,000 has a midpoint of 110,000. In a compensation structure the midpoint is the control point for a fully proficient employee, expressed as a compa-ratio of 1.00. Everything else in the range is measured against it.
What is salary range penetration?
Range penetration is how far a salary sits between the minimum and the maximum of its range, as a percentage: subtract the minimum from the salary, divide by the width of the range, and multiply by 100. A 100,000 salary in a 90,000 to 130,000 range has 25 percent penetration. Below 25 percent is opening-offer territory; above 75 percent is normally reserved for people who exceed the requirements.
What is a compa-ratio and why does it matter to a candidate?
Compa-ratio is a salary divided by the range midpoint. A 100,000 salary against a 110,000 midpoint is 0.91. It matters because HR uses it to place new hires: the common convention is to start an outside hire at 0.85 to 0.90, which is why first offers land below the midpoint. Knowing the convention lets you recognize an opening offer as a rule, not a verdict.
Should I ask for the top of the salary range?
Only if you clearly exceed the posted requirements or hold a competing offer near it, because the maximum is reserved for people who already outperform the role. Asking for the maximum without that evidence invites the recruiter to compare you line by line against the posting. The calculator targets 85 percent penetration for a candidate who exceeds the bar, which leaves room to be met without landing below midpoint.
What if the posted salary range is very wide?
A range wider than about 100 percent (the maximum more than double the minimum) is usually several levels combined into one posting, and its midpoint is not a real number. Ask the recruiter which level you are being considered at and what that level's range is. Internal structures normally run 30 to 60 percent wide per level.
What should I put for salary expectations when there is a range?
Give a single figure at the top of the band for your fit, not a range of your own and not the posted maximum. If you meet the requirements, that is roughly 65 percent of the way through the range; if you exceed them, roughly 85 percent. Saying a range back to a recruiter invites them to hear only the bottom of it.
Is the posted salary range what they actually pay?
It is supposed to be. In the thirteen jurisdictions that require a range in the posting, the law requires the employer's good-faith expectation of what they will pay for the role. No US pay transparency law caps what an employer may pay, so the range describes disclosure, not a legal ceiling, but an offer above the posted maximum is rare and usually requires re-leveling the role.
What if my current salary is already above the range?
Then the range cannot reach you and negotiating inside it is a mistake. Tell the recruiter your current number, ask whether the role can be leveled up or whether the maximum has flexibility for a candidate at your level, and be prepared to walk. This is the one case where the calculator tells you not to counter.
How much above the offer should I counter when the range is posted?
Counter to the top of the band for your fit, which is usually 10 to 20 percent above a bottom-quarter opening offer, rather than a fixed percentage. On a 90,000 to 130,000 range an opening offer of 96,000 met with an ask of 116,000 is a 21 percent counter, and a split-the-difference resolution still lands near the midpoint.
Sources
- Salary.com: compensation ratios for HR (compa-ratio and range penetration definitions)
- AIHR: compa ratio explained, with new-hire placement conventions
- HR Source: compa-ratio and position-in-range
- Hibob: salary range penetration, what it is and why it matters
- HR Dive: pay transparency law tracker (which states require a posted range)
Figures are estimates and market data changes; verify anything you plan to quote in a negotiation.
What it uses
The features behind salary range calculator.
More use cases
Walk in knowing your number.
Counteroffer is educational career coaching, not legal, financial, or HR advice.