Salary ranges: find one, then use it

Asked for your salary expectation? A range from good sources gives you a figure you can explain. Here is where to look and what the rules say.

The cvscored team Published · Updated

Check your CV against a job. Free, no account.

Add your CV and the job. You see your match score and how far it can rise.

Your CV

The job

We never train AI on your CV. Hosted in Germany under GDPR.

Contents
  1. Step by step
  2. Where a salary range comes from
  3. Reading the Entgeltatlas
  4. What the EU rules say
  5. Naming your figure
  6. How cvscored helps
  7. Lena Hoffmann prepares her salary answer
  8. Checklist
  9. One honest limit
  10. Sources
  11. Key takeaways
  12. Frequently asked questions
  13. Related guides

Step by step

  1. Read the advert first

    Some adverts give a range or a starting figure. Note whether it is yearly or monthly, and gross or net.

  2. Look up public pay data

    In Germany, the Entgeltatlas of the federal employment agency shows median pay per occupation. Other countries publish their own statistics.

  3. Compare like with like

    Match the role, the level, the place and the hours. A figure for another city or level misleads.

  4. Set your range

    Choose the lowest figure you would accept and a higher one to open with. Write down why, in one sentence.

  5. Answer the question when it comes

    Give your range calmly, with that short reason. Talk about the job ahead rather than your current pay.

  6. Note what was said

    Write down the figure you gave and how they replied. You will need it in the next round.

Where a salary range comes from

  • The advert itself, if it names a range or a starting figure.
  • Public statistics, such as the Entgeltatlas in Germany.
  • A collective agreement, if the employer applies one.
  • Salary surveys and figures people share online. Check how many figures they rest on.

Each source answers a slightly different question. Use two or three, not one.

Reading the Entgeltatlas

The Entgeltatlas of the Bundesagentur für Arbeit is free. It shows the median gross monthly pay of full-time employees.

You can split it by region, gender, age group and industry.

It groups jobs into occupations, so one figure covers several job titles.

Above the pension contribution limit it shows no median. For 2025 that limit was 8,050 euros a month.

The figures are taken on 31 December of each year. They are a starting point, not a quote for one job.

What the EU rules say

The EU Pay Transparency Directive (2023/970) gives job applicants a right to pay information before they are hired.

Applicants may learn the starting pay or its range for the job, based on objective, gender-neutral criteria.

The employer gives it in the advert, before the interview, or in another way that allows an informed talk about pay.

It also bars employers from asking applicants about their pay in current or earlier jobs.

Each EU country had to make these rules national law by 7 June 2026. Check where your country stands.

In Germany, the government said in July 2026 that a draft law was being prepared and some questions were still open.

Austria already requires job adverts to name the minimum pay for the job, and to say if more is possible.

Naming your figure

Give a range rather than one number when the employer asks for your expectation.

Base it on the sources, the level of the role and what you bring. Say this in one sentence.

If the advert names no range, ask for it. Under the EU rules this is becoming your right.

Look at the whole offer: bonus, holidays, days at home and money for training.

This is general information, not legal or tax advice.

How cvscored helps

For a job you add, cvscored looks up a salary band for the role and the place once, and keeps it.

You see a range, an opening figure, how sure the search was and how many figures it read.

If you want, add your own salary anonymously and see where it stands for similar roles. Nothing is shared until you tick the box.

When there are too few figures to compare with, cvscored shows public salary data instead.

Each role page under Jobs by role shows what the role pays in each country, with its sources named.

Lena Hoffmann prepares her salary answer

Lena Hoffmann is the made-up person in our examples. The job and what each source says are made up too.

SourceWhat it saysWhat Lena takes from it
The advert from Northwind Logistics, BerlinNo rangeShe will ask for the range in the first call.
Public statistics for her occupation in BerlinA median for the whole group, all levelsA floor, since her role is senior.
The salary band in cvscoredA range, an opening figure, and how sure the search wasHer opening figure, near the top of the band.
Her own budgetRent, savings and a three-month notice periodThe lowest figure she would accept.

An invented example.

Good points

  • A sourced range is easy to explain.
  • You know your lowest figure before you are asked.

Not so good

  • Public data covers whole groups of jobs.
  • No source can say what one employer will pay.

Checklist

  • You know whether the figure is yearly or monthly.
  • You know whether it is gross or net.
  • You compared the same role, level and place.
  • You used at least two sources.
  • Your range has a reason you can say in one sentence.
  • You asked for the job's range if the advert has none.
  • You noted what you said and how they replied.

One honest limit

A range from data is a guide. It cannot tell you what one employer will pay, and nothing here is legal advice.

Sources

Checked on .

Key takeaways

  • Two or three sources, same role and place.
  • Yearly or monthly, gross or net: check.
  • A range with a reason.
  • Ask for the job's range if the advert has none.

Frequently asked questions

Where can I find a salary range for my job?
In the advert, in public statistics such as the Entgeltatlas in Germany, and in salary surveys. Use two or three sources.
Should I name a range or one number?
A range, with a short reason. Open near its top, and know the lowest figure you would accept.
Do I have to tell an employer my current salary?
The EU directive bars employers from asking about your pay history. It applies once your country has made it law, so check the national rules.
Must an advert state the salary?
In Austria, adverts must name the minimum pay for the job. The EU rules give applicants a right to the starting pay or its range.
Is the Entgeltatlas figure what I will earn?
No. It is the median for a whole group of jobs, full time and gross. An offer depends on the role, the level and the employer.
Where does the salary band in cvscored come from?
cvscored looks up figures for the role and the place. It shows the range, how sure the search was and how many figures it read.

Create a free account