Typically I give them a large range. Something large enough that is meaningless for pinpointing, but provides a sane bounds for my living expenses. I think for

Typically I give them a large range. Something large enough that is meaningless for pinpointing, but provides a sane bounds for my living expenses. I think for my current job I gave them a 40K difference (from low to high). I then tell them that the income is significantly dependent on the type of work and my working environment and benifits. I tell them that I would need to know more about the working environment, and I tell them an example or two of an income that I have made and the corresponding environment Sometimes recruiters counter offer with a more narrow range. Sometimes they respond by saying we have positions in that range. If they ask me to become more narrow immediately, I respond that is a function of the interview process