Recruiters can ask for anything they want, but you don't have to give it to them. Some places will match salary but otherwise bring you in at a lower level. Y

Recruiters can ask for anything they want, but you don't have to give it to them. Some places will match salary but otherwise bring you in at a lower level. You could explain that the market research that you have done shows the offer is about $10k lower than the typical salary. Also reinforce the skills that you bring to the job.