Recruiter: What's your expectation on salaries. Me: Depends on opportunity, and better to be market rate. Recruiter: What is the market rate? Me: I haven't looked into it yet. Need to do some research. Recruiter: Well, if you don't provide, they won't consider you. Me: It's a bit weird to force candidates to provide salary information before having the interviews. They don't even know about me yet. Recruiter: This is their rule. They would like to know if they can afford you. Me: To be honest, it's illegal to ask this question in interview in California now. Recruiter: It's illegal to ask for your current salary, but not illegal to ask for your expecation on salaries. Me: Well, if they'd like to know if they can afford me. Why don't they provide a number? Recruiter: Ok. Here is the salary range (she said a number). Is your expected salary higher or lower? Me: What level is this salary for? Without an interview, how can they know what level they would like to offer me in the end? And how do they know what salary they should pay me? Also, what are other benefits, e.g. bonus, stock options? Recruiter: I don't know about bonus and stock options. What is your expected salary? Me: Let me think about it and email you later. Recruiter: Ok. Nice talking to you. Me: Thanks. Likewise. I don't know the problem is the company or the recruiter (an external recruiter), but requesting candidate to provide salary information and saying directly that you won't be considered if not providing this information is quite off in California. Originally, I thought it might be a cool company, but now I feel fortunate that I figured this out earlier.