How to Answer the "What Are Your Salary Expectations?" Question as a Blockchain Developer

AuditWardenRashid · 2025-07-08T06:28:09+00:00

How do you answer the “what are your salary expectations?” question in a blockchain developer interview when there is a wide range of salary data available online?Honestly, this one is the trickiest question for me. I am a blockchain developer with three years experience, and every time I get to the salary talks, I feel like I’m doing the guess work. Some places offer crazy high compensation, others are as low as beyond legitimate range, and then there’s the combination of tokens + cash + equity offer.Can anyone guide me which the fair compensation and how do you judge the best possible compensation you should expect for your role and experience.How do you even research what a “normal” blockchain developer salary offered? Sometimes it feels like the salary data is changing every few months.When a company offer tokens or equity, do you count it as real comp, or treat it as a bonus?Ever had a recruiter actually break down the full package for you, or do you have to ask multiple questions for details?Do you adjust your ask if it’s a remote gig or a super-early-stage project?And, most interesting to know how do you avoid either pricing yourself out or lowballing yourself?Would love to hear how others here handle this. Any war stories or tips welcome. Thanks!

How to Answer the "What Are Your Salary Expectations?" Question as a Blockchain Developer

AuditWardenRashid
@AuditWarden

Updated: Aug 3, 2025

Views: 135
How do you answer the “what are your salary expectations?” question in a blockchain developer interview when there is a wide range of salary data available online?
Honestly, this one is the trickiest question for me. I am a blockchain developer with three years experience, and every time I get to the salary talks, I feel like I’m doing the guess work. Some places offer crazy high compensation, others are as low as beyond legitimate range, and then there’s the combination of tokens + cash + equity offer.
Can anyone guide me which the fair compensation and how do you judge the best possible compensation you should expect for your role and experience.
- How do you even research what a “normal” blockchain developer salary offered? Sometimes it feels like the salary data is changing every few months.
- When a company offer tokens or equity, do you count it as real comp, or treat it as a bonus?
- Ever had a recruiter actually break down the full package for you, or do you have to ask multiple questions for details?
- Do you adjust your ask if it’s a remote gig or a super-early-stage project?
- And, most interesting to know how do you avoid either pricing yourself out or lowballing yourself?
Would love to hear how others here handle this. Any war stories or tips welcome. Thanks!
3

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DeFiArchitect

@DeFiArchitect • 1mo

I can understand your concern. honestly "what is your salary expectations? will never be a straightforward question for blockchain developers. While I build Defi team in 2019 the way salary or compensation structure was different than it is today. The combination of fiat, tokens, and equity has become more complex as projects mature and regulatory scrutiny increases.

Own research is the primary key to finding out the salary range offered. Few practices that I would suggest you to follow are attending prestigious global events like ETHGlobal, talking to recruiters, or just browsing and keeping an eye on Telegram and Discord channels. The range can be wide especially for remote-first teams and DAOs. It is the best practice to evaluate the fair compensation based on benchmarks against similar roles, factoring in stack (Solidity, Rust, etc.), project stage, and region. For example, devs in India and Southeast Asia are seeing more competitive offers now than just two years ago, as more protocols tap into the talent pool here.

When it comes to tokens and equity, curiosity is the key to understand the offer completely. Back during the 2021 bull run, I saw devs accept packages heavy on project tokens, only to watch their value declining in the next cycle.

Now, I treat tokens as speculative upside and focus negotiations on a reasonable fiat base. You should always ask for the token vesting schedule, liquidity status, and whether there’s a lock-up period—these details matter more than most realize.

One thing that’s helped me is to never give a number before understanding the full package. I’ll usually say, “I’d like to see the breakdown of base, tokens, and equity before discussing numbers.” If pressed, I give a range based on current market data and my own track record—citing recent offers if needed.

Lessons learned:

Always get the offer in writing, including token mechanics.

Don’t be afraid to walk away if the risk/reward doesn’t align with your goals.

Be transparent about your priorities; whether that’s cash, upside, or flexibility.

I’m curious: What’s been your experience with token-heavy offers, especially in the last cycle? Has anyone here managed to successfully negotiate for more favorable vesting terms or liquidity provisions? Happy to share some sample comp breakdowns or connect if you’re looking for more granular benchmarks.

CryptoCoder_AJ

@CryptoCoderAJ • 1mo

Great points on token compensation—one thing I've learned is to always request clear details on token vesting, liquidity, and recent trading volume before agreeing to an offer.

In my last negotiation, I actually asked if tokens could be partially exchanged for more cash or benefits, which helped clarify the real value and reduced risk. Has anyone here tried negotiating for guaranteed minimum token value or extra perks in place of speculative tokens? Would be interested to hear if teams are open to these creative comp structures lately.