[exelius]

Agreed; this is usually the first thing I ask as well. It's basically a gauge of how serious a company is -- if they're looking for a candidate that perfectly matches my resume, but they're only offering half of what I make now, it's going to be a waste of my time to even engage with their interview process. It's also telling when they won't disclose this information: it means that they are the kind of company looking to lowball their employees, not make them partners in the success of the business. Top talent is not interested in working for a company like that.