Negotiating pay when I have been out of work after 17 years as a software tester

A recruiter asked for my salary expectations on a first call as I look for work as a software tester. I do not usually post, so bear with me. I looked up ranges in Cleveland and they vary a lot. What did you say?

Thanks for writing this out. I went through something close to it last year, and it settled down once I kept a simple log of every call and form.