Negotiating pay when I have been out of work after 3 years as an HR coordinator

A recruiter asked for my salary expectations on a first call as I look for work as an HR coordinator. This is my first time dealing with any of this. I looked up ranges in Buffalo and they vary a lot.

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

Asking about the range for the role first worked for me. Some recruiters share it.