Negotiating pay when I have been out of work, data-entry clerk here

A recruiter asked for my salary expectations on a first call as I look for work as a data-entry clerk. I would rather hear the honest version than the polite one. I do not want to price myself out.

I gave a range based on local postings and said I was flexible depending on the whole package. They did not push back.

Check several sources for pay in Denver, then pick a range where the low end is one you can live with.