Ask HN: Salary Expectation for Junior Developer
How do you answer this question if you are a junior developer, with no work experience just side projects?
Location + tech stack determine your salary and there is no single answer. If you find comparative salaries to your skill set you can pretty much ask for that, refuse to go lower and get the salary you want.
In the Midwest (at least Houston), about 50k starting is reasonable until you prove your value, including insurance.
Naturally, you should seek to increase this number soonest.