Interviewers always like to ask me at the beginning of the interview what I am expecting and that always puts me on a spot. I have been advised by one of my close friends that it is always better to redirect the question and talk about job requirements or expectations instead of pay. Ask them what responsibilities the previous person you are replacing has. I would say do your research first before discussing about pay. Always ask about the working hours in a nice way, just so you won't be overworked for no pay. Know what you are expecting first. If they are a smaller company, it is more than likely they don't pay as much as a big company. Big companies normally pay about the low $40k range for this type of position, at least with the company I am with now.