It was a fairly standard phone screen that I thought was perfectly pleasant until the end: After the recruiter told me the base salary of the role I thanked him for his time and told him that I wasn't interested in pursuing the role based on the stated salary range. I had interviews coming up with companies that listed a higher pay for the same role, but I understand companies have to work with the budget they have. Rather than politely end the call, the recruiter started arguing with me, telling me I was wrong and that the salary was competitive, and denigrated my skillset. I have no idea what the recruiter hoped to gain, but it was a jarring and insulting experience.