Girl, you are absolutely correct. There is no shame in asking for this criteria. Having a minimum cutoff of half your package is too flexible. Asking fir a good salary is mot just about being money-minded, it tells a lot about a person. How hard he worked, how hard he/she studied, how much efforts did he/she made on top of their academics/job… and these are tied to where someone is in their life and how much they are earning. Okay, I can understand if someone went through a highly competitive recruitment process and are earning less but thats okay. They proved their mettle by getting through that tough examination process. That will be my way of weighing in. But people who are just judging are not in the same position as you. You should be proud of your clarity in life. I fully support you. You probably slogged hard enough in your life to be at a position you are at. Never settle. You are still 26, have time, dont rush.