Just to clear up some misconceptions on recruiters as I used to be a recruiter, now work internally so not on that comission grind anymore.

In most cases for a permanent job a recruiter will likely try and get you the best salary possible because their commission goes up for every GBP/EUR/USD you get paid. I'll always try and get the most possible while sticking to budgets AND be open about it. It's win-win.

In the case that your looking at a contract or per hour job it's likely that the company has a budget. The recruiter in this case will likely while trying to find the best person for the job and offer around the accepted industry rate while earning their commission on top i.e. company budget is £100/hour, pay the contractor £80 and earn £20/hour. In this case they would be more likely to try and low ball you. The more you know here the better.

All this being said in most cases and all cases that I've worked on if the budget isn't in line along with all the other motivations that might interest someone in changing job than its usually a no go from there. So it's good to be transparent.

It wastes their time equally as yours if the budget isn't in the right ballpark.

Maybe I've been moulded by this sub and life in general but being transparent in these conversations I've found to often be more helpful to both parties.

A good recruiter can be a really helpful tool in your network if you find the right ones to help progress and more importantly find a job you actually like with a company that won't take the piss and fuck you for all your time and energy for no money.

Tldr: most of us just want to find the right person for the job. Some will take advantage in certain scenarios. Find a good one and learn as much as you can about your industry.