How to answer: What is your expected salary?
Why this question feels so hard
Talking about money in an interview makes many people nervous. If you say a number that is too high, you worry you will lose the offer. If you say one that is too low, you may be stuck with it for years. Many job seekers simply accept whatever they are offered because they do not know what is fair.
The interviewer asks this question for practical reasons. They have a budget for the role and want to know if you fit inside it. A calm, prepared answer shows you know your value and can talk about hard topics like a professional. That is a good sign for any job.
Step one: do your research before the interview
Never walk in without a number in mind. You want a range in pesos, per month, that is based on real information and not a guess.
- Check job posts for the same role and level in your city. Many list a monthly pay range.
- Ask friends or former classmates in similar roles what is normal.
- Look at public data. The Philippine Statistics Authority publishes wage surveys by occupation.
- Know the legal floor. Minimum wages are set by region, so check your regional wage board.
Here is what public data can tell you. The Philippine Statistics Authority's 2024 Occupational Wages Survey, which covers businesses with 10 or more workers, puts the average monthly wage at PHP 21,544. In Metro Manila, the daily minimum wage for non-agriculture workers is PHP 755 from 26 September 2026. Use figures like these as a starting point, then adjust for the role, your experience and your location.
Step two: build your range
- Low end: the lowest monthly pay you would accept and still be able to cover your costs.
- Target: what similar roles usually pay for someone with your skills.
- High end: a bit above target, which you can justify with a special skill or experience.
When you share a range, start it at or near your target, not at your low end. Employers often aim for the bottom of the range you give. If your true minimum is the first number they hear, you leave no room to meet in the middle.
Also think about the whole package, not just the base pay. Ask about allowances, health coverage, bonuses, paid leave, travel costs and the work schedule. A slightly lower salary with work from home days or free transport can be worth more than it looks.
Step three: answer with the framework Range, Reason, Room
- Range: give a monthly range in pesos.
- Reason: say briefly why, such as your research, your skills or the duties in the post.
- Room: show you are open to talking about the full package.
Say your range in a steady voice, then stop talking. Silence after a number feels uncomfortable, but it is normal. Do not rush to lower your number before the interviewer even replies.
What if they push back?
If the interviewer says your range is above their budget, do not fold right away. Ask what range they have in mind. Then decide if the gap can be closed with other parts of the package, or with a pay review after a few months. It is fine to ask for time to think before you accept.
If it is very early in the process and you do not know enough about the role yet, you can ask to learn more first. You might say you would like to understand the duties and benefits before naming a figure. Many interviewers accept this, but be ready with a range if they ask again.
If they ask about your current salary
Some interviewers ask what you earn now. Be honest, because a false figure can be checked and can cost you the offer. You can also steer the talk back to the new role. Say what you earn, then explain that you are looking for pay that fits the duties of this job, which may be bigger than your current ones. Your past pay does not have to set your future pay.
Practice before the real one
Your next interview may be with an AI. Practice with one first. KAIVI can ask you about expected salary, and its report shows whether you sounded sure of your number or talked yourself down.
Start free. Your first practice interview costs nothing, and saying your number out loud once at home makes it much easier to say it in the real room.
Two sample answers
Uh, I am not sure. Anything is okay with me, as long as I get the job. Maybe whatever you usually give? I do not want to ask for too much.
Why: It gives no number and no reason, and it signals that you will accept the lowest offer. It also shows you did not prepare, which can make the employer wonder how you handle other hard conversations.
Based on similar roles I have seen posted in this city and the duties in your job post, I am looking for between [your target] and [your high end] pesos a month. I have experience with the tools you listed, so I think that range is fair. I am also open to talking about the whole package, including allowances and the schedule, so we can find something that works for both of us.
Why: It follows Range, Reason, Room. It is calm, it explains where the number comes from, and it leaves space to discuss benefits. Replace the two brackets with the real peso figures from your own research, starting at your target, not your lowest number.
Common mistakes
- Walking in with no number in mind and saying anything is fine.
- Starting your range at the lowest pay you could survive on.
- Lowering your number in the silence before the interviewer has even replied.
- Looking only at base pay and ignoring allowances, leave, schedule and travel costs.
- Giving a range so wide that it tells the employer nothing.
- Lying about your current salary to push the number up.
Sources
- PSA 2024 Occupational Wages Survey, establishments with 10 or more workers: average monthly wage PHP 21,544 psa.gov.ph
- Metro Manila daily minimum wage for non-agriculture workers is PHP 755 from 26 September 2026 laborcode.ph