Expected salary: how to answer without guessing

How to answer "what is your expected salary" for a remote VA job: find the going rate, compare hourly and monthly pay, and give a range, with examples.

"What is your expected salary?" often comes early in a remote job interview, and sometimes it's a box on the application form. Say too much and you worry you've priced yourself out. Say too little and you're stuck with it for a year.

The fix is to research your number before the call and to say it in the client's currency and unit, which takes less time than you'd think.

What clients want to learn from your answer

Indeed's guide puts it simply: the question checks whether your expectations fit the client's budget, and how you see your own value. A clear answer also shows you've done your homework, which is what a remote client wants to see from someone they won't be watching.

When the listing already shows its pay, as every DayShift listing does, the question changes. The client is asking whether that pay works for you, and where in the range you think you sit.

Know the going rate before they ask

Robert Half's advice is to look at three or four live job posts at a similar level before you set your range. For remote VA work, here's where to look:

• Read the pay on listings for the same role. On 6 October 2026, the SGD listings on DayShift paid SGD 5 to 8 an hour or SGD 400 to 1,200 a month. Where a role sits in that range depends on the work and the hours.
• See the ranges by role at /pay, built from DayShift listings, open and recently closed.
• On other boards, skip posts that only say "competitive". They tell you nothing.

Then set your floor. Robert Half says the lowest number in your range should still be one you'd say yes to, not a lowball to look modest. Work it out from your monthly costs and what you earn now, and write it down before the call.

Hourly or monthly? How to compare the two

Some listings pay by the hour and some by the month, so turn them into the same unit before you compare. Multiply the hourly rate by your hours a week, then by 52, and divide by 12.

Two shortcuts help when you have to do the sum in your head during a call:

• At 20 hours a week, a month's pay is about 87 times the hourly rate.
• At 40 hours a week, it's about 173 times the hourly rate.

The converter at /pay does the sum for you and shows the peso amount at the European Central Bank reference rate. Expect a little less in your account once transfer and conversion fees come off. Our guide on how to get paid by overseas clients (/blog/how-to-get-paid-by-overseas-clients-philippines) shows what each method costs.

Three ways to answer, with examples

Pick the one that fits the job post. Swap in your own numbers and experience.

1. The pay is on the listing. "The listing says [the range], and that works for me. With two years of CRM and calendar work, I'd expect to start around the middle of it."
2. The pay isn't shown. "From similar remote admin roles I've looked at, I'm aiming for [a narrow range] a month for full-time hours. That reflects my two years of admin work."
3. You'd rather hear their number first. "Could you share the range you've budgeted for this role? Then I can tell you where I'd fit."

Robert Half says it's fine to ask for the budget first. Be ready to name your own range anyway, because some clients will ask again. Keep the range narrow, since a wide one looks like a guess.

The same rule as the rest of the interview applies: say it in your own words. For the question that usually comes first, see how to answer "tell me about yourself" (/blog/how-to-answer-tell-me-about-yourself).

Answers that undersell you

• "Anything is fine." It tells the client you haven't checked the going rate, and they may take you at your word.
• Quoting your old pay as it is. A night shift job may include a night differential, and a day shift role is a different job in a different currency.
• Giving a number with no unit: "six" means nothing until you say per hour or per month, and in which currency.
• A range so wide it hides your real number.

And if anyone asks you to pay a fee to get the job or your first salary, stop there. That's a scam, whatever they call it. Read how to spot legit work from home jobs (/blog/legit-work-from-home-jobs-philippines), then browse open roles with their pay at /jobs.

Sources

• Indeed, Interview Question: "What Are Your Salary Expectations?", https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/interviewing/interview-question-what-are-your-salary-expectations, read 6 October 2026
• Robert Half, How to answer, "What are your salary expectations?", https://www.roberthalf.com/us/en/insights/career-development/how-to-answer-whats-your-expected-salary, read 6 October 2026
• DayShift pay guide, pay by role from DayShift listings, https://hiring.catalystoutsourcing.com/pay, read 6 October 2026
• DayShift job board, the 30 open job posts, https://hiring.catalystoutsourcing.com/jobs, read 6 October 2026

Questions

Should I give a range or a single number?

A narrow range usually works better. Make the bottom of it a number you'd happily accept, because the client may offer exactly that.

What if the job post already shows the pay?

Say whether it works for you. Then add where in the range you'd expect to start, and the experience that puts you there.

Should I answer in pesos or in the client's currency?

In the listing's currency and unit. If the job pays SGD by the hour, answer in SGD by the hour, so the client can hold your number up against their budget without converting anything.

Can I ask the client for their budget first?

Yes. Robert Half says it's fine to ask for the budgeted range before giving yours. Have your own range ready in case they ask again.