We assessed gene expression variation in a population of 130 accessions of rice (Oryza sativa) belonging to the major varietal group indica. The field experiment was conducted in the dry season of 2017 at IRRI in Los Banos, Laguna, Philippines. Seeds from each accession were sown on December 16, 2016, and seedlings were then transplanted into the experimental fields at 17 days after sowing (DAS), on January 5, 2017. The field experiments was conducted across two locations close-by: one non-salinized normal field and the other salinized field. Both field environments used a randomized complete block experimental design with each accession planted in three replicates. Each experimental plot included the accessions NSICRC 222 and NSICRC 182 serving as border rows. The application of salt in Block L5 started on January 19, 2017 when the plants were 31 days old. The salinity level was monitored by recording electrical conductivity (EC), using EC meters installed in each of the parcels at a depth of 30 cm. The salinity levels were then maintained at 6 dS/m (considered mild to moderate salinity stress) until maturity. Management and maintenance of the fields included the application of basal fertilizer, spraying of insecticides against thrips and removal of plants potentially infected with the rice tungro virus disease. Tissue collection for transcriptome. Briefly, leaf collection was done at 38 DAS (8 days after the beginning of the salt treatment) in the non-saline and saline field. Transcript levels were measured using a liquid automation-based 3 prime mRNA-seq quantification approach. Samples were multiplexed in batches of 96 per library. Raw sequencing data are available at the SRA in BioProject accession number PRJNA1010833. A key to the raw sequencing data in this BioProject can be found in the metadata of the processed RNA expression count data here