Hiring a virtual assistant (VA) from the Philippines can be one of the highest-ROI moves for founders, agencies, and growing teams—but the pricing online can look confusing fast. You’ll see hourly quotes as low as $3–$4/hr, “fair wage” guidance closer to $6–$10/hr, and agency packages that climb into four figures per month.
So what should you actually budget?
Based on the top-ranking pages for this topic, the most consistent consensus is:
- Typical freelancer/direct-hire Filipino VA hourly rates: roughly $3–$7/hr for many generalist roles, and $7–$15/hr for senior or specialist roles.
- Typical full-time monthly pay (direct hire): commonly $400–$800/month for many general roles, with specialized roles often $800–$1,200+ (and sometimes higher for technical work).
- Local PH salary benchmarks (useful reality-check, not the same as foreign-client contractor pay): around ₱27k/month on Indeed and roughly ₱116–₱121/hr on PayScale/SalaryExpert-type benchmarks.
Those are starting points. Your real number depends heavily on hiring model, role complexity, availability, reliability expectations, and whether you want backup coverage / replacements / management (agency) or direct control (direct hire).
Let’s break it down in a way you can actually use to budget.
1) The 3 most common pricing models (and what they really cost)
A) Hourly contractor (freelancer / direct hire)
This is the simplest model: you pay an hourly rate, usually weekly or biweekly.
Common ranges (from top pages):
- Entry-level / general admin: $3–$5/hr
- Mid-level / generalist or role-focused: $4.50–$7.50/hr
- Senior / high-trust (EA, finance, technical, specialized): $7–$10/hr, and specialists often $10–$15/hr depending on skill stack
Some sites emphasize “ethical/fair” hiring expectations that trend higher (e.g., $6–$7/hr entry-level and $8–$15/hr for higher skill tiers).
When hourly is best
- You’re delegating a defined set of tasks
- Your workflow is still changing
- You want to test working chemistry before committing full-time
Downside
- Hourly can become inefficient if your processes are messy (you pay for confusion)
- Good VAs get booked up; to retain them you may need consistent hours
B) Monthly retainer / full-time salary (direct hire)
This is the most common arrangement for long-term VAs (40 hours/week or close to it). Many guides summarize the “typical” full-time Filipino VA cost as:
- $400–$800/month for many generalist VAs
- Entry-level sometimes described as $300–$500/month
- Experienced/specialized commonly $700–$1,600/month depending on role and skill
A few role-based breakdowns go even more granular. One widely shared breakdown (by task category) puts many common roles around:
- General Admin $3–$5/hr
- Customer Support $4–$6/hr
- Executive Support $6–$8/hr
- eCommerce $5–$8/hr
- Bookkeeping $8–$12/hr
- Tech support/IT $10–$15/hr
When monthly/full-time is best
- Your VA becomes part of your “core ops”
- You want deeper ownership (SOPs, recurring tasks, proactive improvements)
- You need consistent coverage (inbox, support, operations)
Downside
- You need enough work and structure to keep them meaningfully busy
- You must manage onboarding, training, and performance
C) Agency / managed service packages
Agencies usually charge more because you’re not only paying the VA’s take-home—you’re also paying for:
- Recruiting
- Vetting
- Management and QA
- Backup coverage / replacement guarantees
- Admin/payroll handling (sometimes)
Some “cost breakdown” articles claim PH-based VAs through agencies often land in ranges like $8–$15/hr (and can go higher with specialized roles).
When agency is best
- You don’t want to recruit or train
- You want faster placement + replacement guarantees
- You’re okay trading cost for “less management overhead”
Downside
- Markups can be significant
- You may have less control over compensation, retention incentives, and team culture
2) Why you see such different numbers online
If you’ve ever googled this topic, you’ve seen rate ranges that don’t seem to agree. That’s because many articles are describing different realities:
- Marketplace/low-end rates (often used to attract leads): $3–$4/hr exists, but quality and retention vary.
- Fair/sustainable ranges: some providers argue you should start closer to $6–$7/hr to reduce churn and get stronger candidates.
- Specialist roles: once your VA touches revenue (sales ops, ads ops, funnels), regulated work (bookkeeping), or technical tasks (WordPress, automations), rates jump.
- Local PH job salary benchmarks: sites like Indeed and PayScale reflect the Philippine labor market, not necessarily what foreign companies pay contractors. Still, they’re useful for context.
So the “right” answer is: choose the rate band that matches your role, expectations, and hiring model, then add “true cost” items (fees, tools, overlap hours, onboarding).
3) Typical Filipino VA rates by role (practical budgeting)
Here’s a consolidated view based on recurring ranges reported across guides:
General admin / data entry / inbox triage
- $3–$5/hr or $400–$700/month (common guide ranges)
If you want a VA who can write well, handle executive comms, and proactively manage priorities, expect to pay closer to the top end (or above).
Customer support (chat/email/tickets)
- Often $4–$6/hr
If you require KPI-driven support (SLA adherence, refunds, chargebacks, retention), you’ll pay more.
Executive assistant (EA) / operations support
- Often $6–$10/hr depending on trust level and complexity
High-trust EAs who run calendars, vendor coordination, travel, and follow-ups can be closer to specialist pricing.
eCommerce VA (Shopify/Amazon listings, ops)
- Often $5–$8/hr, higher if they handle PPC coordination, inventory planning, or advanced troubleshooting
Social media support / basic content ops
- $4–$7/hr is common for scheduling/moderation; strategy and performance work costs more
Bookkeeping / finance admin
- Many guides place this around $8–$12/hr or $1,100–$1,600/month depending on scope
Tech support / WordPress / IT-adjacent VA work
- Often $10–$15/hr for higher technical confidence
4) Hourly vs monthly: what’s cheaper?
It depends on your usage.
If you need 10 hours/week (≈40 hours/month)
- At $4/hr → $160/month
- At $7/hr → $280/month
- At $12/hr → $480/month
Hourly wins for low-volume needs.
If you need close to full-time (≈160 hours/month)
- At $4/hr → $640/month
- At $7/hr → $1,120/month
- At $12/hr → $1,920/month
At full-time levels, many businesses switch to a monthly salary arrangement (or at least a guaranteed-hours retainer) because:
- it’s predictable for both sides
- it improves retention
- it encourages ownership over “clock watching”
Many PH VA guides commonly cite full-time ranges like $400–$800/month for general roles, and $700–$1,600/month for experienced/specialized roles.
5) The hidden costs people forget (the “true cost” of a Filipino VA)
Even if your VA rate looks low, your all-in cost often includes:
A) Payment fees + FX loss
If you pay via PayPal, Payoneer, or other platforms, fees can add up. Some guides recommend Wise to reduce fees and improve exchange rates.
Rule of thumb budgeting: add 2%–6% overhead depending on platform.
B) Tools and seats
If your VA needs:
- Google Workspace
- Microsoft 365
- Slack
- Helpdesk (Zendesk, Gorgias)
- Password manager
- Loom
- Time tracker
…you may be paying $20–$150+/month in tooling depending on your stack.
Some hiring platforms also charge per-seat fees; for example, one platform describes a $99/month per staff seat model.
C) Recruiting + onboarding time
If you direct-hire:
- job posts
- screening
- interviews
- paid trial tasks
- SOP creation
- training time
That time is a cost—especially for founders.
D) Management overhead
If you pay $4/hr but spend hours every week clarifying tasks, you’re not saving money—you’re shifting costs into management time.
E) Compliance / employment structure (if you want it)
Some businesses use an Employer of Record (EOR) or similar compliance layer. One rate guide cites an EOR fee around $190/month and even converts it to an hourly equivalent.
(You don’t need EOR for all setups, but if you want a formal employment relationship and lower compliance risk, it can matter.)
6) What is a “fair” rate in 2026?
“Fair” depends on:
- role complexity
- expected output
- your level of process maturity
- whether you want long-term retention
Some publishers explicitly push the market upward—suggesting entry-level rates like $6–$7/hr and specialists $11–$15/hr to ensure sustainability and quality.
Other guides show broader market bands (including $3–$4.50/hr for entry-level).
Practical approach that usually works well:
- If the VA handles simple execution tasks with clear SOPs → you can often hire in the lower bands.
- If the VA must be proactive, client-facing, trusted with sensitive systems, or operate with minimal supervision → budget mid to upper bands.
- If you want retention (12+ months) and you’re training them deeply → pay closer to “fair/sustainable” rather than “cheapest possible.”
The cost of replacing a VA (lost knowledge + rehiring time) often dwarfs the difference between $4/hr and $6/hr.
7) Realistic budgets (three scenarios)
Scenario 1: Solo founder needs part-time help (10 hrs/week)
Goal: inbox support, calendar, data entry, basic research.
- Rate: $4–$6/hr
- Monthly hours: ~40
- Cash pay: $160–$240/month
- Add tools/fees: +$20–$60/month
Budget range: $180–$300/month
Scenario 2: Growing business hires a full-time general VA
Goal: daily operations, admin + customer support + light eCommerce updates.
- Monthly salary often cited: $400–$800/month
- Add tools/fees: $40–$150/month
Budget range: $450–$950/month
Scenario 3: Specialist VA (bookkeeping, automation, tech support)
Goal: QuickBooks/Xero, reconciliations, dashboards, or WordPress + automations.
- Often $8–$15/hr or $1,100–$1,600+/month depending on specialty
- Add tools/fees: $50–$200/month
Budget range: $1,150–$1,800+/month (and higher if very technical)
8) Direct hire vs agency: which is “cheaper”?
If you only compare hourly rates, direct hire usually looks cheaper.
But agencies can be cost-effective if you value:
- speed to hire
- replacements
- reduced training burden
- operational stability
Some “cost breakdown” pages position PH VA agency rates around $8–$15/hr (varying with expertise).
Meanwhile, direct-hire guides often anchor around $3–$7/hr for general roles.
Decision shortcut
- If you’re organized (SOPs, clear outputs) and can manage directly → direct hire wins.
- If you’re overloaded and need someone placed fast + managed → agency can win even if rates are higher.
9) Using PH salary benchmarks without getting misled
Local salary sites like Indeed and PayScale can be helpful for grounding—but remember: they’re typically describing local employment compensation, not international contractor pricing.
- Indeed reports an average VA salary around ₱27k/month in the Philippines (updated Feb 2026).
- PayScale reports an average hourly pay around ₱116.94/hr (2026).
- SalaryExpert shows similar ballpark hourly (~₱121/hr) and annual (~₱251k/yr) estimates.
These benchmarks are useful for:
- sanity checks
- understanding local market dynamics
- building compensation that’s competitive for retention
But your actual offer should be set primarily by:
- your role requirements
- international market demand for those skills
- expected independence and accountability
10) How to set the “right” rate (step-by-step)
Step 1: Define the job level honestly
Ask: does this role require judgment or just execution?
- Execution-only (follow SOPs) → lower-mid band
- Judgment + proactive improvements → mid-high band
- Specialist / revenue-impact / sensitive access → high band
Step 2: Decide your commitment model
- < 10 hrs/week: hourly
- 10–25 hrs/week: hourly or retainer
- 30–40 hrs/week: monthly salary/retainer tends to retain better
Step 3: Price to retain, not just to hire
Many guides stress fair pay as a long-term strategy (reduce churn, improve loyalty).
If you train a VA on your systems and processes, retention is part of your ROI.
Step 4: Add true-cost overhead
Budget for:
- tools
- payment fees
- onboarding time
- possible platform/seat fees (if using a platform with monthly seats)
11) FAQ
Is $3/hr realistic in 2026?
It exists in the market, especially for entry-level generalists, but many “rates guides” frame $3–$4.50/hr as entry-level and suggest paying more to attract stronger candidates.
What’s a common full-time monthly budget most businesses use?
Many guides converge around $500–$1,200/month as a realistic bracket for skilled long-term staff, depending on role.
Why do some sites say $10–$15/hr?
Often because they’re describing agencies, specialist roles, or “fair wage” positioning—or they’re comparing to Western VA rates while pitching quality.
Should I pay hourly or monthly?
If you want ownership and retention, monthly/retainer tends to work better. If you’re still experimenting, hourly is safer.
Bottom line: what should you budget?
If you want a clean, usable planning answer:
- Lean/basic part-time VA: $200–$400/month
- Reliable long-term full-time general VA: $500–$1,000/month
- Specialist VA (bookkeeping/tech/ops-heavy): $1,100–$2,000+/month
These are consistent with the most common ranges cited across top results (direct-hire and role-based breakdowns), with local benchmark sites included for context.
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