Hiring a project manager virtual assistant in the Philippines in 2026 is no longer a niche move reserved for startups that want cheaper admin help, because the role has evolved into something far more operationally meaningful, especially for eCommerce brands, agencies, SaaS teams, and service businesses that run on tight deadlines and recurring deliverables. In practical terms, a project management VA is the person who makes sure tasks do not float around half finished, owners do not miss commitments, clients are updated without chasing, and the work actually ships on time with fewer surprises, which is why the pricing conversation cannot be handled with generic “VA hourly rate” numbers alone.
Across the market, you will see wide ranges for Average Hourly Rate for Project Manager Virtual Assistant Philippines 2026
Hiring a project manager virtual assistant in the Philippines in 2026 is no longer a niche move reserved for startups that want cheaper admin help, because the role has evolved into something far more operationally meaningful, especially for eCommerce brands, agencies, SaaS teams, and service businesses that run on tight deadlines and recurring deliverables. In practical terms, a project management VA is the person who makes sure tasks do not float around half finished, owners do not miss commitments, clients are updated without chasing, and the work actually ships on time with fewer surprises, which is why the pricing conversation cannot be handled with generic “VA hourly rate” numbers alone.
Across the market, you will see wide ranges for Filipino virtual assistant rates in 2026, with general benchmarks commonly cited around $3 to $10 per hour depending on skill level and specialization, and higher bands for technical or senior trust roles. The reason those broad ranges still matter is that a project manager virtual assistant sits in the middle, because they are usually more specialized than a general admin VA but not always as expensive as a technical VA who codes, designs, or handles advanced finance, and the final number depends on whether the person is coordinating simple internal task lists or driving multi stakeholder delivery across teams.
The headline answer most people want
In 2026, the typical hourly rate for a Philippines based project manager virtual assistant lands in the following bands for most legitimate hiring scenarios:
- Entry level project coordination VA: $4.50 to $6.50 per hour (often strong admin skills plus early PM exposure, usually needs direction and templates)
- Mid level PM VA or project coordinator: $6.50 to $9.50 per hour (runs boards, chases owners, writes updates, manages recurring workflows, spots risks early)
- Senior PM VA or ops focused PM VA: $9.50 to $14+ per hour (builds systems, improves processes, owns delivery metrics, can manage clients and multiple workstreams)
If you want a single planning number that works for most businesses that need reliable project coordination, $7 to $10 per hour is the most defensible “average” band for 2026, because it matches where specialized VA guides place mid level roles, and it aligns with role specific benchmarks like HireTalent’s ballpark around $7.48 per hour for a project management virtual assistant.
That said, the real value of this guide is not the range itself, because anyone can publish a range, but rather understanding what drives the number up or down, how to avoid underpaying and getting churn, and how to calculate your all in cost so the hire remains profitable.
What “Project Manager Virtual Assistant” means in 2026
A lot of rate confusion happens because companies use the same title to describe very different jobs, so before you compare hourly rates you need to define the scope clearly, because the market prices scope, complexity, and accountability more than the label itself.
A project manager virtual assistant in the Philippines typically falls into one of these role shapes:
1) Project coordination VA
This is the most common version, and it is priced closer to a specialist VA than a full project manager. The work usually includes task tracking, follow ups, meeting agendas, minutes, action items, updating ClickUp or Asana, and keeping recurring workflows on schedule.
2) Delivery support for agencies and service providers
Here the PM VA is often managing client deliverables, coordinating writers, designers, editors, and ads specialists, and producing weekly status updates. This role commands higher rates because the VA touches client satisfaction and retention, and it requires strong written communication plus calm pressure handling.
3) Operations assistant with project management responsibilities
This version is closer to a lightweight operations manager, and it includes SOP writing, process improvement, dashboard reporting, team capacity planning, and building systems that prevent chaos. This role can break into the $10 to $14 range because it reduces leadership workload directly.
4) Junior project manager
Some companies label this as a VA role to keep it remote and flexible, but the responsibilities look like a real PM job, with ownership of scope, timelines, dependencies, and risk management. Once accountability is real, the compensation typically moves into senior bands.
Why the Philippines remains a strong market for PM virtual assistants in 2026
The Philippines continues to be a major destination for remote support roles because employers value English communication, cultural familiarity with Western business norms, and a deep talent pool shaped by years of BPO and remote work experience. Many hiring guides still highlight these fundamentals, but in 2026 the more important point is that the market has matured, so you now find Filipino professionals who are not only task takers but also workflow builders who can run modern tools and keep teams aligned.
However, maturity cuts both ways, because more experienced candidates know their market value, and if you try to hire a project coordinator at entry level admin rates, you often get inconsistent follow through, high turnover, and hidden costs that erase your savings.
Market benchmarks you can cite, and what they really mean
To price a PM virtual assistant responsibly, it helps to anchor on a few credible reference points, while also being honest about what those reference points do and do not represent.
Broad VA hourly ranges in 2026
Some of the best known 2026 oriented guides still place Filipino VAs in wide hourly bands depending on seniority, such as $3.00 to $4.50 for entry generalists, $4.50 to $7.50 for mid level specialists, and $7.00 to $10.00 for senior high trust roles, and that framing is useful because project coordination usually sits in the specialist to senior trust zone rather than pure entry level.
Other 2026 cost breakdown guides show similar ranges, for example general admin around $3 to $5 per hour, executive support around $6 to $8, and higher bands for more specialized work.
A role specific PM VA benchmark
HireTalent.ph offers a rare role specific benchmark, stating a ballpark around $7.48 per hour for a project management virtual assistant based on featured talent profiles. This is extremely useful for this keyword, because it is closer to what people are actually trying to hire, although it still needs context, because the number can represent mid level profiles more than entry level or senior ops style PM roles.
Salary aggregator pages, and the caution you should include
PayScale lists an hourly figure for a “Virtual Assistant with Project Management skills” in the Philippines for 2026. The challenge with using that page at face value is that the displayed number is unusually low compared to the rest of the market, and the same site shows a far higher hourly figure for “Virtual Assistant” generally in the Philippines. When you see this kind of mismatch, the responsible approach is to treat it as a directional data point rather than a pricing instruction, because the sample size, job coding, and role definitions can distort the median, especially for blended roles that may be miscoded as internships, provincial admin, or non remote settings.
Local salary context
Local job marketplace pages like JobStreet provide monthly salary ranges for virtual assistant roles in the Philippines, which are helpful for grounding expectations, although they may include local employment jobs rather than international client contractor roles. This distinction matters because international remote clients often pay in USD and expect higher performance and overlap compared to local employers.
The 7 factors that determine your hourly rate in 2026
If you want to stop guessing and price a PM virtual assistant like a grown up business, focus on the factors below, because these are what explain why one company pays $5.50 and another pays $12.50 for what looks like the same title.
1) Accountability level, not task count
A long list of tasks does not automatically justify a higher rate, because many tasks are repeatable, templated, and low risk. What drives pay is accountability, meaning whether the VA is simply updating a board after you tell them what to do, or whether they are responsible for keeping the project from falling behind even when owners go quiet.
If the VA is expected to chase blockers, escalate risks, and protect deadlines, the pricing should move into mid level or senior bands, because that is managerial responsibility even if the title includes “assistant.”
2) Project complexity and stakeholder count
A PM VA who supports a single founder on one internal project can be priced lower than someone coordinating a creative team, a dev contractor, and a client with shifting feedback, because coordination load increases quickly with every added stakeholder, and the cost of miscommunication grows even faster.
3) Tool proficiency and documentation skill
Tool skills are not equal, and you can feel the difference immediately in how clean the workflow becomes. A candidate who can build a ClickUp space with statuses that actually reflect reality, automations that reduce follow ups, and templates that turn chaos into repeatable delivery should not be priced like someone who only knows how to comment “done” on a Trello card.
In 2026, strong PM VA candidates commonly mention ClickUp, Asana, Trello, monday.com, Notion, Google Workspace, Slack, Loom, and time tracking tools, while higher level candidates add Jira familiarity, sprint rituals, and reporting dashboards.
4) Communication quality and client facing writing
For agencies and service teams, a PM VA often becomes the voice of the business in weekly updates, recap emails, and meeting notes, and when the writing is sharp the client anxiety drops, the number of escalation calls decreases, and retention improves, which is why communication skill is one of the most reliable predictors of higher rates.
5) Time zone overlap and schedule expectations
A Philippines based PM VA who overlaps 2 to 4 hours with US business hours is common, but if you require full US shift coverage, late night work, or on call availability during launches, you should expect to pay a premium, because the schedule is harder to sustain and candidates who accept it usually price for that tradeoff.
6) Hiring channel: direct, agency, or managed marketplace
A direct hire contractor rate can look lower on paper, but you may spend more time on onboarding, QA, and replacement if the fit is wrong. Agencies and managed providers often charge more because they bake in vetting, backups, and process, while platforms focus on matching and payroll convenience.
7) Engagement structure: hourly, part time retainer, or full time monthly
Hourly contracts are flexible, but if you want a PM VA to truly own delivery, a stable retainer or full time schedule usually produces better outcomes, because the person can plan capacity, attend recurring meetings, and build systems rather than constantly context switching.
Hourly vs monthly pay, and how to convert without fooling yourself
A lot of buyers search “hourly rate” but end up paying monthly, so you should understand conversion clearly so you do not underbudget.
The clean conversion method
Many providers convert monthly salary to hourly using a standard month hour count such as 173 hours, which comes from typical full time assumptions and gives you a realistic hourly equivalent. Other guides use 160 hours as a simplified four week month.
The difference matters, because if you pay $1,200 per month, then:
- At 160 hours, that is $7.50 per hour
- At 173 hours, that is about $6.94 per hour
Neither is “right” universally, but you should pick one method and be consistent, and if your VA works a true 40 hour week with minimal paid time off, 173 is often more realistic for annualized planning, while 160 is more conservative and easier to communicate.
A practical way to budget for a PM VA
If you want a reliable mid level PM VA, you can budget one of these structures:
- Part time retainer (60 hours per month): $420 to $600 at $7 to $10 per hour
- Half time (80 hours per month): $560 to $800 at $7 to $10 per hour
- Full time (160 to 173 hours per month): $1,120 to $1,730 at $7 to $10 per hour
This range aligns with what multiple hiring guides describe for skilled long term staff packages, even when they express it as monthly pay.
The “all in cost” reality for 2026, including compliance and overhead
If you only plan for the hourly rate you can still blow your budget, especially when you scale, because the real cost includes the supporting pieces that make the hire stable.
Direct contractor cost components
If you hire a PM VA as an independent contractor, your all in costs usually include:
- Base hourly rate
- Platform fees if you pay through a marketplace or processor
- Equipment support, sometimes an internet stipend
- Paid onboarding time, because a good PM VA will need time to learn your business and build structure
- Occasional paid overlap for launches or emergencies
EOR employment model cost components
Some companies prefer a compliant employment structure through an Employer of Record, and one published example in the Philippines market quotes an EOR fee around $190 per month, which is described as roughly $1.10 per hour on top of salary and statutory contributions when converted using a 173 hour month.
Whether you personally need an EOR depends on your risk tolerance and your hiring structure, but the important point for budgeting is that “hourly rate” is sometimes only the starting layer, and the more you treat the role as a long term employee equivalent, the more you should plan for employment style overhead and retention friendly benefits.
2026 rate card examples you can copy
Below are realistic examples that map directly to what most businesses mean when they say “project manager virtual assistant,” and you can use these examples in proposals, job posts, and internal budgeting.
Example A: Entry level project coordination VA (internal team)
Rate: $4.50 to $6.50 per hour
Best for: founders who need consistent follow up and organization, but will still define priorities
Responsibilities:
- Maintain ClickUp or Asana board hygiene
- Capture meeting notes and action items
- Follow up with owners and update due dates
- Build simple templates for recurring tasks
What to watch: if you need client facing communication or cross functional coordination, this level can struggle without strong SOPs.
Example B: Mid level PM VA (agency delivery or ops support)
Rate: $6.50 to $9.50 per hour
Best for: agencies and service teams with weekly deliverables and multiple owners
Responsibilities:
- Run weekly status rhythms and client updates
- Manage dependencies, blockers, and escalations
- Own recurring workflows and quality checklists
- Create SOPs and lightweight dashboards
Why it costs more: outcomes improve when the VA anticipates problems rather than reporting them after the deadline.
Example C: Senior PM VA or ops focused PM VA (system builder)
Rate: $9.50 to $14+ per hour
Best for: teams scaling past founder led management where delivery consistency affects revenue
Responsibilities:
- Design end to end workflows, automation, and templates
- Manage multiple workstreams and team capacity
- Improve processes, reduce cycle time, and train staff
- Produce metrics reporting that leadership can act on
Why it costs more: this person is buying back leadership hours and reducing chaos, which is closer to operations management than basic assistance.
How to avoid underpaying and still protect your margin
The cheapest rate rarely becomes the cheapest hire once you include missed deadlines, rework, and the time you spend managing the manager, so the smarter approach is to price based on the value of reduced failure.
Use a “cost of delay” mindset
If your team ships late, you may lose renewals, miss launch windows, or burn ad spend while waiting for creative, and even one avoided delay per month can justify paying an extra $2 per hour for a PM VA who keeps delivery tight.
Build a progression plan instead of negotiating forever
Instead of squeezing the candidate, offer a clear path such as:
- first 30 days at a starter rate while they learn your system
- a structured raise after they own weekly delivery without chasing
- a second raise after they document workflows and reduce your meeting load
This approach is especially effective in the Philippines talent market, because stability and fairness are retention levers, and mature guides emphasize that competitive pay is about more than the base rate alone.
Job post template signals that attract the right PM VA candidates
If you want better candidates at the same rate, you need clarity, because strong PM VAs avoid vague posts that hide chaos.
Include:
- Your tool stack: ClickUp, Asana, Trello, Slack, Google Workspace, Notion
- The type of projects: content production, web builds, client onboarding, eCommerce operations, podcast pipeline
- The cadence: daily standup, weekly client update, monthly planning
- Overlap hours required
- Definition of success: on time delivery percentage, fewer last minute scrambles, clean handoffs, documented SOPs
When the job post is specific, you reduce mismatched applicants and you avoid paying mid level rates for entry level output.
FAQ: quick answers Google tends to surface
What is the average hourly rate for a project manager virtual assistant in the Philippines in 2026?
A realistic market average for 2026 planning is $7 to $10 per hour, with entry level coordination often at $4.50 to $6.50, and senior ops focused PM VAs often at $9.50 to $14+, depending on complexity, tools, and accountability.
Why do I see $3 per hour mentioned in some VA guides?
Because $3 per hour is commonly associated with entry level generalist VA work, and many VA rate guides publish broad benchmarks that start at entry level. A PM VA who owns timelines and follow ups usually prices above that, unless the scope is extremely light.
Is it better to pay hourly or monthly?
Hourly is best for uncertain workload and short trials, while monthly or retainer models work better for project management support because consistent availability allows the VA to run cadence, maintain systems, and reduce context switching, which is where most PM value is created.
How do agencies affect the hourly rate?
Agencies can increase the sticker price because they include sourcing, vetting, replacements, and sometimes management layers, while direct hire can look cheaper but shifts the operational burden to you. rates in 2026, with general benchmarks commonly cited around $3 to $10 per hour depending on skill level and specialization, and higher bands for technical or senior trust roles. The reason those broad ranges still matter is that a project manager virtual assistant sits in the middle, because they are usually more specialized than a general admin VA but not always as expensive as a technical VA who codes, designs, or handles advanced finance, and the final number depends on whether the person is coordinating simple internal task lists or driving multi stakeholder delivery across teams.
The headline answer most people want
In 2026, the typical hourly rate for a Philippines based project manager virtual assistant lands in the following bands for most legitimate hiring scenarios:
- Entry level project coordination VA: $4.50 to $6.50 per hour (often strong admin skills plus early PM exposure, usually needs direction and templates)
- Mid level PM VA or project coordinator: $6.50 to $9.50 per hour (runs boards, chases owners, writes updates, manages recurring workflows, spots risks early)
- Senior PM VA or ops focused PM VA: $9.50 to $14+ per hour (builds systems, improves processes, owns delivery metrics, can manage clients and multiple workstreams)
If you want a single planning number that works for most businesses that need reliable project coordination, $7 to $10 per hour is the most defensible “average” band for 2026, because it matches where specialized VA guides place mid level roles, and it aligns with role specific benchmarks like HireTalent’s ballpark around $7.48 per hour for a project management virtual assistant.
That said, the real value of this guide is not the range itself, because anyone can publish a range, but rather understanding what drives the number up or down, how to avoid underpaying and getting churn, and how to calculate your all in cost so the hire remains profitable.
What “Project Manager Virtual Assistant” means in 2026
A lot of rate confusion happens because companies use the same title to describe very different jobs, so before you compare hourly rates you need to define the scope clearly, because the market prices scope, complexity, and accountability more than the label itself.
A project manager virtual assistant in the Philippines typically falls into one of these role shapes:
1) Project coordination VA
This is the most common version, and it is priced closer to a specialist VA than a full project manager. The work usually includes task tracking, follow ups, meeting agendas, minutes, action items, updating ClickUp or Asana, and keeping recurring workflows on schedule.
2) Delivery support for agencies and service providers
Here the PM VA is often managing client deliverables, coordinating writers, designers, editors, and ads specialists, and producing weekly status updates. This role commands higher rates because the VA touches client satisfaction and retention, and it requires strong written communication plus calm pressure handling.
3) Operations assistant with project management responsibilities
This version is closer to a lightweight operations manager, and it includes SOP writing, process improvement, dashboard reporting, team capacity planning, and building systems that prevent chaos. This role can break into the $10 to $14 range because it reduces leadership workload directly.
4) Junior project manager
Some companies label this as a VA role to keep it remote and flexible, but the responsibilities look like a real PM job, with ownership of scope, timelines, dependencies, and risk management. Once accountability is real, the compensation typically moves into senior bands.
Why the Philippines remains a strong market for PM virtual assistants in 2026
The Philippines continues to be a major destination for remote support roles because employers value English communication, cultural familiarity with Western business norms, and a deep talent pool shaped by years of BPO and remote work experience. Many hiring guides still highlight these fundamentals, but in 2026 the more important point is that the market has matured, so you now find Filipino professionals who are not only task takers but also workflow builders who can run modern tools and keep teams aligned.
However, maturity cuts both ways, because more experienced candidates know their market value, and if you try to hire a project coordinator at entry level admin rates, you often get inconsistent follow through, high turnover, and hidden costs that erase your savings.
Market benchmarks you can cite, and what they really mean
To price a PM virtual assistant responsibly, it helps to anchor on a few credible reference points, while also being honest about what those reference points do and do not represent.
Broad VA hourly ranges in 2026
Some of the best known 2026 oriented guides still place Filipino VAs in wide hourly bands depending on seniority, such as $3.00 to $4.50 for entry generalists, $4.50 to $7.50 for mid level specialists, and $7.00 to $10.00 for senior high trust roles, and that framing is useful because project coordination usually sits in the specialist to senior trust zone rather than pure entry level.
Other 2026 cost breakdown guides show similar ranges, for example general admin around $3 to $5 per hour, executive support around $6 to $8, and higher bands for more specialized work.
A role specific PM VA benchmark
HireTalent.ph offers a rare role specific benchmark, stating a ballpark around $7.48 per hour for a project management virtual assistant based on featured talent profiles. This is extremely useful for this keyword, because it is closer to what people are actually trying to hire, although it still needs context, because the number can represent mid level profiles more than entry level or senior ops style PM roles.
Salary aggregator pages, and the caution you should include
PayScale lists an hourly figure for a “Virtual Assistant with Project Management skills” in the Philippines for 2026. The challenge with using that page at face value is that the displayed number is unusually low compared to the rest of the market, and the same site shows a far higher hourly figure for “Virtual Assistant” generally in the Philippines. When you see this kind of mismatch, the responsible approach is to treat it as a directional data point rather than a pricing instruction, because the sample size, job coding, and role definitions can distort the median, especially for blended roles that may be miscoded as internships, provincial admin, or non remote settings.
Local salary context
Local job marketplace pages like JobStreet provide monthly salary ranges for virtual assistant roles in the Philippines, which are helpful for grounding expectations, although they may include local employment jobs rather than international client contractor roles. This distinction matters because international remote clients often pay in USD and expect higher performance and overlap compared to local employers.
The 7 factors that determine your hourly rate in 2026
If you want to stop guessing and price a PM virtual assistant like a grown up business, focus on the factors below, because these are what explain why one company pays $5.50 and another pays $12.50 for what looks like the same title.
1) Accountability level, not task count
A long list of tasks does not automatically justify a higher rate, because many tasks are repeatable, templated, and low risk. What drives pay is accountability, meaning whether the VA is simply updating a board after you tell them what to do, or whether they are responsible for keeping the project from falling behind even when owners go quiet.
If the VA is expected to chase blockers, escalate risks, and protect deadlines, the pricing should move into mid level or senior bands, because that is managerial responsibility even if the title includes “assistant.”
2) Project complexity and stakeholder count
A PM VA who supports a single founder on one internal project can be priced lower than someone coordinating a creative team, a dev contractor, and a client with shifting feedback, because coordination load increases quickly with every added stakeholder, and the cost of miscommunication grows even faster.
3) Tool proficiency and documentation skill
Tool skills are not equal, and you can feel the difference immediately in how clean the workflow becomes. A candidate who can build a ClickUp space with statuses that actually reflect reality, automations that reduce follow ups, and templates that turn chaos into repeatable delivery should not be priced like someone who only knows how to comment “done” on a Trello card.
In 2026, strong PM VA candidates commonly mention ClickUp, Asana, Trello, monday.com, Notion, Google Workspace, Slack, Loom, and time tracking tools, while higher level candidates add Jira familiarity, sprint rituals, and reporting dashboards.
4) Communication quality and client facing writing
For agencies and service teams, a PM VA often becomes the voice of the business in weekly updates, recap emails, and meeting notes, and when the writing is sharp the client anxiety drops, the number of escalation calls decreases, and retention improves, which is why communication skill is one of the most reliable predictors of higher rates.
5) Time zone overlap and schedule expectations
A Philippines based PM VA who overlaps 2 to 4 hours with US business hours is common, but if you require full US shift coverage, late night work, or on call availability during launches, you should expect to pay a premium, because the schedule is harder to sustain and candidates who accept it usually price for that tradeoff.
6) Hiring channel: direct, agency, or managed marketplace
A direct hire contractor rate can look lower on paper, but you may spend more time on onboarding, QA, and replacement if the fit is wrong. Agencies and managed providers often charge more because they bake in vetting, backups, and process, while platforms focus on matching and payroll convenience.
7) Engagement structure: hourly, part time retainer, or full time monthly
Hourly contracts are flexible, but if you want a PM VA to truly own delivery, a stable retainer or full time schedule usually produces better outcomes, because the person can plan capacity, attend recurring meetings, and build systems rather than constantly context switching.
Hourly vs monthly pay, and how to convert without fooling yourself
A lot of buyers search “hourly rate” but end up paying monthly, so you should understand conversion clearly so you do not underbudget.
The clean conversion method
Many providers convert monthly salary to hourly using a standard month hour count such as 173 hours, which comes from typical full time assumptions and gives you a realistic hourly equivalent. Other guides use 160 hours as a simplified four week month.
The difference matters, because if you pay $1,200 per month, then:
- At 160 hours, that is $7.50 per hour
- At 173 hours, that is about $6.94 per hour
Neither is “right” universally, but you should pick one method and be consistent, and if your VA works a true 40 hour week with minimal paid time off, 173 is often more realistic for annualized planning, while 160 is more conservative and easier to communicate.
A practical way to budget for a PM VA
If you want a reliable mid level PM VA, you can budget one of these structures:
- Part time retainer (60 hours per month): $420 to $600 at $7 to $10 per hour
- Half time (80 hours per month): $560 to $800 at $7 to $10 per hour
- Full time (160 to 173 hours per month): $1,120 to $1,730 at $7 to $10 per hour
This range aligns with what multiple hiring guides describe for skilled long term staff packages, even when they express it as monthly pay.
The “all in cost” reality for 2026, including compliance and overhead
If you only plan for the hourly rate you can still blow your budget, especially when you scale, because the real cost includes the supporting pieces that make the hire stable.
Direct contractor cost components
If you hire a PM VA as an independent contractor, your all in costs usually include:
- Base hourly rate
- Platform fees if you pay through a marketplace or processor
- Equipment support, sometimes an internet stipend
- Paid onboarding time, because a good PM VA will need time to learn your business and build structure
- Occasional paid overlap for launches or emergencies
EOR employment model cost components
Some companies prefer a compliant employment structure through an Employer of Record, and one published example in the Philippines market quotes an EOR fee around $190 per month, which is described as roughly $1.10 per hour on top of salary and statutory contributions when converted using a 173 hour month.
Whether you personally need an EOR depends on your risk tolerance and your hiring structure, but the important point for budgeting is that “hourly rate” is sometimes only the starting layer, and the more you treat the role as a long term employee equivalent, the more you should plan for employment style overhead and retention friendly benefits.
2026 rate card examples you can copy
Below are realistic examples that map directly to what most businesses mean when they say “project manager virtual assistant,” and you can use these examples in proposals, job posts, and internal budgeting.
Example A: Entry level project coordination VA (internal team)
Rate: $4.50 to $6.50 per hour
Best for: founders who need consistent follow up and organization, but will still define priorities
Responsibilities:
- Maintain ClickUp or Asana board hygiene
- Capture meeting notes and action items
- Follow up with owners and update due dates
- Build simple templates for recurring tasks
What to watch: if you need client facing communication or cross functional coordination, this level can struggle without strong SOPs.
Example B: Mid level PM VA (agency delivery or ops support)
Rate: $6.50 to $9.50 per hour
Best for: agencies and service teams with weekly deliverables and multiple owners
Responsibilities:
- Run weekly status rhythms and client updates
- Manage dependencies, blockers, and escalations
- Own recurring workflows and quality checklists
- Create SOPs and lightweight dashboards
Why it costs more: outcomes improve when the VA anticipates problems rather than reporting them after the deadline.
Example C: Senior PM VA or ops focused PM VA (system builder)
Rate: $9.50 to $14+ per hour
Best for: teams scaling past founder led management where delivery consistency affects revenue
Responsibilities:
- Design end to end workflows, automation, and templates
- Manage multiple workstreams and team capacity
- Improve processes, reduce cycle time, and train staff
- Produce metrics reporting that leadership can act on
Why it costs more: this person is buying back leadership hours and reducing chaos, which is closer to operations management than basic assistance.
How to avoid underpaying and still protect your margin
The cheapest rate rarely becomes the cheapest hire once you include missed deadlines, rework, and the time you spend managing the manager, so the smarter approach is to price based on the value of reduced failure.
Use a “cost of delay” mindset
If your team ships late, you may lose renewals, miss launch windows, or burn ad spend while waiting for creative, and even one avoided delay per month can justify paying an extra $2 per hour for a PM VA who keeps delivery tight.
Build a progression plan instead of negotiating forever
Instead of squeezing the candidate, offer a clear path such as:
- first 30 days at a starter rate while they learn your system
- a structured raise after they own weekly delivery without chasing
- a second raise after they document workflows and reduce your meeting load
This approach is especially effective in the Philippines talent market, because stability and fairness are retention levers, and mature guides emphasize that competitive pay is about more than the base rate alone.
Job post template signals that attract the right PM VA candidates
If you want better candidates at the same rate, you need clarity, because strong PM VAs avoid vague posts that hide chaos.
Include:
- Your tool stack: ClickUp, Asana, Trello, Slack, Google Workspace, Notion
- The type of projects: content production, web builds, client onboarding, eCommerce operations, podcast pipeline
- The cadence: daily standup, weekly client update, monthly planning
- Overlap hours required
- Definition of success: on time delivery percentage, fewer last minute scrambles, clean handoffs, documented SOPs
When the job post is specific, you reduce mismatched applicants and you avoid paying mid level rates for entry level output.
FAQ: quick answers Google tends to surface
What is the average hourly rate for a project manager virtual assistant in the Philippines in 2026?
A realistic market average for 2026 planning is $7 to $10 per hour, with entry level coordination often at $4.50 to $6.50, and senior ops focused PM VAs often at $9.50 to $14+, depending on complexity, tools, and accountability.
Why do I see $3 per hour mentioned in some VA guides?
Because $3 per hour is commonly associated with entry level generalist VA work, and many VA rate guides publish broad benchmarks that start at entry level. A PM VA who owns timelines and follow ups usually prices above that, unless the scope is extremely light.
Is it better to pay hourly or monthly?
Hourly is best for uncertain workload and short trials, while monthly or retainer models work better for project management support because consistent availability allows the VA to run cadence, maintain systems, and reduce context switching, which is where most PM value is created.
How do agencies affect the hourly rate?
Agencies can increase the sticker price because they include sourcing, vetting, replacements, and sometimes management layers, while direct hire can look cheaper but shifts the operational burden to you.
