Looking to hire a Filipino VA but aren’t sure about Philippines virtual assistant cost ranges?
Well, look no further because we’re here to answer your questions and help you make an educated decision.
In this article, we will be covering:
- Why Hire Filipino Virtual Assistants?
- What are the Types of Virtual Assistants?
- Factors Influencing Virtual Assistant Rates in 2023
- What Are the Average Hourly Rates for Filipino Virtual Assistants in 2023?
- Additional Factors Affecting Virtual Assistant Compensation
- What Are the Best Virtual Assistant Websites to Hire From?
Why Hire Filipino Virtual Assistants?
The Philippines is one of the most popular countries for outsourcing. The founders of Outsource School, Connor, and Nathan, can attest to the effectiveness of a Filipino VAs. They have hired multiple Filipino VAs for Outsource School and other businesses since their college days. But what is it about them that has earned them such a stellar worldwide reputation? Does this reputation affect the cost of a virtual assistant in the Philippines?
In our “Should You Hire a Virtual Assistant in the Philippines?” article, we listed 8 reasons why Filipinos are great hires. These reasons are:
- The Philippines is an English-speaking country. This makes communication much easier.
- Because of the people’s English proficiency, the Philippines is one of the top countries for BPO outsourcing. This industry is one of the fastest growing in the country.
- Filipinos can adapt to most cultures because of a lot of outside influences over the years. This is particularly true of US culture. American media, specifically, has a significant impact on current Filipino ideas about lifestyle and business.
- The Philippines is known for its hospitality. This stems from its people-focused culture. They value building relationships and collaborating to reach goals. This makes them valuable assets to any business.
- Filipinos are adaptable and flexible. They are always willing to learn new skills. Most can and are willing to adapt to time zone differences.
- Filipinos are known to be hard workers. They deliver quality output regardless of circumstances.
- If you’re looking for someone who fits your business model of “family values”, hiring from a family-oriented country like the Philippines will get you the best results.
- Filipinos have developed resiliency and optimism due to their difficult history and proneness to natural disasters. This is evident in their attitude towards work.
What are the Types of Virtual Assistants?
Follower
You can consider a follower to be a beginner or entry-level VA. These followers are trainees who need a lot of guidance. They don’t usually have enough experience to take initiative on their own. Your relationship with them is going to be that of a teacher in some respects, and they are your apprentice. With followers, you will need to teach them about whatever process you use that they must follow. This is an advantage because you will not have to get them to unlearn stuff.
Doer
A doer is more of a specialist. They are the types of workers that have a degree of in-depth knowledge. They can be left alone after some guidance on the specifics of how you want things done. Then they can go on to perform the work without a lot of supervision. Your culture and guidelines work together with their process and expertise. The relationship you have with a doer is one of collaboration.
Expert
Expert-level VAs are highly skilled. They likely have years of experience in their field. These types of VAs are usually brought on to help businesses create processes that do not yet exist. They help with areas of strategy and planning where the business owner needs help. They are consultants in the areas of their expertise. Experts show you the best methods to complete tasks and reach your goals. The relationship you have with experts is kind of a mix of follower and doer. The difference is that you take on the role of the learner and collaborate with the doer, drawing from their expertise. The processes they create with you are those that you relay to followers and doers to achieve your goals.
Factors Influencing Virtual Assistant Rates in 2023
Philippines virtual assistant cost ranges are affected by several factors, which we will go into a little bit below.
1. Skillset and experience level
Certain skillsets will usually command different rates. For instance, a data entry virtual assistant will very likely have averages and ranges that differ than those of a graphic design virtual assistant or a dropshipping VA.
Specialized skills and expertise
Basic VA skills are usually entry-level type skills. This is regardless of the field in which they work. They are usually skills related to basic administrative duties. However, the greater their level of mastery in that area, the more valuable their skills are. Additionally, VAs with a valuable yet niche sets of skills will fetch higher rates. Usually, the more technical knowledge they need to possess to be effective at the job, the higher the charge is for those services. For example, the lower end of the copywriter rate range is less than the lower end rates when hiring a content writer that specializes in SEO. But even basic sets of skills have a range depending on experience, which relates to efficiency.
Years of experience in the industry
While experience doesn’t necessarily determine skill level or talent, it is still a valuable factor that is worth considering. For instance, a VA with 3 years of experience has probably worked with multiple companies and teams with varying company cultures and team dynamics. This means they are more likely to have an easier time adapting to your culture and team. They also have had years to create and improve their processes to become more efficient with their time.
Another bearing that experience has on Philippines virtual assistant costs is accurate rate calculation. They will more likely be able to give you an accurate and fair estimate after working with multiple companies and getting a better grasp of the value that they bring to the table.
2. Job responsibilities and scope of work
How extensive of a job is it? How much do you need to get done?
A virtual assistant has many skills. You’re unlikely to find a VA with only one single set of skills. However, an employer that asks for work beyond the originally agreed-upon scope is far too common. This is why it’s necessary to lay out the duties and responsibilities plainly so your VA can calculate the rate they will charge. Naturally, the more you require of them, the more you need to pay them.
3. Demand and supply dynamics
Sometimes, rate ranges for the same skillsets can vary depending on how in-demand they are. For instance, imagine there is a flood of data entry VAs available on the market. This will usually mean that they will not be successful charging more. This is because they will be facing a lot of competition, which drives the prices down. This will cause them to lower their rates to find work.
To make sure you are still hiring the best in this type of environment, look for VAs who have more experience or unique skills. And remember that the best ones will not usually drop their rates by much because they know their value.
4. Time commitment and work arrangement
Full-time vs. part-time virtual assistants
Freelancers typically work on multiple projects to help ends meet. Because of the lack of job security, part-time freelancers will usually have higher rate requirements than full-time freelancers. This helps them to cover hours that you don’t need them to work.
You may, however, need someone to work with you more exclusively. In this case, you will need to pay for that commitment. You will not pay as much per hour as you would for a part-time hire, of course. You still need to pay competitively, though. This is because you are expecting them to be dedicated to you. This means that they are giving up potentially more profitable jobs.
Project-based or hourly rates
Some freelancers charge a fixed rate or give project-based quotes. These depend on the scope or depth of the project. Others charge the standard hourly rate. Sometimes, project pricing is more economical. This is because freelancers benefit from efficiency and clients know how much to pay.
What Are the Average Hourly Rates for Filipino Virtual Assistants in 2023?
Follower
VirtualStaff.ph is a platform that hires Filipino freelancers. They then allow businesses to connect with them through thousands of daily job posts. When it comes to the cost of hiring a Filipino VA, they have valuable data to share. According to their data, the entry-level cost of a virtual assistant in the Philippines falls between $2 to $5/hr.
Doer
Specialization pertains to a very broad spectrum of jobs and duties. Because of this, an exact calculation here is a little bit more difficult to ascertain. Some specialists charge $5 an hour. Others charge $25. The rate depends on what they are specialized in. It can also change depending on how specialized they are in that area. So, we believe that if you are looking for niche skill sets, don’t look at generalized VA averages. Instead, we recommend knowing what skills you are looking for. Then you can look at the average costs of VAs within that specialization.
Expert
Expert-level Philippines virtual assistant cost ranges can go from $30 upwards. Again, the factors previously discussed affect this. The amount of guidance your business needs also affects rate ranges.
Additional Factors Affecting Virtual Assistant Compensation
Other factors that affect Philippines virtual assistant costs are retainer plans or packages that some VAs charge.
Retainers involve hours that are billed before work begins. The employer dictates what is done during those hours. These retainers also have a pre-determined expiration dates. This means that these hours must be consumed within a set timeframe. Retainers are agreements based on time and not necessarily expertise.
Packages are not time-sensitive and are based on expertise. These deals are project-based and are usually half upfront and half after the project has been completed. You can pay the whole thing upfront before seeing results if you trust the VA, though.
What Are the Best Virtual Assistant Websites to Hire From?
Aside from VirtualStaff.ph, there are other great Filipino virtual assistant companies to hire from. These include:
What Is Outsource School?
Outsource School helps you to unlock the potential of virtual assistants and accelerate your business growth.
This is the exact system Outsource School’s founders, Nathan Hirsch and Connor Gillivan, used to go from zero to 8 figures and 40+ virtual assistants with an exit in 2019.
Since being founded in 2020, Outsource School has helped 1,000+ business owners hire 2,000+ virtual assistants for their companies.
Schedule a free sales call to learn more
Free resources you might like:
- Outsource School Case Study: How We Scaled to 45+ VAs and 8 Figures in Revenue
- Free VA Calculator | See How Many VAs You Can Afford
- Free Training on 5 Keys to Working With VAs
- Learn Outsourcing 101 | Guides, Downloads, and Checklists
Conclusion
Now you know the factors that affect how much a Philippines virtual assistant costs, you’re ready to start canvassing and finding the perfect fit for your remote team.
