How much does a virtual assistant from the Philippines cost?
What you actually pay for a full-time Filipino virtual assistant in 2026, what is included at each price, and how it compares with hiring locally in Australia.
Quick answer
A full-time, office-based Filipino virtual assistant costs about US$6 an hour all-in with Desk & VA’s Signature plan (US$249 a week). On Core, the workstation and salary come to about US$3.80 an hour, and you provide the equipment. That is roughly 70% less than the salary and super of a local administration assistant.
On this page
- The short version
- What Desk & VA charges
- How that compares with hiring locally
- Costs to check before you compare providers
- Is the cheapest option the best value?
- What different roles cost
- How to budget for your first VA
- The costs of hiring locally that are easy to miss
- More answers
- Frequently asked questions
- Sources
The short version
Most of the cost of a virtual assistant is their salary. What changes between providers is everything around it: the workstation, internet, equipment, payroll, supervision and what happens if the person leaves. Compare those, not just the hourly rate.
What Desk & VA charges
All prices are in US dollars and exclude GST. A full-time VA works 40 hours a week, in your business hours.
| Plan | Weekly cost | What is included | Recruitment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | No weekly fee; you pay your VA directly | We recruit your VA and check their home setup, then you manage them | US$1,999, one-off |
| Core | US$49 for the workstation, plus your VA’s salary | Office workstation, backed-up internet and power, on-site IT and supervisor. You provide the equipment | US$499 general, US$899 specialist |
| Signature | US$249 for a general VA, all-in | Salary, equipment, payroll, HR, workstation and supervision in one fee | No fee for general roles; specialist roles priced on enquiry |
On Signature, US$249 a week works out at about US$6 an hour. On Core, the workstation and a general VA’s salary come to about US$3.80 an hour, before equipment. Specialist roles such as accountants, paralegals and designers cost more because their salaries are higher. See full pricing.
How that compares with hiring locally
The comparison below uses a general administration role, on full-time hours, over one year.
| Local administration assistant | Desk & VA Signature | |
|---|---|---|
| Salary | About A$60,000 (Glassdoor national average) | Included |
| Superannuation (12%) | About A$7,200 | Not applicable |
| Equipment, desk and office space | Extra | Included |
| Payroll, leave cover and HR | Extra | Included |
| Total per year | A$67,200 plus the extras above | US$12,948, about A$18,700 |
That is about 70% less than the local salary and super alone, before you count the local hire’s office space, equipment, payroll tax or workers’ compensation insurance. The Australian dollar figure uses the 1 October 2026 exchange rate of US$0.69 per A$1; it moves with the exchange rate.
Costs to check before you compare providers
- Recruitment fees. Is there a placement fee, and is it refunded if they can’t find you a match?
- Replacement guarantee. What happens if your VA resigns in the first few months? We replace them free within 120 days.
- Minimum term. Many providers ask for 12 months. Ours is 6 months.
- Equipment. Who buys the computer and headset, and who owns it?
- Internet and power. A home connection with no backup can cost you a day’s work. Our offices run three internet links.
- Currency and GST. Check which currency the price is in, and whether GST is added.
Is the cheapest option the best value?
Not always. A freelancer working from home can cost less per hour, but you take on recruitment, supervision and the risk of outages and sudden departures yourself. Read office-based VA or freelancer for a side-by-side comparison.
What different roles cost
Salary is the part that changes most between roles. The figures below are typical monthly salaries from our free salary guide, converted at the 1 October 2026 rate of ₱62.82 to US$1. They show salary only, not workstation or service fees.
| Role | Junior | Mid-level | Senior |
|---|---|---|---|
| General virtual assistant | US$320–400 | US$400–555 | US$555–795 |
| Customer service | US$320–400 | US$400–555 | US$555–635 |
| Bookkeeper | US$480–555 | US$555–635 | US$635–955 |
| Paralegal | US$480–555 | US$555–635 | US$635–955 |
| Graphic designer | US$480–555 | US$555–635 | US$635–795 |
| Full-stack developer | US$555–875 | US$875–1,435 | US$1,435–2,230 |
Roles such as bookkeeping admin, customer support and real estate admin are general roles. Roles that need a specific professional skill, such as a graphic designer, website designer, accountant or paralegal, are specialist roles and cost more to recruit.
How to budget for your first VA
- List the work. Write down the tasks you want to hand over and roughly how many hours a week they take.
- Pick the role level. Most first hires are general roles. Choose a specialist only if the work needs a professional skill.
- Choose the plan. Signature if you want one predictable weekly fee; Core if you’d rather pay your VA directly and supply the equipment.
- Add the one-off costs. Recruitment on Core (US$499 or US$899), and equipment on Core.
- Plan for six months. Our minimum term is six months, and paying six months in advance saves 10%.
The costs of hiring locally that are easy to miss
A local salary is only the start. Depending on your state and business size, an Australian employer may also pay payroll tax, workers’ compensation insurance, leave entitlements, recruitment fees, equipment, software licences and office space. Many of these are included in a managed VA’s weekly fee, which is why the real saving is often bigger than the salary comparison suggests.
More answers
Still have questions? Our virtual assistant FAQs answer the ones we hear most, and our free guides cover salaries, recruitment and the 192 tasks you can delegate.
Frequently asked questions
Do I pay my VA’s salary directly?
On Core, yes: you pay your VA’s salary directly and we charge US$49 a week for the workstation. On Signature, the salary is included in one weekly fee. On Work from home, you pay your VA directly after a one-off recruitment fee.
Are there any ongoing costs on top of the weekly fee?
On Signature, no; salary, equipment, payroll and HR are included. On Core, you pay your VA’s salary and provide their equipment. GST is added where it applies.
Can I pay in Australian dollars?
Our prices are set in US dollars. Book a free Strategy Call and we’ll confirm how invoicing works for your business.
Sources
Want a VA working on this next month?
Book a free 30-minute Strategy Call. We’ll scope the role, recommend a plan and give you a clear cost.