What a virtual assistant really costs in 2026

Real hourly rates for Filipino VAs and specialists by role, what pushes a rate up, and the costs that don't show up on the invoice.

Ask five agencies what a virtual assistant costs and you'll get five answers, because 'virtual assistant' covers everything from inbox triage to running a S$30,000 monthly ad budget. The honest answer depends on the role. Here are the ranges we see across our own placements in 2026.

Hourly rates by role

• General admin VA: PHP 180 to 350 per hour. Calendar, inbox, data entry, research.
• Customer service VA: PHP 200 to 400 per hour. Higher if they handle phone support or refunds.
• Bookkeeping VA: PHP 250 to 500 per hour. Xero or QuickBooks certification sits at the top of that range.
• Meta or Google Ads specialist: PHP 400 to 900 per hour. The spread comes from budget experience, not years worked.
• Automation specialist (Zapier, Make, n8n): PHP 500 to 1,000 per hour. Few candidates, steady demand.

A full-time month is roughly 160 hours. So a mid-range admin VA runs about PHP 42,000 a month, which is around S$1,000. A senior ads specialist can reach PHP 130,000, around S$3,100. That's still well under half of what the same seat costs onshore in Singapore.

What actually moves the rate

Years of experience matter less than what the person was trusted with. An ads specialist who managed PHP 50,000 budgets for three years is cheaper than one who ran PHP 5 million budgets for one year, and the second one is usually the better buy.

English fluency adds 15 to 30 percent for any client-facing role. Tool certifications add less than agencies claim. A Google Ads certificate is a weekend of multiple-choice questions; a screenshot of real campaign results is worth more.

The costs that don't show up on the invoice

Recruitment time is the big one. Screening 80 applications, interviewing 10 people, and testing 3 takes 20 to 30 hours of someone's time. A bad hire costs two to three months of salary once you count the re-hire.

Budget for 13th month pay. It's standard practice in the Philippines: one extra month of salary, usually paid in December. Candidates expect it, and offering it puts you ahead of most foreign employers in the pile.

Hourly or monthly?

Pay monthly for roles you want held long-term. Hourly works for project work and trial periods, but switching a good performer to a monthly salary after 90 days cuts turnover sharply. People stay where the income is predictable.

One last number: the cheapest 10 percent of applicants generate the majority of failed placements we see. Below-market offers select for candidates no one else wanted. Pay the middle of the range and pick on evidence instead.