2026 Report
Virtual Assistant Cost by Country: 2026 Report
Hourly VA rates in 16 countries, full-time managed prices by region, and how much of the fee the assistant actually earns.
A virtual assistant, or VA, is a remote worker who handles admin, scheduling, inbox, customer support or bookkeeping tasks. Where the VA lives sets most of the price. This report lines up 2026 VA rates for 16 countries, what managed agencies charge for a full-time VA by region, and how much of the price the VA actually earns.
Quick answer: A general admin VA costs $2 to $7 an hour in South Asia, the Philippines and Kenya, $6 to $12 in Latin America and South Africa, $7 to $16 in Eastern Europe, and $16 to $32 in the US, UK, Canada and Australia in 2026. Most Philippine agencies charge $1,500 to $2,000 a month for a full-time VA, and fully managed plans run $1,988 to $3,000, against about $5,767 a month for a US admin assistant on payroll.
Table 1: VA hourly rates by country
| Country | General admin VA | Executive VA | Hours vs New York |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bangladesh | $2–$4 | $6–$12 | +11 |
| India | $3–$6 | $8–$16 | +10.5 |
| Pakistan | $3–$5 | $7–$14 | +10 |
| Philippines | $4–$7 | $10–$18 | +13 |
| Kenya | $4–$7 | $8–$16 | +8 |
| Colombia | $6–$10 | $12–$22 | 0 |
| Argentina | $6–$10 | $12–$20 | +2 |
| South Africa | $6–$10 | $12–$22 | +7 |
| Mexico | $7–$12 | $14–$25 | −1 |
| Brazil | $7–$11 | $13–$22 | +2 |
| Ukraine | $7–$12 | $14–$28 | +7 |
| Poland | $10–$16 | $18–$35 | +6 |
| United Kingdom | $16–$28 | $30–$65 | +5 |
| Canada | $16–$28 | $30–$60 | +1.5 to −3 |
| Australia | $18–$32 | $35–$70 | +16 |
| United States | $18–$30 | $35–$75 | 0 to −3 |
We found three things in this table:
- The same general admin work costs about four to five times as much in the US as in the Philippines, $18 to $30 an hour against $4 to $7.
- Latin America costs about one and a half to two times the Philippines and shares the US workday. Colombia sits in the same hours as New York in winter.
- Executive VAs cost two to three times the admin rate in every country. Location moves the price more than skill, but skill still doubles it.
Table 2: Full-time managed VA cost by region
A managed VA comes through an agency that recruits, trains, pays and replaces the worker. These are published 2026 monthly prices for one full-time managed VA, next to a US employee doing the same job.
| Option | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Philippines, most agencies | $1,500–$2,000 | $18,000–$24,000 |
| Philippines, fully managed (MyOutDesk) | $1,988–$3,000 | $23,900–$36,000 |
| Latin America, most staffing firms | $2,000–$2,800 | $24,000–$33,600 |
| Latin America, fully managed (MyOutDesk) | $2,500–$4,000 | $30,000–$48,000 |
| Eastern Europe, managed | $3,000–$5,000 | $36,000–$60,000 |
| US, managed | $4,000–$8,000+ | $48,000–$96,000+ |
| UK or Australia, managed | $4,500–$7,500 | $54,000–$90,000 |
| US admin assistant on payroll | $5,767 | $69,200 |
We found three things in this table:
- A Philippine VA through most agencies costs about 26% to 35% of a US admin assistant on payroll, once benefits are counted on the US side.
- A managed US VA can cost more than a US employee. The agency covers recruiting, backup and turnover, and charges for it.
- Latin America is the middle option on price, at $2,000 to $2,800 a month through most staffing firms, with the strongest time zone fit for US teams.
Table 3: What the VA earns
The client price and the worker’s pay are different numbers. These published figures show the gap for one of the biggest VA markets, the Philippines.
| Measure | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Manila minimum wage, monthly | About $313 | Philippine NCR wage order, 2026 (PHP 755 a day) |
| Typical full-time Filipino VA pay | $600–$1,800 a month | HireTalent.ph, 2026 |
| Managed agency price to the client | $1,988–$3,000 a month | MyOutDesk, June 2026 |
| VA pay as a share of the client price | About 35%–45% | Outsource Accelerator and Second Talent worked examples |
We found three things in this table:
- Published worked examples put the VA’s pay at about 35% to 45% of what the client pays. The rest covers the agency’s recruiting, payroll, benefits, tools, management and margin.
- Hiring a freelancer directly cuts out the agency share, but the client takes on the recruiting, backup and replacement work.
- A full-time VA paid $1,200 a month earns about four times Manila’s minimum wage of about $313.
Published agency prices
| Agency | Published price | Terms |
|---|---|---|
| Magic | $10 an hour, full-time executive assistant | Part time $12 an hour |
| Stealth Agents | From $10 an hour, dedicated full-time VA | Offshore; country not stated |
| MyOutDesk | $1,988 a month, full-time managed VA | Philippines, Latin America and Africa |
| Wishup | $1,999 a month, full-time basic VA | Part time $1,299 for 80 hours |
| Athena | $3,000 a month, full-time executive assistant | After a 90-day commitment |
| Prialto | From $3,600 a month, full-time dedicated | $250 setup, 90-day minimum |
| Upwork (marketplace) | $10–$20 an hour, median VA rate | Plus platform fees |
| Fiverr (marketplace) | About $37 an hour, average VA rate | Plus platform fees |
Virtual assistant costs, country by country
Virtual assistant costs in the Philippines
General admin VAs cost $4 to $7 an hour and executive assistants $10 to $18. Most agencies charge $1,500 to $2,000 a month full time. Full detail is in our Philippines report.
Virtual assistant costs in India
General admin VAs cost $3 to $6 an hour and executive assistants $8 to $16. Firms with Indian staff charge $999 to $1,999 a month full time. Full detail is in our India report.
Virtual assistant costs in Latin America
Admin VAs cost $6 to $12 an hour across Colombia, Mexico, Argentina and Brazil, and staffing firms charge about $2,000 to $2,800 a month all in. Full detail is in our Latin America report.
Virtual assistant costs in Bangladesh
The lowest published rates of any market: $2 to $4 an hour for general admin and $6 to $12 for executive assistants. Bangladesh is 11 hours ahead of New York in winter, so US-hours work means a night shift.
Virtual assistant costs in Pakistan
General admin VAs cost $3 to $5 an hour and executive assistants $7 to $14. Pakistan is 10 hours ahead of New York in winter.
Virtual assistant costs in Kenya
General admin VAs cost $4 to $7 an hour, the same as the Philippines, and executive assistants $8 to $16. The legal minimum for a general clerk in Nairobi is about $215 a month. Kenya is 8 hours ahead of New York in winter.
Virtual assistant costs in South Africa
General admin VAs cost $6 to $10 an hour and executive assistants $12 to $22. One staffing firm puts a full-time remote hire at about $18,000 a year. South Africa is 7 hours ahead of New York in winter.
Virtual assistant costs in Ukraine
General admin VAs cost $7 to $12 an hour and executive assistants $14 to $28. Ukraine is 7 hours ahead of New York in winter, so only about one hour overlaps a New York workday.
Virtual assistant costs in Poland
General admin VAs cost $10 to $16 an hour and executive assistants $18 to $35, the highest rates outside the English-speaking markets. Poland is 6 hours ahead of New York in winter.
Virtual assistant costs in the United Kingdom
General admin VAs cost $16 to $28 an hour and executive assistants $30 to $65. Managed UK VAs run $4,500 to $7,500 a month. The UK minimum wage for adults is £12.71 an hour.
Virtual assistant costs in Canada
General admin VAs cost $16 to $28 an hour and executive assistants $30 to $60. The federal minimum wage is C$18.15 an hour. Most of Canada shares US working hours.
Virtual assistant costs in Australia
The highest rates outside the US: $18 to $32 an hour for general admin and $35 to $70 for executive assistants. The national minimum wage is A$26.44 an hour. Sydney is 16 hours ahead of New York in US winter.
Virtual assistant costs in the United States
General admin VAs cost $18 to $30 an hour and executive assistants $35 to $75. Managed US VAs run $4,000 to $8,000+ a month. A US admin assistant on payroll costs about $5,767 a month with benefits.
How to pick a country
Start with the hours. If the VA must answer calls or join meetings in your workday, Latin America is the fit. If the work can happen overnight, like inbox cleanup, data entry or bookkeeping prep, the Philippines and India cost the least.
Then match skill to the rate. A $5-an-hour VA and a $15-an-hour VA in the same country are doing different jobs. For bookkeeping work, see our bookkeeper cost by location report.
Conclusions
- Location sets the price; skill sets the band. The same country can run from $4 to $18 an hour by role.
- Count benefits on the US side. A US admin assistant costs about $69,200 a year fully loaded, not $47,540.
- Pay for time zone overlap only when the job needs it. Latin America costs more than Asia and earns it on live work.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a virtual assistant cost per hour?
- In 2026, a general admin VA costs $2-$7 an hour in South Asia and the Philippines, $6-$12 in Latin America and South Africa, $7-$16 in Eastern Europe, and $16-$32 in the US, UK, Canada and Australia. Executive VAs cost two to three times the admin rate.
- What is the lowest cost country to hire a virtual assistant?
- Bangladesh, India and Pakistan have the lowest published rates, starting at $2-$3 an hour for general admin work. The Philippines, one of the biggest VA markets, runs $4-$7 an hour for admin work.
- How much does a full-time virtual assistant cost per month?
- A full-time VA costs $1,500-$2,000 a month through most Philippine agencies ($1,988-$3,000 fully managed), $2,000-$2,800 from Latin American staffing firms ($2,500-$4,000 fully managed), and $4,000-$8,000+ from the US. A US admin assistant on payroll costs about $5,767 a month with benefits.
- How much of the fee does a virtual assistant get?
- Published worked examples put the VA’s pay at about 35%-45% of what the client pays a managed agency. The rest covers recruiting, payroll, benefits, tools, management and margin.
- Sources & methodology
- Country rates: VA Masters country rate guide, updated October 2026; checked against Stealth Agents and Kinetic Staff 2026 guides. These are staffing-industry estimates.
- Managed prices by region: MyOutDesk, June 2026. Agency prices from each agency’s own pricing page; marketplaces from Upwork and Fiverr.
- VA pay share: Outsource Accelerator and Second Talent, 2026. Filipino VA pay: HireTalent.ph. Manila minimum wage: Philippine National Capital Region 2026 wage order (PHP 755 a day), converted at September 2026 exchange rates.
- Minimum wages: Kenya Regulation of Wages Order 2026 via Grant Thornton Kenya; Acas (UK); Government of Canada; Fair Work Commission (Australia), 2026. South Africa full-time cost: Somewhere.
- US admin assistant: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, released May 15, 2026. Median $22.86 an hour, $47,540 a year. BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, June 2026, released September 9, 2026 (wages are 68.7% of total pay cost for office and admin workers).
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