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2026 Report

Virtual Assistant Costs in the Philippines: 2026 Report

What a Filipino VA costs in 2026: Agency prices, hourly rates by role, what the VA earns, and the local costs inside every agency price.

Updated: October 2026By: Jared DiamondData: 5 agency price pages, PH wage rules, BLS

The Philippines is one of the biggest virtual assistant markets. Its outsourcing industry employs about 1.9 million people and earned over $40 billion in 2025. This report covers what a Filipino VA costs in 2026: Agency prices, hourly rates by role, what the VA actually earns, and the local costs that sit inside every agency price.

Quick answer: A full-time Filipino virtual assistant costs $1,500 to $2,000 a month through most agencies in 2026, and $2,000 to $3,500 for executive or senior roles. Market rates run an estimated $4 to $7 an hour for general admin work and $10 to $18 for executive assistants. A US admin assistant costs about $5,767 a month with benefits.

Basis: Published prices from 5 Philippine-focused VA agencies, country rate guides, Philippine wage and payroll rules for 2026, and US pay data from the BLS, checked October 2026.
Range chart of monthly agency prices for a full-time Philippine virtual assistant in 2026
$1,500–$2,000 a monthWhat most agencies charge for a full-time Filipino VA in 2026. That is about 26% to 35% of a US admin assistant on payroll.

Table 1: What agencies charge

Published monthly prices for one full-time VA, from each agency’s own page, October 2026.
Agency Full-time price Terms
Virtudesk $1,528–$1,976 $9.55–$12.35 an hour by role; $450 setup; 3-month minimum
Cyberbacker $1,500–$3,500 20+ hours a week; rate set by role; includes payroll, benefits and training
Stealth Agents $1,600–$3,000 General VA to operations manager; 3-month commitment (page also says no contracts)
MyOutDesk $1,988–$2,500 Managed VA; specialized roles at the top
Hire Overseas $2,000–$4,000 All in; month to month; no setup fee

We found three things in this table:

  • The general VA price clusters at $1,500 to $2,000 a month. Above that, buyers are paying for a senior or specialized role, not a better agency.
  • Setup fees and minimum terms vary more than prices. One agency charges $450 to start and holds you 3 months; another charges nothing and runs month to month.
  • Two agencies, Remote Staff and 20four7VA, publish no prices at all. Ask for the monthly all-in rate in writing before any call.

Table 2: Hourly rates by role

Hourly rates in USD, 2026. Market rates are staffing-industry estimates; agency rates are published.
Role Market rate (estimate) Agency rate
General admin $4–$7 $9.55–$10
Customer service or sales support $7–$14 $10.60
Executive assistant $10–$18 $12.35–$15
Operations or project manager Not tracked $18.75

We found three things in this table:

  • For general admin, an agency costs about 1.8 times the market rate. For customer service and executive roles, the ranges overlap. The agency premium pays for recruiting, payroll, backup and replacing a VA who leaves.
  • Executive assistants cost about 2.5 times a general admin VA at market rates, and about 1.3 to 1.5 times at agencies.
  • Hiring directly at market rates hides the hiring work. You do the screening, the payroll, and the search again if the VA quits.

Table 3: Where the agency price goes

Agencies that employ Filipino VAs pay local wages plus required employer costs. These are the 2026 rules and pay levels behind every agency price.

Philippine pay and required employer costs, 2026.
Item Figure What it means
Manila minimum wage PHP 755 a day, about $313 a month Wage Order NCR-28, in force since September 26, 2026
Typical full-time VA pay $600–$1,800 a month What the VA is paid, before employer costs
Social security (SSS) 10% of pay Employer share, capped at PHP 3,500 a month
Health insurance (PhilHealth) 2.5% of pay Employer share, capped at PHP 2,500 a month
Housing fund (Pag-IBIG) 2% of pay Capped at PHP 200 a month
13th month pay One extra month a year About 8.33% of yearly pay
All required employer costs About 20% on top of pay At typical VA pay levels

We found three things in this table:

  • A mid-level VA paid $1,000 a month costs an employer about $1,200 with required costs. An agency price of $1,500 to $2,000 covers that plus recruiting, office, tools and margin.
  • Published worked examples put the VA’s pay at about 35% to 45% of the client price. That is normal for managed staffing, not a sign of a bad agency.
  • Paying well above the minimum is the norm. A full-time VA at $1,200 a month earns about four times Manila’s minimum wage.

Why the Philippines leads

English is the main reason. The Philippines ranks 28th of 123 countries on the EF English Proficiency Index, in the “High” band, ahead of India, Brazil, Colombia and Mexico. Of the markets in our country reports, only Argentina ranks higher. The industry is also deep: About 1.9 million people work in Philippine outsourcing, so trained candidates are easy to find.

The trade is the clock. Manila is 13 hours ahead of New York in winter, so a VA who works your hours works a night shift. Most agencies plan for that. For the full country comparison, see our virtual assistant cost by country report.

Conclusions

  • Budget $1,500 to $2,000 a month for a general VA. Pay more only for a senior or specialized role.
  • Compare all-in prices, setup fees and minimum terms together. They differ more than the monthly rates do.
  • Plan for the time zone. Work that needs your hours means a night shift on their side.
Run a VA or outsourcing company? Upcision delivers exclusive screened leads and booked appointments with business owners ready to outsource, priced per result.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a virtual assistant from the Philippines cost?
A full-time Filipino VA costs $1,500-$2,000 a month through most agencies in 2026, and $2,000-$3,500 for executive or senior roles. Market rates run an estimated $4-$7 an hour for general admin and $10-$18 for executive assistants.
How much do Filipino virtual assistants earn?
A full-time Filipino VA typically earns $600-$1,800 a month. Manila’s minimum wage is PHP 755 a day, about $313 a month, under Wage Order NCR-28.
Why are Philippine virtual assistants so popular?
English and depth. The Philippines ranks 28th of 123 countries on the EF English Proficiency Index, and about 1.9 million people work in its outsourcing industry.
What employer costs apply in the Philippines?
Employers pay social security (10%), health insurance (2.5%), a housing fund (2%, capped at PHP 200) and a 13th month of pay. Together that adds about 20% on top of pay at typical VA levels.
Jared Diamond

Jared Diamond
Founder of Upcision, a pay-per-result B2B lead generation company that has worked with clients ranging from SMB to Fortune 500.


More from the research library: VA Cost by Country · Virtual Assistant Sales Objections · BPO CAC