The skills of a Filipino virtual assistant (VA) are as important as their virtual assistant rates, as these rates reflect their experience, knowledge, and expertise in their niche. It’s common knowledge that a Philippine VA — or even those from Latin America and other parts of Asia — is cheaper than VAs from the West. However, problems can arise if businesses don’t know how much to pay a Filipino virtual assistant, or are unaware of how much the average virtual assistant services cost.
Whether you’re researching competitive salary ranges or preparing a budget for hiring a freelance virtual assistant, this guide contains everything you need to know about the costs of investing in Filipino virtual assistants.
3 Reasons to Hire A Filipino Virtual Assistant
From the United States to the Philippines, the world is abundant with talented virtual assistants, with as many as 40 million individuals working in this profession. As the digital world evolves and more businesses outsource work to the Philippines and other countries, competition can be tough. That’s why virtual assistants continuously upskill, so they can provide specialized services and stand out in their target client’s industry.
In addition to skill, clients also factor in work ethic, cultural and timezone compatibility, and English proficiency. Fortunately, a Filipino virtual assistant ticks all these boxes.
1. Strong Work Ethic
You’ve probably heard of the hardworking nature of the Filipino people, especially overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). When hiring a Filipino VA, you can expect them to put in the work to provide an exemplary virtual assistant service. This equates to stellar outputs that produce real results and the best value for your money. If there are urgent tasks and tight deadlines, Filipinos are willing to work overtime just to complete them on the dot.
Filipino professionals also demonstrate high respect for authority, addressing their superiors as “sir” or “ma’am” instead of their first names. When working with talented virtual assistants from the Philippines, inform your team that your workplace is on a first-name basis. Overall, Filipino talent is a top choice if you seek the right balance of skills, work ethic, and value.
2. Superb English Skills
English is a global language, and it is also the official language of the Philippines along with Filipino. Interestingly, in some Filipino households, parents teach their children English — giving them a linguistic advantage in school where the language of instruction is mostly English. Media is another contributing factor, so it’s not surprising that kids can learn and mimic the pronunciation of many English words.
Because of such factors, Filipinos have a masterful grasp of the language. If you’re hiring Filipino virtual assistants for your customer support team, they’re a great choice as they can speak in a neutral accent, ensuring smooth communication between agent and customer. Even if you’re working with a general virtual assistant, there will be no gaps in communication due to language barriers.
3. Compatible With Western Culture and Timezones
There’s also no denying the effects of colonization on the present-day Philippines, making it a melting pot of Western and Asian cultures. This means a business owner outsourcing to the Philippines will encounter fewer cultural clashes with their Filipino VA.
Moreover, with 1.3 million skilled professionals working in the Philippine business process outsourcing (BPO) industry, working mid-shifts and graveyard shifts is not a foreign concept for them. If you partner with the best BPO in the Philippines and onboard multiple virtual assistants into your team, they won’t have problems adjusting their schedule to your local time zone. This then leads to better communication and collaboration between you and your remote staff.
Payment Methods for Paying Filipino Virtual Assistants
As you grow your virtual assistant team, a strong payment method helps simplify transactions. There are various payment methods, and finding the right one boils down to not just security and cost of transaction fees, but also your team’s preferences and needs.
1. Online Payment Platforms
With services crossing borders, online payment platforms are the go-to payment methods for service providers, especially freelancers. When choosing a payment platform, go for platforms available in the Philippines, such as Payoneer, PayPal, and Skrill.
Online payment gateways also have transaction fees. If you have a large team of Filipino virtual assistants, choose one with lower transaction costs. Most importantly, opt for platforms that employ strong fraud and malware protection.
2. Freelance Platforms
Upwork is one example of a freelance platform with an integrated payment system. Although payment processing can take time, built-in payment systems offer unmatched security for clients and virtual assistants, giving them much-needed peace of mind. Not to mention, these systems are also designed to make payment disputes easier for a Philippine VA.
3. Bank Transfers
Another common payment method among freelancers and employees, bank transfer lets you transfer money from your account to your Filipino virtual assistant’s bank. This means requesting their bank details before sending payments.
Despite that, bank transfers promise convenience for virtual assistants, as they can easily access their funds using a banking app. However, this payment method brings some caveats, namely long processing times and high transaction fees.
How Much Should You Pay a Filipino Virtual Assistant?
You’ve done your research on what a virtual assistant is and what they do. You even brushed up your knowledge of Philippine culture and performed a needs assessment.
As you prepare your job posting, one question remains unanswered: How much is a virtual assistant in the Philippines? This is a tricky question as factors to consider when calculating the cost of Filipino VA.
Work Arrangement
Based on your needs assessment, will your Filipino virtual assistant work full-time or part-time? A full-time work arrangement follows the standard hours of 8 hours a day (40 hours) from Monday to Friday. Alternatively, a part-time arrangement means your Filipino VA will work fewer hours, say around 20 hours, and take on fewer tasks. This also gives your virtual assistant more freedom in terms of when they can take on work.
However, consider paying your Filipino virtual assistant per project if you only need temporary virtual assistance. For this work arrangement, you can make a downpayment or pay in full once the VA completes the task.
Skills and Experience Level
Like any job position, skills and experience are important when paying a virtual assistant in the Philippines. Whether you’re hiring an entry-level Filipino VA or a highly experienced one, here’s what you need to know about the tasks and estimated monthly rates for virtual assistants of varying experience levels.
- Specialized Virtual Assistants: The more experienced and specialized a Filipino VA, the higher their virtual assistant cost. Take, for example, a digital marketing virtual assistant or a virtual assistant with experience in project management or accounting. Digital marketing, project management, and accounting are specialized skills.
If a Filipino virtual assistant has the experience to back these skills up, expect a higher rate. Generally speaking, a specialized VA costs around $1,000 to more than $1,600 a month.
- Mid-Level Virtual Assistants: There are also mid-level Filipino virtual assistants. They have the skills, experience, and industry knowledge under their belt, albeit more affordable than their specialized counterparts.
Hiring a mid-level virtual assistant comes with the expectation of deeper industry insights and faster task completion. The cost of a mid-level Philippine virtual assistant is approximately $600 to $800 per month, with some going as high as $1,000 each month.
- Beginner Virtual Assistants: At the end of the spectrum are entry-level Filipino virtual assistants. An entry-level virtual assistant is a newbie in the virtual assistant industry. Unlike specialized and mid-level Filipino virtual assistants, they’re more suited to simpler tasks, such as data entry, basic bookkeeping, email management, and file organization.
Due to the nature of the tasks and lack of experience, newbie virtual assistants are the most affordable out of all experience levels. Rates for entry-level Filipino virtual assistants sit at around $600, with salaries going as low as $300 to $400.
Because the above rates are just estimates, rates can differ between virtual assistants. You can check individual rates of virtual assistants on a freelance platform or virtual assistant company to give you a clearer idea of how to create a competitive salary structure.
Cost of Living
According to Livingcost, the average cost of living for a single person in the Philippines is $615, versus $2,454 in the United States. For families, these figures skyrocket to $1,589 in the Philippines and $5,738 in the United States. Because of the Philippines’ lower cost of living, foreign countries see it as a more affordable option for hiring virtual assistants.
In the United States, Zip Recruiter reports that the average monthly rate of an entry-level virtual assistant is $4,229. Compare this to the Philippine monthly rate of $300 for virtual assistants with the same experience level. Cost-wise, there’s no doubt that Filipino virtual assistants trump US virtual assistants. Before deciding on virtual assistant rates, always take into consideration the cost of living in the Philippines.
13th-Month Pay
Presidential Decree No. 851 enshrines that the 13th-month pay must be given to rank-and-file employees by employers every year. This bonus augments the financial stability of Filipinos during the holidays, improving their welfare. To calculate your virtual assistant’s 13th-month pay, simply calculate the total of the base salary based on the number of months rendered and divide the total by 12.
Let’s say your virtual assistant’s rate is $400 (₱23,000), and let’s also say they worked for you for 12 months. The total will be $4,800 (400 x 12). Divide $4,800 by 12 and your Filipino virtual assistant will receive $400 as their 13th-month pay. If they’ve only been with you for six months, their total base salary will be $2,400 (400 x 6). When divided by 12, your virtual assistant’s 13-month pay will only be $200.
Foreign clients outside the Philippines are not obligated to provide 13th-month pay, but your Filipino virtual assistants would appreciate it if they received one from you. Think of it as your token of appreciation for their hard work and dedication.
Incentives
A job well done deserves a sweet performance-based incentive. For virtual assistants, incentives drive them to keep improving and provide you with the highest quality service possible.
It can even lead to a fruitful, long-term working relationship. Will your Philippine VA receive incentives after a performance review? Are the incentives only for achieving key business milestones (ex: boosted sales by 5%)? Regardless, incentives also add to the cost of hiring a Filipino VA.
2 Tips for Paying Filipino Virtual Assistants
Time is gold, and time is money. Much as you’re investing in your team of skilled virtual assistants, they’re also investing their time in you. Below are two tips to ensure payment processes go smoothly on your virtual assistant’s end.
1. Prepare A Clear Payment Agreement Contract
Contracts are the foundation of a working partnership between the client and the service provider. Furthermore, a payment contract holds the same importance as a job agreement contract.
In addition to underscoring the duties and expectations of both parties, a payment contract not only opens room for negotiations, but also fosters mutual trust between you and your Filipino virtual assistant. This document can also serve as a point of reference in case of financial disputes. When writing a payment contract, include the following clauses:
- Rates
- Schedule of payment
- Method of payment
- Incentives and bonuses
- Changes in foreign exchange rates
2. Avoid Paying Low Rates
Quality isn’t cheap. Worse, low rates for virtual assistant services can ward off talented virtual assistants and result in low-quality outputs — and the latter is every client’s nightmare! Before hiring the right virtual assistant, provide competitive rates.
A competitive salary potentially attracts a Filipino VA with the skill level you’re looking for. Plus, on the virtual assistant’s side, it makes them feel valued as a human being and service provider. Remember, if you want premium Filipino virtual assistants, set premium rates.
Outsource Virtual Assistance to KDCI
No matter their industry or experience level, virtual assistants are worth the investment — especially if they’re the cream of the crop. For clients looking to outsource to the Philippines, virtual assistant costs differ among service providers. In this case, it’s not a matter of who can provide the cheapest virtual assistant services, but who can provide top-quality services and the best value for your money.
Looking for a virtual assistant agency or BPO? Choose KDCI. KDCI promises reduced operational costs while maintaining quality, with Filipino virtual assistants excelling in administrative assistance, customer support, SEO, research, and many more.
If you want to get started, don’t hesitate to contact us. We look forward to meeting and working with you!
