A Guide to Virtual Assistant Salaries

Once you are sold on the idea of hiring a virtual assistant for your business, some common questions that may spring to mind are – "Can I afford one?" and "Where can I locate a high quality, professional virtual assistant at the lowest rates?"

The internet has opened up the possibility of hiring remote employees from anywhere in the world. At the same time, it allows you to compare and review professional services from various countries. So when you’re looking to compare virtual assistant salaries, it only makes sense to look online.

Here’s a comprehensive guide with a country-wise hourly rate comparison of different virtual assistant profiles.

Asia

India

India was probably the first developing country to style itself as a quality yet an affordable destination for outsourcing services. From humble beginnings in the mid-1990s, India's outsourcing sector today has diversified beyond just offering IT and customer care services. In fact, India's outsourcing sector has been a net positive exporter since day one and has brought in foreign exchange into the country. Today, India remains the world's leading destination for outsourcing all sorts of services, including virtual assistance. The near-native English proficiency and sheer variety of skilled professionals have given the country an unmatched advantage.

Here is a comprehensive list of virtual assistant salaries in India per hour:

• Administration - $10-35
• Blog management - $2-60
• Bookkeeping - $5-15
• Content writing - $5-40
• Copywriting - $7-35.
• Customer service - $10-45
• Data entry - $8-20
• E-commerce - $20-70
• Email management - $15-20
• Event management - $10-60
• Executive assistance - $20-30
• Graphic designing - $5-25
• Human resources - $7-30
• Internet marketing - $20-35
• Inventory management - $30-45
• Lead generation - $30-40
• LinkedIn marketing - $10-15
• Marketing - $5-35
• Personal assistance - $2-20
• Real estate - $8-20
• Research - $30-40
• SEO - $5-20
• Social media management - $5-15
• Telemarketing - $5-10
• Web development - $15-30
• Web maintenance - $10-15

Philippines

The second most preferred outsourcing destination in the world is a country at the crossroads of South East Asian trade routes. Centuries of foreign invasions and occupations have enabled Philippine workers to become proficient in French, Spanish and English, among other languages. Combined with affordability, the Philippines has emerged as a single-stop destination for nearly every manner of outsourcing services, including virtual assistance.

Here is a comprehensive list of virtual assistant salaries in the Philippines per hour:

• Administration - $5-10
• Blog management – $5-20
• Bookkeeping - $5-15
• Content writing - $2-15
• Copywriting - $3-10
• Customer service - $5-10
• Data entry - $3-15
• E-commerce - $10-20
• Email management - $5-10
• Event management - $8-18
• Executive assistance - $10-15
• Graphic designing - $5-15
• Human resources - $12-20
• Internet marketing - $14-26
• Inventory management - $10-15
• Lead generation - $2-10
• LinkedIn marketing - $5-25
• Marketing - $3-14
• Personal assistance - $4-20
• Real estate - $8-17
• Research - $5-30
• SEO - $2-10
• Social media management - $5-25
• Telemarketing - $2-10
• Web development - $8-25
• Web maintenance -$5-15

China

There is practically no product or service (both in production and sale scenarios) that China has not attempted to conquer since it began its record growth trajectory in the 1980s. In the outsourcing and virtual assistance sectors, China was hampered by poor foreign language proficiency of its workforce, particularly in English. Therefore, the Chinese government has taken steps to inculcate English proficiency from the school level itself. Although it is still far behind India and the Philippines, it has managed to take the first steps in developing a virtual assistance sector.

Here is a comprehensive list of virtual assistant salaries in China per hour:

• Administration - $8-20
• Blog management - $5-25
• Bookkeeping - $15-20
• Content writing - $7-30
• Copywriting - $10-15
• Customer service - $5-20
• Data entry - $5-15
• E-commerce - $30-40
• Email management - $5-10
• Event management - $20-30
• Executive assistance - $10-45
• Graphic designing - $5-10
• Human resources - $4-20
• Internet marketing - $5-30
• Inventory management - $8-25
• Lead generation - $7-35
• LinkedIn marketing - $5-40
• Marketing - $7-35
• Personal assistance - $15-20
• Real estate - $30-40
• Research - $30-45
• SEO - $10-15
• Social media management - $2-20
• Telemarketing - $5-15
• Web development - $7-35
• Web maintenance - $8-20

Malaysia

Malaysia is a developing economy which has record numbers of young people entering the workforce every year. The government initially struggled to create enough jobs to match this growth rate and found itself falling behind. As a solution, the economy introduced and developed a dynamic outsourcing industry, including virtual assistance services. The new entrants frequently use this sector as a launch pad for higher paying jobs, or even entrepreneurship.

Here is a comprehensive list of virtual assistant salaries in Malaysia per hour:

• Administration - $5-15
• Blog management - $7-35
• Bookkeeping - $15-20
• Content writing - $20-30
• Copywriting - $7-30
• Customer service - $8-20
• Data entry - $5-25
• E-commerce - $20-35
• Email management - $5-35
• Event management - $10-15
• Executive assistance - $30-40
• Graphic designing - $5-15
• Human resources - $3-10
• Internet marketing - $14-26
• Inventory management - $15-20
• Lead generation - $5-10
• LinkedIn marketing - $5-15
• Marketing - $5-20
• Personal assistance - $2-20
• Real estate - $5-10
• Research - $10-15
• SEO - $3-15
• Social media management - $10-15
• Telemarketing - $8-20
• Web development - $5-15
• Web maintenance - $8-18

Singapore

Once a sleepy, decrepit backwater, Singapore has emerged as an economic rock star of sorts. The Singapore Story is the legend of an economic miracle, of making the best of what a country has. In this case, it was the service sector. Soon enough, a robust GDP emerged with a well-diversified services sector as its backbone. Not surprisingly then, Singapore has continued that positive trend by offering competitive virtual assistant services.

Here is a comprehensive list of virtual assistant salaries in Singapore per hour:

• Administration - $5-20
• Blog management - $2-20
• Bookkeeping - $5-10
• Content writing - $3-15
• Copywriting - $2-10
• Customer service - $14-26
• Data entry - $10-15
• E-commerce - $3-14
• Email management - $5-30
• Event management - $8-25
• Executive assistance - $20-70
• Graphic designing - $7-30
• Human resources - $10-15
• Internet marketing - $2-20
• Inventory management - $5-15
• Lead generation - $5-35
• LinkedIn marketing - $10-15
• Marketing - $15-30
• Personal assistance - $2-15
• Real estate - $12-20
• Research - $14-26
• SEO - $8-25
• Social media management - $2-10
• Telemarketing - $3-14
• Web development - $5-25
• Web maintenance - $8-25

North America

Canada

Canada is one of the most competitive destinations for hiring virtual assistants. The country has moved forward from simply playing its bi-lingual English and French proficiency as a trump card. In the past several decades, Canada has profited enormously from successive waves of immigration. This multi-lingual, multi-ethnic, uber-youthful workforce is driving Canada’s economy to new heights, and the sector of virtual assistance is no different. Today, Canada offers stiff competition to the countries of origin of most of its workforce, such as India, China, South Korea and Mexico.

Here is a comprehensive list of virtual assistant salaries in Canada per hour:

• Administration - $12-20
• Blog management - $10-15
• Bookkeeping - $4-20
• Content writing - $5-30
• Copywriting - $5-25
• Customer service - $2-10
• Data entry - $2-10
• E-commerce - $12-20
• Email management - $8-18
• Event management - $14-26
• Executive assistance - $20-70
• Graphic designing - $30-40
• Human resources - $10-15
• Internet marketing - $5-35
• Inventory management - $8-20
• Lead generation - $10-60
• LinkedIn marketing - $7-30
• Marketing - $2-20
• Personal assistance - $8-20
• Real estate - $15-30
• Research - $30-40
• SEO - $20-30
• Social media management - $5-25
• Telemarketing - $2-20
• Web development - $5-20
• Web maintenance - $5-10

United States

The United States has held on to the coveted position of the world's largest economy, despite stiff and often unscrupulous competition from China. This is a result of consistent investment in an education system that promotes originality, creativity, critical thinking skills, research and innovation. The United States spearheaded both the spread of the internet and harnessing it for economic activities. This brings us to virtual assistance services. Due to various economic upheavals in the past two decades, several thousand workers were laid off. Also, first-time workers immigrating to the country were unable to find full-time jobs which their parents and grandparents were accustomed to. This, combined with massive internet penetration, led to a mushrooming part-time industry where people could work from home and manage several commitments at once.

Here is a comprehensive list of virtual assistant salaries in the USA per hour:

• Administration - $5-20
• Blog management - $15-30
• Bookkeeping - $10-15
• Content writing - $2-20
• Copywriting - $10-50
• Customer service - $5-25
• Data entry - $20-30
• E-commerce - $15-20
• Email management - $10-15
• Event management - $2-15
• Executive assistance - $30-40
• Graphic designing - $7-30
• Human resources - $5-35
• Internet marketing - $5-25
• Inventory management - $2-20
• Lead generation - $5-25
• LinkedIn marketing - $5-10
• Marketing - $2-15
• Personal assistance - $2-20
• Real estate - $30-40
• Research - $20-30
• SEO - $10-15
• Social media management - $3-15
• Telemarketing - $8-18
• Web development - $3-10
• Web maintenance - $5-15

Latin America

Brazil

Brazil boasts the second largest economy in the Americas, second only to the United States. It is considered a major developing economy of the world and has shown positive trends in innovation, financial stability and overall sustainability. This has allowed it to harness the economic potential of the internet, which includes virtual assistant services. The official language in Brazil is Portuguese. This has significantly hampered the country’s efforts to attract clients interested in outsourcing from the English speaking world. However, Brazil has made up for this handicap by focusing more on technical VA services.

Here is a comprehensive list of virtual assistant salaries in Brazil per hour:

• Administration - $5-10
• Blog management - $2-15
• Bookkeeping - $3-15
• Content writing - $5-20
• Copywriting - $10-20
• Customer service - $2-10
• Data entry - $3-15
• E-commerce - $15-30
• Email management - $8-18
• Event management - $10-15
• Executive assistance - $4-20
• Graphic designing - $8-25
• Human resources - $10-15
• Internet marketing - $5-10
• Inventory management - $5-20
• Lead generation - $3-14
• LinkedIn marketing - $7-30
• Marketing - $10-50
• Personal assistance - $8-20
• Real estate - $10-50
• Research - $20-35
• SEO - $2-20
• Social media management - $8-20
• Telemarketing - $5-10
• Web development - $10-50
• Web maintenance - $5-25

Here are some other up and coming countries in this region you can also consider for virtual assistant services:

Argentina

Argentina is one of the largest and fastest growing economies in the developing world. In fact, investor confidence in the economy is at an all-time high, due to its diversified services sector, which contributes more than 60 per cent of the GDP. The high levels of internet penetration have given rise to a thriving e-commerce sector, including virtual assistance. Argentinean virtual assistants are known for being hardworking, flexible and affordable.

Colombia

Colombia is one of the most stable economies in Latin America today. Starting off as a country reliant on the export of commodities and natural resources, the Colombian economy has diversified to a great extent. More than half of its GDP comprises of the services sector, in particular, financial services. The increasing emphasis on innovation has driven up other new age sectors, such as that of virtual assistance.

Ecuador

Ecuador is one of the fastest growing economies in Latin America. A relatively stable developing economy, Ecuador enjoys high levels of investor confidence. This is down to two factors – official adoption of the US dollar as fiat money and social spending on education and health initiatives, which guarantee future benefits. This investment has given rise to a dynamic and competitive workforce. Virtual assistant services in Ecuador are no exception.

Europe

United Kingdom

Being the birthplace of the English language has enormously benefited the United Kingdom; most of the world understands basic English. The United Kingdom lost no time in capitalizing on this reality. This homegrown advantage has allowed it to grasp emerging opportunities and to corner sunrise sectors of the world economy in record time. Virtual assistant services are one of these sectors.

Here is a comprehensive list of virtual assistant salaries in the UK per hour:

• Administration - $5-15
• Blog management - $7-35
• Bookkeeping - $15-20
• Content writing - $20-30
• Copywriting - $7-30
• Customer service - $8-20
• Data entry - $5-25
• E-commerce - $20-35
• Email management - $5-35
• Event management - $10-15
• Executive assistance - $30-40
• Graphic designing - $5-15
• Human resources - $3-10
• Internet marketing - $14-26
• Inventory management - $30-40
• Lead generation - $5-10
• LinkedIn marketing - $5-15
• Marketing - $5-20
• Personal assistance - $2-20
• Real estate - $5-10
• Research - $10-15
• SEO - $3-15
• Social media management - $10-15
• Telemarketing - $8-20
• Web development - $5-15
• Web maintenance - $8-18

France

Fortune 500 Global lists France as the 5th most powerful economy in the world today. This stature has been achieved by large and consistent investments in the education and research and development sectors. The result is that today French workers are one of the most productive and skilled in the world. A higher-than-average emphasis on innovation has also built a thriving e-commerce sector, including virtual assistant services.

Here is a comprehensive list of virtual assistant salaries in France per hour:

• Administration - $12-20
• Blog management - $10-15
• Bookkeeping - $4-20
• Content writing - $5-30
• Copywriting - $5-25
• Customer service - $2-10
• Data entry - $2-10
• E-commerce - $12-20
• Email management - $8-18
• Event management - $14-26
• Executive assistance - $20-70
• Graphic designing - $30-40
• Human resources - $10-15
• Internet marketing - $5-35
• Inventory management - $8-20
• Lead generation - $10-60
• LinkedIn marketing - $7-30
• Marketing - $2-20
• Personal assistance - $8-20
• Real estate - $15-30
• Research - $30-40
• SEO - $20-30
• Social media management - $5-25
• Telemarketing - $2-20
• Web development - $5-20
• Web maintenance - $5-10

Here are some other up and coming countries in this region you can also consider for virtual assistant services:

Spain

Spain's economy today is nothing short of a miracle. Emerging from the ashes of the 2008 global financial crisis, the Spanish government implemented several shrewd measures for recovery. In a couple of years, Spain recovered nearly 85% of its GDP value lost during the downturn. Combined with expanding tourism, sky-high increases in labor productivity and increased exports have restored faith in the Spanish way of doing business. Today, virtual assistants from Spain are fluent in several languages, and this has dramatically increased the demand for them worldwide.

Ireland

The Emerald Isle, as Ireland is fondly called, is accustomed to extremes of economic downturns and recoveries, in a seemingly never-ending cycle. In fact, apart from the liquor and spirits manufacturing industries, all other sectors of Ireland's economy experience frequent ups and downs. This has brought about a young and restless workforce, eager to take matters in their own hands. This will be most obvious once you hire a virtual assistant from Ireland. In fact, their bullheadedness is one of the most unique qualities they offer.

Germany

Europe’s largest economy, Germany today boasts an incredibly skilled workforce, hoards of accumulated capital, high levels of professional integrity and ethics, and unimaginably low corruption. The result is that Germany has the highest labour productivity rates across Euro Zone countries. This has led to massive competitiveness in all the major sectors of the economy, including the services sector. Hiring a German virtual assistant is a sound investment for this very reason.

Norway

In the year 2009, Foreign Policy Magazine ranked Norway as the most stable and properly functioning economy in the world. It also has the 6th largest GDP per capita worldwide. This remarkable feat has been achieved by a state-driven mixed economy. Also, Norway has benefited enormously from a conscious effort to keep income inequality low. This has resulted in the rise of one of the most prosperous welfare states in the world.

Norway’s egalitarianism has resulted in the creation of a skilled, professional and educated workforce that is motivated by innovation. No matter what sector you work in, you are likely to locate a top-of-the-range virtual assistant here.

Sweden

Sweden is one of the richest countries in the world today. This prosperity is a result of its mixed economy, and a balance between manufacturing and services sector; Sweden excels in the production of several in-demand and irreplaceable products – pharmaceuticals, iron ore and arms. The inevitable diversification of its economy has led to the rise of a lesser-known but no less competitive virtual assistant services sector.

Switzerland

This Alpine nation punches well above its weight in the world economy. It has come on top in several global rankings as the wealthiest countries in the world in per capita income. It is prosperous beyond compare and enjoys a stable economy. "Swiss-made" has become a byword for top-notch, consistent quality whether for watches, financial services or pharmaceuticals. Switzerland is also one of the most business-friendly countries in the world.

The high levels of innovation offered by the Swiss economy have extended to virtual assistant services as well. If you are looking for a virtual assistant for a highly specialized profile, this is the country for you. You can be sure that the hiked rates compared to other countries are well worth it.

Africa

South Africa

The South African economy is the second largest in Africa. Although classified as a developing nation, South Africa’s economy has a startling and distinctive feature – most of its economic activities are in the formal sector. This necessarily implies that virtual assistant services from this African country are super affordable, but also offer genuine credibility and quality.

Here is a comprehensive list of virtual assistant salaries in South Africa per hour:

• Administration - $8-20
• Blog management - $5-25
• Bookkeeping - $15-20
• Content writing - $7-30
• Copywriting - $10-15
• Customer service - $5-20
• Data entry - $5-15
• E-commerce - $30-40
• Email management - $5-10
• Event management - $20-30
• Executive assistance - $10-45
• Graphic designing - $5-10
• Human resources - $4-20
• Internet marketing - $5-30
• Inventory management - $8-25
• Lead generation - $7-35
• LinkedIn marketing - $5-40
• Marketing - $7-35
• Personal assistance - $15-20
• Real estate - $30-40
• Research - $30-45
• SEO - $10-15
• Social media management - $2-20
• Telemarketing - $5-15
• Web development - $7-35
• Web maintenance - $8-20

Asia-Pacific

Australia

Another country which has benefited from immigration, Australia is a preferred destination for skilled and educated professionals. Initially, Australia capitalized on the English proficiency its native workforce could offer. Today, Australia's services sector has diversified considerably from this early advantage. Combined with the credibility of Australian professional standards, work ethic and drive has allowed Australia to reinvent itself as one of the most affordable destinations in the world to hire virtual assistants from.

Here is a comprehensive list of virtual assistant salaries in Australia per hour:

• Administration - $5-10
• Blog management – $5-20
• Bookkeeping - $5-15
• Content writing - $2-15
• Copywriting - $3-10
• Customer service - $5-10
• Data entry - $3-15
• E-commerce - $10-20
• Email management - $5-10
• Event management - $8-18
• Executive assistance - $10-15
• Graphic designing - $5-15
• Human resources - $12-20
• Internet marketing - $14-26
• Inventory management - $10-15
• Lead generation - $2-10
• LinkedIn marketing - $5-25
• Marketing - $3-14
• Personal assistance - $4-20
• Real estate - $8-17
• Research - $5-30
• SEO - $2-10
• Social media management - $5-25
• Telemarketing - $2-10
• Web development - $8-25
• Web maintenance -$5-15

New Zealand

The Human Development Index 2018 ranked New Zealand as the 16th most advanced market economy in the world. This is no mean feat considering the magnitude of challenges which New Zealand experienced in the past several decades – a sudden and considerable shrinking of its commodities sector that lead to a severe economic depression, massive unemployment, a recession which has lasted for nearly three decades, and of course the global financial crisis, from which New Zealand has only partially recovered till date. In addition, New Zealand has consistently experienced the highest "brain drain" among all the developed nations, with skilled labor fleeing to the United Kingdom and Australia in particular.

Happily, the situation is looking up. The New Zealand government measures which sought to invite educated and skilled labor from less developed European and Asian countries have really paid off. Today, the services sector is the largest contributor to the GDP. The massive levels of innovation have also encouraged and supported the development of a thriving virtual assistance sector here.

Here is a comprehensive list of virtual assistant salaries in New Zealand per hour:

• Administration - $10-35
• Blog management - $2-60
• Bookkeeping - $5-15
• Content writing - $5-40
• Copywriting - $7-35
• Customer service - $10-45
• Data entry - $8-20
• E-commerce - $20-70
• Email management - $15-20
• Event management - $10-60
• Executive assistance - $20-30
• Graphic designing - $5-25
• Human resources - $7-30
• Internet marketing - $20-35
• Inventory management - $30-45
• Lead generation - $30-40
• LinkedIn marketing - $10-15
• Marketing - $5-35
• Personal assistance - $2-20
• Real estate - $8-20
• Research - $30-40
• SEO - $5-20
• Social media management - $5-15
• Telemarketing - $5-10
• Web development - $15-30
• Web maintenance - $10-15

Choose Wishup, a reliable platform to source the ideal virtual assistant for your business. All virtual assistants listed on Wishup are carefully sorted on the basis of their skills, experience and previous employer ratings. The cherry on the cake – all virtual assistants are trained in diverse skills. So hire a VA for your business today and never look back!