Short answer
As of October 2026: a Philippines-based virtual assistant working for foreign clients asks a median of about $714 a month (Outsource Accelerator, August 2026); full-time managed-service plans for Philippine assistants typically cost $2,000–4,000 a month; the Philippine IT-BPM industry employed about 1.9 million people in 2025 (IBPAP); and the US median pay for secretaries and administrative assistants was $47,460 a year in 2024 (BLS). Many 'virtual assistant market' figures online describe AI voice-assistant software, not human assistants.
Key takeaways
- Every figure below has a named source and a date. We removed the unsourced numbers this page used to carry.
- Market-size figures for 'intelligent virtual assistants' are about software such as voice assistants and chatbots, not people. Don't use them to size the human assistant market.
- Philippine assistant pay varies widely by experience and by whether the employer is local or foreign.
- Hiring routes differ more in what's included than in headline price.
- AI use is now common among knowledge workers and freelancers, which changes what to ask an assistant in an interview.
These are the virtual assistant statistics we'd actually rely on in 2026, each with its source and date. We rebuilt this page in October 2026 and removed the unsourced figures it used to carry. Where we couldn't find a reliable number, we say so.
A Note on "Virtual Assistant Market" Statistics
Search for "virtual assistant market size" and most results are about intelligent virtual assistant software: voice assistants, chatbots and AI agents. Those reports measure software revenue, not people. There's no single reliable estimate of the market for human remote assistants, so we don't quote one. The figures below are about people: what they're paid, what hiring them costs, and the workforce they come from.
Pay and Cost Statistics
| Statistic | Figure | Source and date |
|---|---|---|
| Median asking rate, Filipino VAs applying to foreign clients | $714/month (middle 50%: $571–900) | Outsource Accelerator, 1,385 applications, Aug 2026 |
| Average executive assistant salary in the Philippines, mostly local employers | ₱26,517/month (range ₱14,396–48,841) | Indeed Philippines, Oct 2026 |
| Average virtual assistant salary in the Philippines, mostly local employers | ₱27,457/month (range ₱14,365–52,481) | Indeed Philippines, Oct 2026 |
| Managed-service plans that include the assistant's pay | Typically $2,000–4,000/month | Providers' published pricing, compiled on our 2026 cost page, checked Oct 22, 2026 |
| Employer of record fee for one Philippine employee | From $599–699/month, plus statutory costs | Deel, Remote and Oyster pricing, via our cost page, Oct 2026 |
| Job-board subscription to hire directly | $69–99/month | OnlineJobs.ph pricing, Oct 2026 |
| Recruiter placement fee | Typically 30–35% of first-year salary | Our cost page, Oct 2026 |
| US median pay, secretaries and administrative assistants | $47,460/year | US Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024 data |
| US dollar to Philippine peso | ₱63.37 per $1 | Wise mid-market rate, Oct 22, 2026 |
Pay ranges this wide reflect real differences in experience, and in whether the employer is a local company or a foreign client. A Team Overseas places more senior, mid-level assistants: full-time assistants are paid $1,200–2,000 a month directly by the client, by experience tier.
Workforce Statistics
1. The Philippine IT-BPM workforce reached about 1.9 million in 2025
The Philippine IT and business process management industry ended 2025 with about 1.9 million workers (up 4%) and more than $40 billion in export revenue (up 5%), according to industry association IBPAP, as reported by Inquirer.net in January 2026. Independent virtual assistants working directly for foreign clients are a separate group that this figure doesn't fully count.
2. The Philippines ranks "high" for English proficiency
The EF English Proficiency Index 2025 (November 2025, 123 countries) gives the Philippines a score of 569, in the "high proficiency" band and second in Asia. South Africa and Poland are in the "very high" band. Our country comparison covers the other common hiring regions.
3. About 3.5 million Americans work as secretaries and administrative assistants
The BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook counts about 3.5 million jobs in the group in 2024, including about 502,800 executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants, and projects little or no change in overall employment from 2024 to 2034.
Freelancing and Remote Work Statistics
4. 64 million Americans freelanced in 2023
Upwork's Freelance Forward 2023 study estimated that 64 million Americans, 38% of the US workforce, did freelance work in 2023, earning about $1.27 trillion.
5. Most remote-capable US employees work hybrid or fully remote
Gallup's ongoing tracking of remote-capable US employees shows about half working hybrid and about a quarter fully remote, with roughly one in five fully on-site, in 2025 and 2026.
AI and Assistant Work Statistics
6. Three in four knowledge workers already used AI at work in 2024
Microsoft and LinkedIn's 2024 Work Trend Index reported that 75% of knowledge workers were using generative AI at work. For assistant roles, that shifts the hiring question from "do they use AI?" to "what do they trust it with, and what do they check by hand?"
7. Freelancers adopted generative AI faster
In Upwork's 2023 study, 20% of freelancers used generative AI tools several times a week, compared with 9% of non-freelancers.
What These Numbers Mean if You're Hiring
- Price alone tells you little. The same "$2,000 a month" can mean an all-in managed service or a membership plus an experienced assistant's direct pay. Compare what's included: finding, vetting, payroll, replacement and support after hiring.
- Pay for the experience you need. Median asking rates describe the whole market, including entry-level applicants. If you want someone to own a lane of work, budget for an experienced assistant.
- Ask about AI in the interview. Our interview questions include how candidates use AI tools and what they check by hand.
For a full breakdown by hiring route, with sources, see our 2026 Philippines assistant cost page.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a virtual assistant from the Philippines cost in 2026?
It depends on experience and how you hire. Outsource Accelerator reported a median asking rate of $714 a month for Filipino VAs applying to foreign clients (August 2026). Managed services that include the assistant's pay typically charge $2,000–4,000 a month. Through A Team Overseas, a full-time assistant is paid $1,200–2,000 a month directly by the client, plus a $500/month membership.
How many virtual assistants are there in the Philippines?
There's no reliable official count of independent virtual assistants. The closest official figure is the IT and business process management (IT-BPM) industry, which employed about 1.9 million people in 2025, according to IBPAP. Virtual assistants working directly for foreign clients are a separate, smaller group that this figure doesn't fully capture.
How big is the virtual assistant market?
Most widely quoted 'virtual assistant market' figures come from research on intelligent virtual assistant software, such as voice assistants and chatbots. They don't measure the market for human remote assistants, which has no single reliable size estimate.
What do executive assistants earn in the US?
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a 2024 median of $47,460 a year for secretaries and administrative assistants overall, a group of about 3.5 million jobs. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants, about 502,800 of those jobs, typically earn more.
How many Americans freelance?
Upwork's Freelance Forward 2023 study estimated that 64 million Americans, or 38% of the US workforce, did freelance work in 2023.
About A Team Overseas
A membership that finds, places and supports Philippines-based executive, operations and marketing assistants who work on the client's payroll.
- Founders and small teams with named, recurring work who want a guided start, including first-time remote hires.
- Cost: $500/month membership (up to 3 placements a year and 1 free replacement), plus your assistant's pay. Paid directly by the client, $1,200–2,000/month for full-time engagements, by experience tier, agreed before placement.
- We specialize in more senior talent: mid-level assistants who are resourceful, proactive, reliable and AI-enabled.
- Support: Check-ins weekly in month one, then every two weeks or monthly through day 90, then as needed.