What a full-time Philippines-based assistant costs in 2026
Updated October 22, 2026. Written by A Team Overseas, which is one of the options below. Every third-party number links to its source. Prices change, so confirm them with each provider.
Quick answer
As of October 2026, what a full-time Philippines-based executive or operations assistant costs a US company depends on how you hire, and so does what you get:
- Hire directly: The assistant's pay, plus a job-board subscription ($69–99 a month), then either paying them as a contractor through your payroll provider or using an employer of record ($599–699 a month plus statutory costs). You find, vet and onboard the person yourself, with no ongoing support.
- Headhunter or recruiter: A one-time placement fee, typically 30–35% of first-year salary, which usually comes to $6,000–7,000. There is little onboarding or ongoing support after the placement.
- Managed service: Typically $2,000–$4,000 a month, all in, with ongoing support. The assistant's own pay is typically $800–1,000 of that.
- Low-cost full-time VA plans: Under about $1,000 a month. These usually mean junior talent, which comes with its own risks.
With A Team Overseas it's the $500/month membership plus the full-time assistant's pay of $1,200–$2,000, paid directly, so $1,700–$2,500 a month for membership plus full-time assistant pay, with matching and check-ins through the first 90 days. We specialize in more senior talent: mid-level assistants who are resourceful, proactive, reliable and AI-enabled. Optional add-ons, not included in the membership-plus-assistant-pay total: Managed Payments ($150/month) and security covering VPN and MDM tools ($100/month).
Monthly cost by hiring route
| Route | Who employs the assistant | What you pay each month | What's included |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hire on a job board yourselfe.g. OnlineJobs.ph | You, usually as an independent contractor | The assistant's rate, plus a $69–99/month subscription. You then pay them as a contractor through your payroll provider, or through an employer of record (next row). Transfer fees apply if you pay them yourself (Wise quoted about 0.75% on $1,000). | Access to applicants. Screening, onboarding, support and replacement are up to you. |
| Hire yourself, employ through an EORe.g. Deel, Remote, Oyster | The employer of record | The assistant's salary, plus an EOR fee from $599–699/month (Deel and Remote from $599, Oyster $699), plus statutory costs. | Local employment contract, payroll and compliance. Finding and managing the person is up to you. |
| Direct-hire recruitere.g. Somewhere (Direct Hire) | You | The assistant's pay, plus a one-time placement fee, typically 30–35% of first-year salary, or about $6,000–7,000 (Somewhere doesn't publish its percentage). | Recruiting, and at Somewhere a 6-month replacement guarantee. Little onboarding or ongoing support; payroll and management are up to you. |
| Managed service (agency-billed)e.g. Hire Overseas, Athena, Prialto | The provider | One monthly fee that includes the assistant's pay, typically $2,000–4,000: Hire Overseas from $2,000 (most roles $2,000–4,000), Athena $3,000–3,600, Prialto full-time from $3,600. | Recruiting, payroll, replacement and ongoing support. Supervision and training vary by provider. The assistant's own pay is typically about $800–1,000 of the monthly fee. |
| Low-cost full-time VA plane.g. Wing Assistant (general VA) | The provider | Wing lists $999/month for a full-time general virtual assistant (160 hours). | Recruiting, supervision and replacement. Plans at this price usually mean more junior talent, which comes with its own risks. |
| Membership, assistant on your payrolle.g. A Team Overseas | You. The assistant is on your payroll. | $500/month membership, plus the full-time assistant's pay, paid directly: $1,200–$2,000/month. $1,700–$2,500 for membership plus full-time assistant pay. Optional add-ons, not included in the membership-plus-assistant-pay total: Managed Payments ($150/month) and security covering VPN and MDM tools ($100/month). | We specialize in more senior talent: mid-level assistants who are resourceful, proactive, reliable and AI-enabled. A shortlist of 2–4 candidates (resume, rate, fit notes, intro video), usually in the first week, with a 1–2 week match target. Check-ins weekly in month one, then every two weeks or monthly through day 90, then as needed. Up to 3 placements and 1 free replacement a year. |
For model-by-model detail, see our comparisons with Hire Overseas, Athena, BELAY, Time Etc, Wing Assistant, Prialto, Somewhere and OnlineJobs.ph.
What Philippines-based assistants earn
Published salary data mostly reflects local employers. No public source isolates experienced assistants working full-time for foreign clients, so treat these as reference points. Dollar figures use 1 USD = ₱63.37 (Wise, October 22, 2026).
- Executive assistant, Philippines (Indeed)₱26,517/month average (about $418), range ₱14,396–₱48,8412,000 salaries, updated Oct 12, 2026. Mostly local employers.
- Virtual assistant, Philippines (Indeed)₱27,457/month average (about $433), range ₱14,365–₱52,4811,100 salaries, updated Oct 4, 2026. Mostly local employers.
- Executive assistant, Philippines (PayScale)₱363,997/year, about ₱30,300/month (about $479)205 profiles, updated Sep 18, 2026.
- Remote VAs working for foreign clients (Outsource Accelerator)Median asking rate $714/month, middle 50% $571–900. Customer service, admin and general VAs together $800.1,385 applications to one recruiter (Armasourcing), published Aug 17, 2026. These are applicants' asking rates, not salaries paid.
- A Team Overseas assistantsPaid directly by the client, $1,200–2,000/month for full-time engagements, by experience tier, agreed before placement.Experienced executive, operations and marketing assistants.
Employer costs in the Philippines
If the assistant is an employee, for example through an employer of record, these apply on top of salary. Get local advice for your own setup.
- 13th-month pay: Employees get at least 1/12 of the year's basic salary, paid by December 24 (Presidential Decree 851). Source
- SSS: 15% of salary from January 2025: 10% employer, 5% employee. Source
- PhilHealth: 5% of salary (on salaries from ₱10,000 to ₱100,000), split evenly between employer and employee. Source
- Pag-IBIG: ₱200 a month from the employer and ₱200 from the employee, on a maximum fund salary of ₱10,000 (from February 2024). Source
FAQ
- How much does a full-time Filipino executive assistant cost per month?
- It depends on the route. Through a managed service it's typically $2,000 to $4,000 a month, all in, with ongoing support. Low-cost VA plans start around $999 a month but usually mean junior talent. A recruiter charges a one-time fee of typically 30–35% of first-year salary, about $6,000–7,000. Hiring directly, you pay the assistant's rate (local averages are about ₱26,500–30,300 a month, and remote VAs for foreign clients ask a median of $714 a month) plus your hiring and payroll costs. Through A Team Overseas, experienced full-time assistants are paid $1,200–$2,000 a month directly, plus the $500/month membership. Optional add-ons, not included in the membership-plus-assistant-pay total: Managed Payments ($150/month) and security covering VPN and MDM tools ($100/month).
- What is the difference between an agency fee and paying the assistant directly?
- A managed service employs the assistant and bills you one fee that covers their pay and the service. When you pay directly, you agree the assistant's rate with them and pay it yourself, and any agency or membership fee is separate.
- How much does an employer of record cost in the Philippines?
- Deel and Remote list employer-of-record plans from $599 per employee per month, and Oyster lists $699. None publishes a Philippines-specific price. Statutory costs such as 13th-month pay, SSS, PhilHealth and Pag-IBIG come on top of salary.
- How much does A Team Overseas cost?
- $500/month for the membership, plus the assistant's pay, paid directly: $1,200–2,000/month for full-time engagements, by experience tier, agreed before placement. Optional add-ons, not included in the membership-plus-assistant-pay total: Managed Payments ($150/month) and security covering VPN and MDM tools ($100/month). The paid trial month starts on the assistant's first day. The first invoice is issued that day and is due within 7 days. No early-exit fee applies if you leave at the end of the trial month. An annual membership commitment starts in month two. Early exit after the trial requires 30 days' written notice, with fees owed through the notice period, plus an early-exit fee equal to the lesser of 3 months' membership fees or the remaining year's membership fees (a maximum of $1,500 at $500/month).