The Early Days: Decent, Stable Rates
In the early 2010s — especially in markets like the Philippines and India — Virtual Assistants were primarily hired by entrepreneurs, small business owners, and startups from the U.S., U.K., and Australia. Demand was growing, supply was relatively limited, and many VAs commanded $7–$15/hour, even for generalist roles.
At this stage, the “VA” label was closer to executive assistant or operations support rather than a generic task-doer. Many clients were hiring directly through referrals, agencies, or specialized firms rather than massive online marketplaces. For VAs with niche skills in eCommerce, marketing, or technical support, it wasn’t unusual to see rates climb toward $20/hour or more, provided they demonstrated reliability and measurable results.
The Marketplace Boom: The Race to the Bottom
The shift began with the rise of freelance platforms and job boards like Upwork, Fiverr, and later online groups and VA “hubs.” These platforms promised access and opportunity — but they also unleashed a flood of competition.
Suddenly, anyone could brand themselves a VA, regardless of skill or training. Clients were inundated with hundreds of applicants per posting, most willing to undercut each other just to be noticed. Agencies and middlemen also stepped in, skimming 20–50% of a VA’s pay while still demanding long hours from them.
The result was a race to the bottom. By the mid-2010s, the average generalist VA rate had dropped to $3–$6/hour, and newcomers felt pressured to charge even less to break in. Specialized roles like Amazon account management, copywriting, or ads management still commanded higher pay, but the perception of “VA = cheap labor” had already cemented itself in the industry.
The Collapse Point
The real collapse happened when several forces collided at once:
- Oversupply outpaced demand. Thousands of aspiring VAs entered the industry through crash courses and Facebook groups, many without the depth of skills businesses needed.
- Client expectations shifted. With hundreds of applicants vying for roles, clients began expecting “senior-level output at intern rates.” Why pay $10/hour when dozens were offering $4/hour?
- Agencies and middlemen scaled aggressively. Instead of stabilizing rates, many agencies normalized taking large cuts. Clients thought they were paying “market rate,” but the VA only saw a fraction of it.
- Global competition blurred standards. VAs from countries with dramatically different cost-of-living benchmarks competed in the same pools, further dragging rates down.
By the late 2010s and early 2020s, the average VA rate had collapsed across many regions. Generalist roles often saw $2–$5/hour offers, while even skilled eCommerce or digital marketing assistants were squeezed to $6–$10/hour, despite their work being more complex than ever. Marketplaces and agencies profited by charging clients significantly more than VAs received, creating mistrust on both ends.
The Result: Instability for Everyone
This collapse didn’t just harm VAs — it hurt clients just as badly. Low rates bred high turnover, as VAs left quickly for slightly better pay elsewhere. Work quality dropped, as unqualified applicants flooded the industry and businesses gambled on hires that couldn’t deliver. Trust eroded, with clients burned by unreliable hires and VAs exploited by unfair pay.
What had once been a promising career path and a strategic resource for businesses spiraled into a chaotic, undervalued free-for-all. The VA industry, once stable and respectable, was reduced to instability, hidden costs, and constant churn — leaving both sides dissatisfied.
Where Do We Go From Here?
The VA industry doesn’t need to stay broken. The demand for remote talent hasn’t gone away — if anything, it’s only grown as businesses scale online and global work becomes the norm. But demand without structure breeds chaos, and chaos always drives value down.
For Virtual Assistants, the lesson is clear: skills and structure matter. Undercutting your rate may win you a contract, but it won’t build a career. Clients don’t just need tasks done cheaply — they need results delivered consistently, and that requires training, standards, and fair compensation.
For clients, the truth is harder but necessary: cheap is expensive. Every dollar saved on low rates risks being multiplied in hidden costs — rework, lost time, missed growth opportunities, and turnover. Sustainable hiring means paying fairly for proven roles, not gambling on the cheapest profile in a sea of resumes.
The Future: Roles, Not Just Rates
The way forward isn’t about chasing the “perfect rate.” It’s about redefining what a VA actually is. Instead of generic task-doers fighting in a price war, the future belongs to role-based professionals — assistants trained, certified, and hired for clearly defined outcomes.
- Clarity for clients: Know exactly what deliverables and results to expect from each role.
- Fairness for VAs: Earn within transparent salary brackets that reflect skills and experience.
- Stability for both: Reduced churn, stronger trust, and partnerships built on alignment, not guesswork.
When businesses hire roles instead of cheap labor, and when VAs step into structured positions instead of underselling themselves, the industry can finally rebuild what was lost: stability, respect, and long-term value.
Our Conclusion
The rise and collapse of VA rates isn’t just a story of economics — it’s a story of what happens when an industry grows without guardrails. The first generation of VAs thrived because their work was respected, their pay was fair, and their roles were clear. The collapse happened because those guardrails disappeared.
Rebuilding them is the only way forward.
