How Much Should You REALLY Pay Your Filipino VA?

What is your salary assumption for the role you are hiring right now?

Whatever number came to mind may be wrong. When we start with an assumption instead of market data, we either overpay or underpay and lose the hire we wanted.

Here is the method we use, along with the monthly ranges we were seeing in the Philippines when this video was recorded.

Start by listening to the market

The common mistake is setting a salary range based entirely on instinct. The fix is simple: talk to the market before you commit to a number.

  • Post the job ad, contact people on LinkedIn, check Facebook groups, and ask your network.

  • Skip the hour-long interviews. A short call or email exchange is enough to learn about pricing.

  • Ask what people in this role actually cost.

Five conversations will tell you more than none. Talk to enough people to see a pattern without turning the research into a second job.

Look for the pattern, not the outliers

After enough conversations, a pattern usually appears:

  • Better candidates generally cost more.

  • More experienced candidates generally cost more.

  • Low-cost, high-quality exceptions exist, but they are exceptions.

Strong talent usually has other options. The useful question is what rate makes a strong performer stop looking and start building a relationship with you.

Skip the guessing game. We benchmark every role before we search, so your offer is based on the market. [CTA: Talk to us about your hiring needs]

What the market tells you about VA pay

Our market data at the time:

Big cities: $1,200+

Smaller cities, towns, and provinces: about $1,000

Mid-level role, superstar track: about $1,500

Senior role: about $2,000

Bonus or incentive layer: +20-50% of base

Someone may be able to live on $800 a month, but that does not mean the rate will support long-term stability. In these figures, $1,000 to $1,200 was the point where stability began, while mid-level and senior superstars sat closer to $1,500 to $2,000.

Use a larger base with a variable component that fits the role. The base supports retention; the variable component rewards performance.

Supply and demand set the price

Compensation comes down to two questions:

  1. How much demand is there for this kind of talent?

  2. How limited is the supply?

Test the market, collect real data, and let the answers shape your range.

Use this checklist before you make an offer

  1. Set aside your assumptions and verify them.

  2. Have five to 10 short conversations before setting a range.

  3. Look at the cluster, not the outliers.

  4. Aim for the point where stability starts.

  5. Use a larger base plus a variable component when it fits.

  6. Check the market again every time you hire.

Want an offer that lands right the first time?

M-Ocean Recruiting Solutions benchmarks each role against the live market before starting the search. That gives your first offer a better chance of attracting the right candidates. Every placement comes with a 60-day trial period: you do not pay if you are not happy with your hire.

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