What is a Virtual Assistant? Everything you need to know

Demand for Virtual Assistants (VAs) has increased enormously over recent years, as more and more people choose to work remotely, running their own businesses, starting side hustles or freelancing.

The tasks a VA takes on can vary - but in every case, your Virtual Assistant is there to take care of some of your daily tasks to free up your time and let you focus on growing your business.

Virtual Assistants typically work remotely - often from home. That means that if you’re looking for a VA to support you, location should be no barrier to finding the perfect person.

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Key takeaways

• A virtual assistant (VA) is a remote worker who provides administrative, creative, or technical support
• VAs can handle everything from email management to social media, bookkeeping, and customer service
• Rates vary widely — from around $10/hour for offshore freelancers to $100+/hour through US-based agencies
• You can find VAs on freelance marketplaces, through agencies, or via managed service providers
• If your VA is based overseas, you'll need a reliable way to send international payments

What does a Virtual Assistant do?

The short answer: almost anything that doesn't require being physically present in your office.
Virtual assistants perform a wide range of tasks depending on their skills and your needs. Some handle general admin work. Others specialize in marketing, bookkeeping, or technical support. The role is highly customizable — you define the scope.
Here's a breakdown of common VA tasks by category:

The key is to create a clear task list before hiring. Know what you need help with, and you'll find the right person much faster.
You can also read the guide on virtual assistant services for more ideas on what to delegate.

What skills does a virtual assistant need?

Most VA roles don't require a formal degree.⁴ What matters more is a combination of practical skills and the right tools.
Core skills:

• Communication — Clear, professional writing and responsiveness are non-negotiable for remote work
• Organization and time management — VAs often juggle multiple clients and deadlines simultaneously
• Computer proficiency — Comfort with cloud-based tools, spreadsheets, and document management
• Attention to detail — Catching errors in emails, reports, or data before they become problems
• Proactiveness — The ability to anticipate needs rather than wait for instructions

Common tools VAs use:

• Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Calendar, Drive)
• Slack or Microsoft Teams for communication
• Trello, Asana, or ClickUp for project management
• Canva for design
• Zoom for video calls
• QuickBooks or Xero for bookkeeping

VAs who develop specialist skills — like SEO, paid advertising, or advanced bookkeeping — can typically command higher rates.⁴

Benefits of hiring a virtual assistant

Hiring a VA isn't just about offloading busywork. It can change how you run your business.

• Reclaim your time — The average entrepreneur spends more than a third of their workweek on small administrative tasks.³ A VA takes those off your plate.
• Lower overhead — No office space, equipment, or employee benefits to provide. You pay for the hours or projects you need.
• Access a global talent pool — Because VAs work remotely, geography isn't a barrier. You can hire someone in a different time zone to provide after-hours customer support or connect with international suppliers.
• Scale flexibly — Need 10 hours a week now and 40 next month? VAs offer flexibility that full-time hires can't match.
• Complementary skills — A VA with marketing or design expertise can help grow areas of your business you haven't had time to focus on.

Because a Virtual Assistant can work anywhere they have a computer and internet access, you may choose to employ someone based overseas.

Maybe the perfect person for the job just happens to live abroad.

Or perhaps it’s a strategic decision to have someone who can offer out of hours customer care, or develop better relations with your international suppliers by being close by, and speaking the local language.

If your Virtual Assistant lives abroad, you can pay them in their local currency easily using a smart new fee-free account from Wise Business. Hold multiple currencies in one place, switch between them using the mid-market exchange rate, and pay your team and suppliers in foreign currencies quickly and safely in just a few clicks.

As a US business, you may still have obligations such as proper worker classification and issuing Form 1099-NEC for payments of $600 or more. If in doubt, it's always best to ask a certified accountant.

How much does a virtual assistant cost?

VA pricing depends on several factors: location, experience, specialization, and hiring model. Here's how costs typically break down by hiring model:

Factors that typically affect pricing:

• Specialization — A VA with SEO or bookkeeping skills will cost more than a generalist
• Experience — More experienced VAs charge higher rates but often deliver faster, higher-quality work
• Location — US-based VAs typically charge more than those in the Philippines, Latin America, or Eastern Europe
• Pricing model — Hourly rates suit ongoing work; project-based pricing works better for defined deliverables; monthly retainers offer predictability

How to hire a Virtual Assistant

You’ll be able to hire a Virtual Assistant online via freelance marketplace sites such as Upwork¹ and Fiverr². Here you can either place an advert specifying the type of tasks and the amount of support you’re looking for - or you can browse the VAs who have posted their details online to find a good fit.

You may also be able to find a great Virtual Assistant with word of mouth recommendations.

Ask around in your professional network to see if others who use a VA have recommendations about where to connect with great people - or even if they know a VA with the skills you’re looking for themselves.

As most VAs work freelance and take on multiple clients, you might find the perfect person is closer than you think.

Getting a Virtual Assistant can help business owners and entrepreneurs win back time which they can then invest into growing their businesses.

By having someone take care of the administrative, low risk areas of your company day to day, you can take a step back and focus more on what really matters.

You may also choose to use a VA to provide specialist support on an ongoing or project basis, giving your business a boost.

Because VAs typically work remotely, you’re able to fish in a global pool to find the right talent for your role. If you choose to work with a Virtual Assistant based overseas, you’ll be able to manage your finances easily by using BatchTransfer, for simple and cheap overseas payments.

Pay Employees With BatchTransfer

BatchTransfer has an easy-to-use instant payments system that allows you to make multiple payments, for both domestic and international, in one go. Small businesses and enterprises can get access to BatchTransfer with no additional cost after getting a Wise Business account.

BatchTransfer’s core strengths for payroll:

What sets BatchTransfer apart is its commitment to providing the mid-market rate for currency conversions. This means that businesses get a fair and transparent deal when making international payments.

Another perk of using BatchTransfer for international payroll is its extensive coverage of over 140+ countries and 40+ currencies! With features like automatic payment scheduling and API integration, small businesses can streamline their payroll process, freeing up valuable time and resources for other important tasks.

• How can businesses use BatchTransfer for payroll?: Businesses can send up to 1000 payments with a single click with BatchTransfer. US-based business can access BatchTransfer at no extra charge.

• Connect to your accounting software: You can easily manage and reconcile your mass payments through accounting software integrations such as QuickBooks or Xero.

Start making payments
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Sources checked March 2026