How to pay your off-shore VA (Not $ 2 – 4 an hour)

One of the questions I see getting thrown around in many entrepreneur subreddits is where do I get “cheap labor”?

First off, cheap is relative, but most offshore VA’s are paid about 3 – 15 USD. Within the last few months, I’ve been seeing most job posts advertising VA positions for about $3 -5 an hour. However, I think it would be very hard to find a good VA for less than $7 an hour. 

One would argue that they posted a job for $3 an hour and got multiple responses, but I don’t think any of them are actually good. They are just desparate to get something. I know many of us offer these low rates because of the competition, and some of us have had clients who refused to pay higher.

As a VA, Anything  lower than 5 USD is something we will consider as "least priority", and is more of a filler for us while we hop around for a good client.

Remember when you hire a VA, you get what you pay for. 

From my perspective, this is how much you should pay your VA (fairly). 

Nothing less than $5 an hour. If you can’t afford that, it’s okay if your VA agrees to work for less, but if you can afford to pay that and more,  please do. You’ll get better VA’s and better services in return. 

$5 – 7 per  hour – Beginner VA

If you’d like to pay something between this range, look for motivated beginners (preferably new graduates in developing countries who are finding it difficult to get jobs in their countries) and train them. Be patient with them and give them some time to complete the learning curve. Remember, that if you’re paying this rate and expect them to have you as their only client, it may not be enough to cater to their bills, and they have to juggle your work with  somebody else’s. 

$7 – 10 per hour – Intermediate VA

I am at this level, and would consider this fair for an intermediate VA who’s good at quite a number of things, and has some work experience. In terms of if this is enough, assuming they work 30 – 40 hours a week, I’d say it could be in most third world countries, so you could have them full-time. However, if they have a family, it may not be enough. Just FYI. 

$10 – 15 per hour – Good VA 

I think this is fair for a good VA whose work is excellent, is timely, and does everything well without following up. This is enough in most developing countries and you’d be able to hire a VA full-time at this rate, and they’d be able to cater to their needs. 

If you pay more than $15 an hour, your VA definitely loves you very much and would die for you. Haha

All entrepreneurs who’ve hired VA’s or are looking to hire a VA, your input on this is greatly appreciated. 

Lastly, if you've got any projects that need an extra set of hands, repetitive tasks that keep dragging you down, or tasks you’re itching to delegate, hit me up, and let’s see how I can help you. 

PS: This does not apply to software developers, data analysts, and other specialized roles. If you’d like to hire someone offshore for this, pay atleast $10 an hour for a junior.