How To Become a Virtual Assistant: Your Guide To Start Earning
Written by
David Granahan
Edited by
Zoey Quach
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“The Great Resignation” is far from over — in fact, 20% of people are still considering leaving their jobs in 2022, according to PwC. With this renewed prioritization of work-life balance, many are wondering how to become a virtual assistant.
How To Become a Virtual Assistant
Becoming a virtual assistant involves several steps:
- Defining a niche or specialty service to offer
- Building a product portfolio to demonstrate abilities
- Optimizing online profiles and applying for roles or projects
A little legwork will be required to get up and running in the beginning, but it can be worthwhile. Not only can this change give workers more freedom, but they might get the chance to earn more as well.
Before exploring that, though, it’s important to know what virtual assistants do.
What Is a Virtual Assistant?
A virtual assistant is a remote worker recruited to help with day-to-day tasks for entrepreneurs and businesses. It’s a cost-effective way for businesses to find qualified workers while not necessarily employing them full-time.
What Exactly Does a Virtual Assistant Do?
Virtual assistants aren’t limited to just a few positions. The work virtual assistants do can span everything from calendar management to the entire handling of social media operations. Here are some popular roles virtual assistants do:
- Customer service
- E-commerce store management
- Inventory management
- Social media management
- Blog and writing services
- Marketing services
- Web development
- Bookkeeping or accounting
- Graphic design
- Content creation
Where To Find Work as a Virtual Assistant
Recruiters advertise virtual assistant roles through traditional platforms such as LinkedIn and Indeed.com. That said, many businesses headhunt virtual assistant candidates directly by using online freelance platforms. So, ideally, people should target a niche on one of these platforms. Some of them include:
Besides this, reaching out to business owners directly and networking at events can be a great solution for finding new clients.
What Do I Need To Become a Virtual Assistant?
Anyone with a steady internet connection can become a virtual assistant no matter their location. As virtual assistants have many similarities to freelancers, a good idea is to create an extensive portfolio. This can be illustrated through comprehensive online profiles or a website to stand out from the competition.
Is It Hard To Become a Virtual Assistant With No Experience?
Specialized experience helps in landing jobs, but companies hire for a variety of different tasks and projects. There are prospects for both absolute beginners and seasoned professionals.
For virtual assistants with no experience, earning a steady income can take time — consistent work can be difficult to come by before developing a positive reputation online. Just like any other services business, virtual assistants must demonstrate why they’re worth the money. A good strategy to increase long-term earning potential is to invest in upskilling and exceeding client expectations with excellent work as often as possible.
How Many Hours Do Virtual Assistants Work?
Virtual assistants can be contracted for full-time and part-time work, as well as on a defined project basis with no set hours. They choose their degree of involvement based on the role they’re applying for. Overall, the hours are flexible, as the decision to take on work is at the discretion of each virtual assistant.
Virtual Assistant Salary Guide
Virtual assistant salaries vary widely depending on location, the tasks at hand, how much work is taken on and where an individual is a tax resident. In the U.S., virtual assistants can earn more than $60,000 per year on average, which is above the national average of $53,490 for full-time employees.
Virtual Assistant Salary Per Hour
The average hourly salary of a virtual assistant in the U.S. is $20.41.
Virtual Assistant Salary Per Day
The average daily salary of a virtual assistant in the U.S. is $211.
Virtual Assistant Salary Per Week
The average weekly salary of a virtual assistant in the U.S. is $1,125.
Virtual Assistant Salary Per Month
The average monthly salary of a virtual assistant in the U.S. is $4,354.
Virtual Assistant Salary Per Year
The average annual salary of a virtual assistant in the U.S. is $61,500.
Final Take
There can be a learning curve before landing the first gig as a virtual assistant. Once projects are up and running, people pursuing this as a career have the potential to earn enough money to handily cover expenses and achieve a good standard of living.
Information is accurate as of July 6, 2022.
Our in-house research team and on-site financial experts work together to create content that’s accurate, impartial, and up to date. We fact-check every single statistic, quote and fact using trusted primary resources to make sure the information we provide is correct. You can learn more about GOBankingRates’ processes and standards in our editorial policy.
- World Economic Forum. 2022. "The Great Resignation is not over: A fifth of workers plan to quit in 2022."
- Indeed. 2021. "How To Become a Virtual Assistant (With Little to No Experience)."
- Hubstaff Blog. 2021. "The Ultimate List Of Tasks You Can Outsource To A Virtual Assistant."
- Indeed. "Virtual Assistant salary in United States."
- Jobted. 2022. "Average Salary in the U.S. (2022)."
