Traditionally, virtual assistants handled day-to-day processes such as scheduling appointments, responding to emails, confirming travel itineraries, etc.
But these days, you can hire a virtual assistant (VA) for virtually any task performed online. For instance, you can hire a VA to develop your website and handle your social media marketing.
In this article, we’ll highlight the 10 best virtual assistant countries for outsourcing various tasks to VAs. We’ll also discuss a fantastic tool to help you manage your virtual assistant.
This article includes:
(Use the links below to jump to a specific section)
- The 10 Best Virtual Assistant Countries for Outsourcing
- Manage Your Virtual Assistant with Time Doctor
Let’s begin.
The 10 best virtual assistant countries for outsourcing
Businesses often look to low-cost countries like the Philippines, India, or China to outsource tasks, including virtual assistance.
However, countries such as the USA, UK, and Australia have their own strengths that make them stand out in the VA space.
Let’s look at the top 10 countries for outsourcing VA services:
Note: All salary conversions are per the December 2021 exchange rate.
1. The Philippines
The Philippines is a popular outsourcing destination due to its affordable rates and lower cost of living than most Western countries.
The population is very literate and highly proficient in English. Many schools also teach foreign languages like Spanish, French, and Japanese.
As a result, you can easily find a virtual assistant who can serve a wide customer base.
A) Commonly outsourced services
Philippine VAs usually excel in the following areas:
1) Digital marketing
You can hand off your digital marketing tasks to your Filipino VA, like:
- Content writing.
- Keyword research.
- Social media management.
- Customer support.
2) Content management
A dedicated virtual assistant can take care of your content and editorial calendar to ensure all your blog posts are:
- Correctly formatted.
- Optimized for your target audience.
- Appropriately sourced.
B) Average salary
The average yearly salary for a Filipino virtual assistant is around 237,438 PHP or 4,710 USD. It’s also customary to give a full time employee a 13th-month pay, typically a month’s salary.
Learn more about outsourcing to the Philippines here.
2. India
India has a massive English-speaking and highly skilled population.
While it’s best known for its customer support and IT services, the Indian outsourcing industry now encompasses many VA tasks.
A) Commonly outsourced services
You can easily outsource the following VA services to India:
1) E-commerce
An e-commerce VA can help with the following:
- Managing profiles on Amazon, Shopify, eBay, etc.
- Inventory management.
- Product data entry.
Most e-commerce VAs will also help create SEO-friendly content for your products/services.
2) Social media management
Since a social media presence is a necessity today, your offshore virtual assistant can:
- Create social media accounts on different channels.
- Schedule and post content regularly.
- Measure audience stats to create targeted social media marketing campaigns.
B) Average salary
The average annual salary for an Indian virtual assistant is about 174,086 INR or 2,320 USD.
While many Indian VAs are associated with a virtual assistant company, you can also easily find a freelancer on popular platforms like Upwork, charging an average hourly rate of 350 INR or 3.3 USD.
You can read about how to outsource to India here.
3. The USA
The online job community has been steadily growing in the States over the past few years.
Combine that with a stable internet connection and a deep understanding of the western audience, making US virtual assistants worth every penny.
A) Commonly outsourced services
While you’ll find the American virtual assistant industry offering a variety of services, we recommend the following:
1) SEO
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is necessary to attract new customers and rank higher on search engines like Google.
Comprising of many tasks, an SEO virtual employee can:
- Monitor your site traffic to generate actionable reports.
- Design and implement sound SEO strategies based on the above data.
- Bring in high-quality content specialists to promote your site content.
2) Executive assistance
Having an executive assistant who speaks the language, i.e., understands the jargon, slang, etc., can raise your company’s profile.
An American personal assistant can take over the following administrative tasks:
- Maintain a calendar of your professional commitments.
- Coordinate all communications within and outside the company.
- Prepare a resource database either on the cloud or on-premises.
B) Average salary
An American virtual assistant earns approximately 41,572 USD/year on average.
4. The UK
The United Kingdom is often at the center of emerging trends due to its position in the global economy.
So, it’s easy to find skilled professionals offering virtual assistance in nearly every industry.
A) Commonly outsourced services
We recommend outsourcing the following services to a UK virtual assistant:
1) Digital marketing
Most digital marketing efforts are geared towards a western audience, typically US, EU, and UK audiences.
With a UK digital marketer, you can take advantage of their experience and hand over your:
- Social media marketing.
- Website and content optimization.
- Email marketing.
You can also use the VA to stabilize your brand’s UK presence.
2) Human Resources (HR)
Your HR department is responsible for:
- Handling recruitment, management, and offboarding of all in-office and remote employees.
- Creating employee contracts.
- Posting job descriptions on portals and conducting initial interviews.
Hiring a UK virtual assistant for this is great as the country follows the UK GDPR, a UK-specific version of the EU’s GDPR that prioritizes employee privacy and safety.
So, the VA will typically follow the same procedures, ensuring your HR department can stand up to even the strictest laws.
B) Average salary
UK virtual assistants can earn roughly 27,000 GBP/year or 35,857 USD/year on average.
5. Brazil
Brazil’s steadily-growing economy presents many outsourcing opportunities for US businesses that don’t want to deal with massive time zone differences.
With Portuguese as the official language, it can be difficult to find English-speaking VAs.
However, the Latin American country makes up for this by providing detail-oriented VA services at competitive prices.
A) Commonly outsourced services
You can work with a Brazilian VA service provider to outsource the following:
1) Bookkeeping
You can save your accounting department’s time by outsourcing the following bookkeeping services to a VA:
- Maintaining complete bank records of all transactions.
- Ensuring payment to vendors, employees, and contractors goes out on time.
- Filing taxes and returns.
2) Data entry
A data entry VA can help you:
- Keep accurate records of everything.
- Collect and store all data neatly.
- Regularly update your databases and remove outdated files.
Outsourcing can help your in-office employees focus on the task at hand and increase employee productivity.
B) Average salary
In Brazil, the average annual salary for a VA is in the region of 40,414 BRL or 7,157 USD.
Read our outsourcing to Brazil guide here.
6. Ukraine
A country with moderate English proficiency, Ukraine excels at technical services such as software development and accounting.
You’ll typically find an enviable work ethic and high accountability among virtual workers without draining your bank account.
We acknowledge that as of this time there is an ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
We stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine and support the resolution of the conflict. Explore these resources to discover ways you can help.
A) Commonly outsourced services
You can outsource the following tasks to Ukrainian VAs:
1) App and web development
Your Ukrainian developer can:
- Design, code, and modify existing sites and apps.
- Conduct regular quality testing to sort out any software bugs.
- Work with your web design, graphic design, and content team to finalize new site layouts.
Trusted by companies like IBM, Ukrainian web developers are in high demand across the globe. However, you can typically find a freelancer for a specific task on online job portals and sites.
2) Accounting
As a business owner, you’re always looking for ways to save money.
You can do so by outsourcing the following to Ukrainian virtual assistant companies:
- Tax compliance.
- Payroll and HR services.
- Accounts payable department.
B) Average salary
Virtual assistants in Ukraine can expect to earn around 110,040 UAH/year or 4,018 USD/year.
7. Australia
Australian VAs are preferred by those who want first-world VA services at comparatively affordable rates.
The Australian population is proficient in English which is an attractive proposition for most businesses looking to provide high-quality services to a global customer base.
A) Commonly outsourced services
You can take advantage of the population’s varied skillsets by outsourcing the following services:
1) Research
Hiring a full-time research assistant can be costly, even if multiple grants are available.
In contrast, a research VA can help cut costs while also:
- Conducting world-class research on any topic.
- Performing competitor analysis.
- Creating and updating databases.
2) Telemarketing
A fluent English-speaking virtual telemarketer can convert potential leads into customers and rapidly grow your business by:
- Setting appointments and negotiating prices with vendors.
- Cold calling leads and potential investors.
- Following up with leads to convert them into regular customers.
Most telemarketers can also alert your customer support team regarding urgent complaints and queries.
B) Average salary
An Australian VA can earn about 60,000 AUD/year or 42,329 USD/year.
8. Malaysia
Malaysia has a fast-growing urban population on par with first-world countries with not enough jobs for everyone. So, the younger generations turn to online VA services to make a living.
With the country’s world-class infrastructure and high English proficiency, Malaysia is a preferred Asian outsourcing destination for many businesses.
A) Commonly outsourced services
We would recommend outsourcing the following services to Malaysian VAs:
1) Ad campaigns
Every company needs to have a solid digital marketing strategy to ensure its business grows on all available platforms.
Here are some of the tasks a marketing VA can take over:
- Researching customer trends and adapting strategies accordingly.
- Conduct a cost-benefit analysis on every ad campaign, further reducing costs.
- Creating targeted campaigns for different audiences.
As a highly specialized skillset, outsourcing marketing to Malaysian youth makes complete business sense.
2) Event management
Since event management is almost entirely online currently, your remote worker can:
- Organize online classes, webinars, and conferences.
- Arrange guest speakers for special events.
- Act as a remote moderator and field audience questions.
B) Average salary
The average yearly salary for a virtual personal assistant in Malaysia is roughly 36,00 MYR or 8,509 USD.
Find out more about outsourcing to Malaysia.
9. Singapore
With its massive economic growth, Singapore has become a competitor to most western countries.
With a highly educated workforce, the workforce in Singapore is experienced with providing world-class service to every client.
A) Commonly outsourced services
You can outsource the following services to your virtual staff in Singapore:
1) Inventory management
If you deal in physical products, you need to always have the required inventory to meet customer demand.
However, hiring an in-person inventory manager in Singapore can be expensive. So, you can ask your remote assistant to do the following:
- Regularly taking stock of all inventory to maintain accurate records.
- Responding to bulk purchase orders and inquiries.
- Nurturing close relationships with vendors to ensure a constant supply of goods.
2) Real estate
As one of the most competitive markets in real estate, Singaporeans are well-versed in this industry and the many ways you can save costs while gaining maximum profits.
A Singaporean real estate virtual assistant can:
- Follow up with prospective buyers and renters.
- Work with other related professionals such as home appraisers, insurers, and inspectors.
- Alert you when specific high-profile properties go on the market.
On top of it, they can look out for office space in Singapore if you wish to start a branch there.
B) Average salary
The average annual salary for Singaporean virtual assistants is generally 34,865 SGD or 25,426 USD.
10. China
A popular outsourcing hub, China has made massive strides in improving its English proficiency in recent years.
As a result, a virtual assistant service such as email management is easier to outsource to China.
A) Commonly outsourced services
With years of experience in outsourcing, China makes it easy for busy entrepreneurs to receive virtual assistance on the following:
1) Administration
An administrative task can drain your employee’s energy, leaving them unable to focus on long-term projects.
However, a virtual administrative assistant can take over the day-to-day responsibilities such as:
- Invoicing and filing important documents.
- Making travel arrangements.
- Scheduling meetings with shareholders, employees, and clients.
2) Email management
Ensure your inbox isn’t filled with unread emails by hiring a virtual email account manager.
Your VA can:
- Label and sort emails as per urgency and client.
- Prioritize which emails need urgent attention.
- Forward emails to respective departments and professionals.
Outsourcing this specific task can help you maintain good relationships with vendors.
B) Average salary
In China, a virtual assistant job pays somewhere around 78,389 CNY/year or 12,304 USD/year.
However, many online job portals such as LinkedIn aren’t available in mainland China. So, you may have to rely on China-based VA sites for hiring vetted professionals.
Read our outsourcing to China guide here.
With your VA potentially in another country, it can be difficult to determine whether they’re working on your tasks or working at all!
If you have a significant time difference, it can also be hard to communicate with your VA and keep track of their workload.
No worries, you can use Time Doctor to manage your remote worker effectively.
Manage your virtual assistant with Time Doctor
Whether your virtual assistants work from the US or India, you can use Time Doctor to track their productivity with ease.
Trusted by large as well as small businesses alike, Time Doctors offers powerful features like:
- Track how much time your assistant spends on each task.
- Receive daily, weekly, and monthly productivity reports for each team member.
- Check whether your virtual professional is present, absent, partially absent, or late.
- Customize and approve payroll for hours worked by your remote staff.
Time Doctor also automatically syncs with your employee’s time zone. This helps them see how they utilize their work time and improve for maximum productivity.
Check out more Time Doctor features here!
Wrapping up
Virtual assistants can help startups and small business owners lower their operational costs while scaling up their services.
Whether you hire one as a freelancer, part-time, or full-time, a virtual assistant from any of the countries we’ve mentioned above can make your life easier.
And regardless of where your VA works from, you can use Time Doctor to keep track of their tasks and productivity effortlessly.
Andy is a technology & marketing leader who has delivered award-winning and world-first experiences.