22 Virtual Assistant Jobs You Can Do From Home

Becoming a virtual assistant is one of the easiest ways to work from home. If you’re not sure what a virtual assistant does and how to become one, keep reading! We’re going to cover everything you need to know about virtual assistant jobs!

What is a Virtual Assistant?

Virtual assistants, often abbreviated as VAs, are skilled professionals who offer administrative support to business owners, executives, and entrepreneurs from home.

The services you can offer as a VA are endless and depend on your training, experience level, and skillset.

The great thing about working as a VA is you can work full-time, part-time, or start your own business. It’s one of the most versatile work from home jobs because of the variety of tasks you can complete.

Common Virtual Assistant Services:

Here’s a list of some of the most common administrative tasks you can work on as a VA.

Blog management
Bookkeeping
Calendar management
Content creation
Create PowerPoint presentations
Customer service
Data entry
Digital marketing
E-commerce management
Editing
Event planning
Forum moderation
Graphic design
Inbox management
Make phone calls
Market research
Project management
Proofreading
Receptionist
Scheduling appointments
Social media management
Travel arrangements
Video editing
Web development
Writing assignments

W2 Employee, Independent Contractor, or Business Owner? Which Route Is Right for You?

When you work as a virtual assistant, you can work as a W2 employee, an independent contractor, or a small business owner. Of course, there are pros and cons to each work arrangement.

As a W2 employee, you don’t have to invest money, find clients, or pay self-employment taxes. However, your salary, work hours, and how you work will be more restrictive.

If you work as an independent contractor, you’re self-employed and have to pay quarterly self-employment taxes. You also don’t receive benefits, but generally, you’ll have more control over your schedule, what clients you work with, and your pay rates. Of course, this isn’t always the case, so weigh the pros and cons when researching companies.

Business owners have the most flexibility with scheduling, choosing clients, and setting their rates. But they must also find clients, set up their businesses, and pay self-employment taxes. It’s not difficult to start a VA business, and all you really need is a smartphone, a computer, a high-speed internet connection, and a payment processor like PayPal or Stripe. You can even start without a website, but if you have the funds to get a website, do it; it’ll make your marketing easier.

Where Do You Find Virtual Assistant Jobs?

Here are some companies that regularly hire for virtual assistant jobs.

1. 40A

40A is a virtual assistant agency that offers social media, editing, and SEO services to food bloggers. For these 1099 positions, you must have excellent writing and editing skills, proficiency with Google products, working knowledge of WordPress, and the ability to answer emails during normal business hours, Monday through Friday.

2. BELAY

BELAY hires independent contractors to work as bookkeepers, social media managers, and executive administrative assistants. They hire from all states except California, Montana, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. To be eligible for these virtual assistant jobs, you must have experience in an administrative support role, and they do prefer candidates with bachelor’s degrees. The hourly rate for the VA role is $19-$22; pay rates for the bookkeepers are $20-$25 per hour, marketing assistants $28-$33 per hour, and social media managers earn $28-$33 per hour.

3. Boldly

Boldly hires part-time and full-time W2 employees as executive assistants, administrative and marketing assistants, bilingual assistants, and legal assistants. They accept applicants from the UK and 49 states; currently, they don’t accept applicants from Hawaii and Washington, DC. The starting pay is $25-$30 USD per hour, and these roles come with benefits like paid time off, technology stipends, and more. You’ll need at least seven years of administrative assistant experience to work with Boldly.

4. Burke + Co

Burke + Co is a boutique recruiting firm that focuses on administrative, operations, and HR positions within the US. The openings they have vary from client to client, but they often have hybrid and remote job openings available. Most openings I’ve seen require experience, are location-dependent, and offer good pay and benefits.

5. Byron

Byron hires virtual executive assistants from the US, Latin America, and the Philippines to work on one-off tasks for their clients. In these independent contracting roles, you can work as many or as few hours as you’d like. You must be at least 18 years old and have five years of experience and a college degree to apply. According to their old job listing, the pay for US workers ranges from $20-$28 per hour. Byron makes payments via direct deposit every two weeks.

6. Delegated

Formerly, Red Butler, Delegated hires virtual assistants and receptionists with a high school diploma, some college (degree preferred), and exceptional communication skills. You’ll also need five years of experience; rates, employment status, and hours are not listed, so you’ll need to reach out to gather more info.

7. Elite Virtual Assistants (EVA)

EVA hires part-time 1099 virtual and legal assistants from the US. For these remote positions, you must have at least five years of experience and be tech-savvy with advanced Microsoft Office skills. The starting pay rate is $20 per hour, and hourly pay increases every six months.

8. Equivity

Equivity hires part-time W2 virtual paralegals and virtual executive assistants from the United States. The starting pay for these roles is not listed; however, you must have a bachelor’s degree and three years of experience for these paralegal and virtual assistant jobs.

9. Fancy Hands

Fancy Hands hires freelance virtual assistants from the US to complete one-off tasks for their clients. You should have excellent communication skills, a computer, and a reliable internet connection for this role. Payments go out every Tuesday, and you’ll earn $3-$7 per task. I’ve heard from some readers that Fancy Hands is oversaturated with assistants and that there isn’t any work for new VAs. Be sure to do your own research before submitting an application.

10. Great Assistant

Great Assistant hires virtual executive assistants from the US and Canada. Each client has different hours, pay, and skill requirements. Most positions are independent contracting; however, I’ve seen some W2 positions on the site. The pay is generally between $20-$25 per hour, and most jobs require three years of experience.

11. Headroom

Headroom hires full-time and part-time executive assistants from the US and Amsterdam. For these roles, you must have at least two years of experience, a college education, and excellent communication skills. These are W2 positions that pay $40,000-$60,000 annually, and full-time positions come with benefits and a home office setup.

12. InboxDone

At InboxDone, virtual assistants manage email for business owners, CEOs, and virtual team members. The great thing about this independent contracting role is you don’t need experience, a cover letter, or a resume! But that doesn’t mean it’s easy to score a job at InboxDone. They are looking for individuals who are willing to put their best foot forward and make a long-term commitment to the company. Positions start as part-time and have the ability to work full-time hours once you’ve achieved mastery. The starting pay rate is $17 per hour.

13. My BTLR

My BTLR hires virtual assistants and sales reps for a wide range of clients. Each role varies in pay, location requirements, and hours, but all applicants need 1-5 years of experience, a high school diploma, and excellent communication skills. In some roles, you’ll work as an independent contractor, and others are W2 employment; pay rates go up to $25 per hour.

14. My VA Rocks

My VA Rocks hires virtual assistants to complete tasks like calendar and email management, project management, social media, grant writing, copywriting, and bookkeeping. For this remote position, they are looking for applicants who are detail-oriented, have excellent time management skills, and who are excited to learn new things. In this virtual role, you’ll work as an independent contractor with a starting pay rate of $20 per hour.

15. Peachtree VA

Peachtree VA hires team members for freelance virtual assistant and bookkeeping roles. Job candidates must have two years of experience, the ability to work 15 hours per week, Monday-Friday, and pass a criminal background check. The pay is $22 per hour, and all candidates must pass a skills test.

16. Rivvly

Rivvly hires remote associates who have a bachelor’s degree and at least six months of administrative experience. In these independent contracting roles, you’ll need to have expertise in Google Suite, Microsoft Office, task management programs like Slack, and a typing speed of 50 WPM.

17. Team Delegate

Team Delegate hires part-time, freelance executive virtual assistants from all states except MT, PA, NY, NJ, and CA. You must have three years of experience and strong organizational and communication skills. In these roles, you’ll need to be available during normal business hours.

18. Time Etc

Time Etc hires part-time, freelance virtual assistants from the US, the UK, and Ireland. You’ll need to have 5-8 years of experience and the ability to work during daytime hours. The starting pay rate is $17 per hour, and you can work in the categories of general virtual assistance, marketing, social media, writing, or customer service.

19. VaVa Virtual Assistants

VaVa Virtual Assistants hires US-based 1099 bookkeepers, content writers, graphic designers, social media managers, virtual executive assistants, and web developers. You’ll need 2-5 years of experience and knowledge of commonly used platforms like Google Suite, Basecamp, Slack, and Microsoft Suite. The job post doesn’t include salary or hours, so you’ll need to inquire about those.

20. Virtual Assist USA

Virtual Assist USA hires part- and full-time US-based virtual assistants and project managers. You must have a college degree and five years of experience for these W2 positions. Starting pay is $17 per hour, and full-time employees are eligible for benefits after six months of employment.

21. Worxbee

Worxbee hires US-based executive assistants with at least five years of experience to provide VA services to their clients. In this role, you work as an independent contractor. The great thing about Worxbee is you get to choose the clients you want to work with, and they provide ongoing training and support for their executive assistants. Pay starts at $26 per hour, and you must be able to work at least 10 hours a week. Worxbee does not hire in the following states: California, Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Nevada, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Vermont, or West Virginia.

22. Zirtual

Zirtual hires part- and full-time US-based virtual executive assistants who can work daytime hours. Positions are location-dependent, and you’ll need a college degree with four years of experience or seven years of experience if you don’t have a college degree. In this gig, you’ll work as an independent contractor, and you’ll earn $1,500-$3,800 per month.

Freelance Marketplaces, Remote Job Boards, and Staffing Agencies

You can also find one-off virtual assistant jobs, personal assistant gigs, and projects through these freelance marketplaces, remote job boards, staffing agencies, and corporations.

How Much Do Virtual Assistants Earn?

Depending on what services you offer, your experience, and your employment status, virtual assistants make an average of $27.11 per hour (according to Indeed).

Of course, if you’re running your own virtual assistant business, you can charge even more. There are a few different ways that you can charge for your services: by the hour, project, or on a monthly retainer – explore what option works best for you and your clients.

What Training Do You Need?

You don’t necessarily need specialized training to work from home as a virtual assistant, but you do need excellent organizational, time management, and communication skills. There are many virtual assistant training programs and certifications, and these can help you establish your credibility and learn the skills you need to know.

When you’re searching for a course, there are many factors you should consider, such as:

What’s the cost?
How long will it take to complete?
Who is the course creator or teaching institution?
How long do you get access to the program?
Does the course include certification?

I like to choose courses where the instructor or institution has proven success in what they’re teaching. Here are some of the courses and online resources I recommend.

Savvy System (start your VA business in 30 days)
Pinterest VA (start a Pinterest management business)
VA Networking (professional networking association for virtual assistants)

If you’re not sure that starting a VA business is the right thing to do, check out this free training from Abbey Ashley: Become a Booked Out Virtual Assistant.

Want to Start Your Own Virtual Assistant Business?

As an aspiring entrepreneur, you’ll need to educate yourself on best business practices. Reading a business book or taking a course can help you quickly learn the ropes.

Here are some basic steps you’ll need to take to launch your virtual assistant business.

1. Write a Business Plan

You wouldn’t go on a road trip without directions, so why would you jump into a business without a plan? Writing a business plan doesn’t have to be complicated. Think of it as a simple guide that will help you plan and make wise decisions along the way.

If you need help getting started, grab our FREE Simplified Business Plan Template.

2. Choose a Niche

There are many different services you can offer as a virtual assistant, but something else to consider is what clients you would like to serve. While you can work as a generalist, it’s easier and generally more lucrative to choose a specialty.

Here are some in-demand VA niches to consider:

Blog management
Marketing
Personal concierge
Pinterest virtual assistant
Podcast production assistant
Project management
Real estate transaction coordinator
Sales

3. Build a Website

To be competitive as a VA, you should have a website. Having an online presence will help you attract more clients. It also gives you a place to showcase samples and list your services and testimonials, and it makes you look more professional.

Don’t worry; setting up a website is easy and affordable. Here are some website options that will get you up and running quickly.

4. Market Your VA Business

There are many ways to promote your VA business; the thing you need to remember is consistency is key. Choose a few marketing methods and devote some time each day to them. Some experts say you should pitch 5-10 new prospects a day to have a constant flow of clients in your pipeline.

Here are just some of the ways you can market your business:

Social media
Networking events
Email marketing
Lead generation
PR opportunities
Email prospecting
Facebook groups

Related content: Getting (and Keeping) Your First Client

5. Invest in Your VA Business

As your income grows, you’ll want to reinvest some into professional development. There are conferences, courses, books, membership sites, mastermind groups, and coaching sessions – there is something to fit every budget and every niche. By investing in yourself and your business, you gain the knowledge, information, and skills to make your business a success.

Remote Virtual Assistant Jobs Wrapup

Working from home as a virtual assistant is an excellent option for many! There are roles for beginners and experts alike and many different work arrangements to fit your schedule. Whether you’re looking for a part-time virtual assistant job or you want to earn six figures annually, all you have to do is take the first step to make your dreams a reality.

Looking for more work-from-home executive assistant roles? Sign up for our free newsletter and get weekly remote job leads sent directly to your inbox.

Originally published March 26, 2009. Content updated January 2025.