10 Virtual Assistant Jobs That Pay Well: Earn Up To $20/Hour

Written by Jason Michaels Last Updated: May 8, 2024

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Are you an organized and self-motivated worker with computer skills? Then being a virtual assistant may be the perfect work at home gig for you. As a virtual assistant, you help clients with tasks like sending e-mails, data entry, editing documents, and so much more.

This career usually pays well and offers plenty of flexibility.

Virtual assistant jobs can be difficult to find on your own. There are tons of job board listings and hiring companies to browse through. I’ve written this post to make things much easier for you.

Below you’ll find a list of 10 companies that hire virtual positions. Read on to discover the best virtual assistant jobs that pay well.

Table of Contents

1. Fancy Hands

About Fancy Hands

As a Fancy Hands virtual assistant, you get paid to make phone calls, schedule appointments, complete data entry, and more. The tasks are unique and change frequently. For example, you may be asked to cancel a client’s cable service or find hotel prices for them. You can set your own hours, so the gig is 100% flexible.

Fancy Hands is one of the most well-known virtual assistant companies. The company started as a simple service run by one man, founder Ted Roden. In 2010, Fancy Hands began hiring virtual assistants across the country.

The company has since been praised by Mashable, The New York Times, Forbes, and dozens of other news outlets.

Qualifications And Application

The Fancy Hands hiring page doesn’t list strict guidelines for education or experience. To qualify for the job, you need to have:

Strong communication skills.
A computer with a reliable Internet connection.
An audio headset with a built-in microphone.
Self-starter skills – the ability to work independently, manage your time well, and so on.
Google Chrome browser and a Gmail account.

If you meet these simple criteria, you can begin the application process here.

Payment Information

Fancy Hands pays per task depending on the length and difficulty of the task. You’ll start off earning $3 to $7.50 per task, and you can earn more down the road. Worker reviews report earnings average $8 to $12 per hour.

Fancy Hands pays virtual assistants bi-weekly on Tuesdays. Workers receive payments through Dwolla, a payment system that’s similar to PayPal.

2. WorldWide101

About WorldWide101

WorldWide101 hires experienced working professionals to fill many different virtual assistant roles. This role is ideal if you’re looking for a well-paying position and you have experience in a specific field.

Examples include executive administration, project management, social media marketing, and multilingual services. The clients for this company seek assistants for long-term projects.

Virtual assistants work on a part-time basis between 20 to 25 hours per week. This position requires you to be available during traditional business hours. You’ll also work virtually as part of a team with other WorldWide101 employees/contractors.

Qualifications And Application

WorldWide101 offers a brief amount of information on their jobs page. Qualified applicants will have:

Seven years or more of professional corporate experience.
A proven track record of the specific skills and abilities you offer.
High-quality professional references.

You’ll be contacted within 14 days of submitting your application. After this, you’ll need to complete two video interviews, testing, and background check.Training is not provided, so you already need to possess the skills that you list and offer.

Payment Information

WorldWide101 pays $18 to $20 per hour based on your experience and skills. You can work a maximum of 25 hours per week, so earning potential is $450 to $500 per week before taxes.

3. Virtual Office VA

About Virtual Office VA

Virtual Office VA connects clients with virtual assistants for real estate related work. Your duties as a VA include calling homeowners to collect information about their property and mortgage. Free training is provided, so you can learn exactly what you need to do to succeed.

Qualifications And Application

Virtual Office VA hires workers based in the United States. If you meet the residency qualification, you must also:

Have a computer with high-speed Internet.
Have a USB computer headset or physical phone.
Have an employer identification number (EIN).
Speak English fluently and clearly.
Be serious about working from home.
Be willing to complete a lot of phone-based work.

Positions aren’t always available, but you can find current openings here. If your application is accepted, you’ll need to complete basic training before you begin working.

Payment Information

Virtual Office VA lists the starting pay as $9 per hour. The company pays workers on a weekly basis via PayPal. You can work part-time or full-time between 25 to 40 hours per week, so your income before taxes starts between $225 to $360 per week.

4. Time etc.

About Time etc.

Time etc. is a popular name in the work from home community. Since 2007, the company has hired virtual assistants to complete various tasks for clients. In this role, you may perform basic administrative work, manage schedules, fill out forms, manage social media, make phone calls, and more.

Time etc. allows you to set your own hours, so this job is fairly flexible. It appears to be a part-time opportunity, and the company says you may work for other organizations at the same time. The clients and tasked that you’re assigned are based on your skill set.

Qualifications And Application

Time etc. qualifications are fairly easy to meet. You don’t need a specific degree as long as you have some experience. To get hired as a virtual assistant, you need to:

Be available during the Monday through Friday work week.
Commit to at least one year of work.
Be available to work at least five hours per week.
Have five or more years of relevant work experience.
Have current or former experience working from home.
Be proficient in English
Have good organizational skills.
Have a quiet place to complete your work.
Have a Mac or PC, Microsoft Office, an Internet connection, Skype, and professional liability insurance.

The application page says you’ll receive assistance and guidance from Time etc. team members. Read more about this position and apply here if the role suits you.

Payment Information

The starting pay for Time etc. is $11 per hour. Some worker reviews say that you can earn up to $16 per hour. Time etc. offers part-time hours, but the number of hours isn’t listed on the application page. They do mention you need to be available for at least five hours per week. Workers are paid monthly through PayPal.

5. Red Butler

About Red Butler

Red Butler hires virtual assistants to complete a very broad variety of tasks. Some examples include scheduling appointments, managing e-mail accounts, writing articles and blog posts, accounting work, graphic design services, and more. The work you do is based on your experience and skills.

Red Butler has been in business since 2005. The company has been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Entrepreneur Magazine, and other media outlets. Red Butler is also partnered with various hotels, restaurants, and lifestyle brands to give clients free upgrades, discounts, and more.

Qualifications And Application

Red Butler no longer lists their qualifications on their website. Fortunately, they are very easy to find online. To qualify for the virtual assistant position, you need:

Three or more years of experience as an executive assistant.
A college degree.
Proficient written and verbal communication skills.
Proficient Internet research skills.
Foreign language abilities and/or knowledge.
To be detail oriented, organized, and flexible.
To be confident in your decision-making abilities.
Commitment to excellent client service.
To be a team player.
Proficient problem solving and creative thinking skills.

As you can see, Red Butler has stricter requirements than some other virtual assistant gigs I’ve listed. But if you’re looking for a serious job that pays fairly, this may be a good match for you.

Payment Information

Red Butler pays virtuals assistants $12 to $15 per hour. Pay is based on your experience and qualifications. Workers reviews state that you can typically work 10 to 30 hours per week. The application lets you select full-time or part-time as your preference. You are paid once per month via PayPal.

6. Virtual Gal Friday

About Virtual Gal Friday

Most virtual assistants are hired as independent contractors. Virtual Gal Friday is unique because they hire you as an employee. This company hires general and medical virtual receptionists to perform phone duties and other tasks. You’ll need to be available during normal business hours for both positions.

Qualifications And Application

Virtual Gal Friday notes several different traits they are looking for in potential employees. They want to hire virtual assistants that have:

Strong organizational skills.
Strong communication skills.
Strong administrative skills.
Previous experience in customer service positions.
Efficiency with word processing, e-mailing, and e-mail/phone etiquette.

On the application page, the company notes that they perform background checks and require references. They also say they cannot respond to every single application. Fortunately, the application makes it pretty clear what experience and traits they desire. If you’re a good fit, give this opportunity a shot.

Payment Information

Payment information isn’t openly listed by Virtual Gal Friday. Glassdoor.com states that Virtual Gal Friday pays an average of $12.50 per hour. Other resources report maximum earnings of $14 to $15 per hour.

7. BELAY

About BELAY

BELAY is a very reputable Inc. 500 company that hires workers for four different work from home positions. BELAY hires virtual bookkeepers, virtual assistants, content writers, and webmasters.

They seek out experienced virtual assistants to fill this 100% remote job. In this position, you’re responsible for e-mail management, social media management, research, data entry, event planning and more. You need to be available during regular business hours Monday through Friday.

The company was founded in 2010 and quickly gained popularity among clients and workers alike. BELAY has great feedback from current and former workers. Many reviews mention flexible hours, great employer support, and positive experiences with clients.

Qualifications And Application

BELAY offers a lot of detail about what they look for in virtual assistants. The application page lists ideal skills as well as mandatory qualifications. I’ve highlighted the main skills and qualifications here:

You must be tech-savvy with social media, Dropbox, MS Office, Evernote, and other popular programs. If you aren’t familiar with a certain program, you need the ability to master it quickly.
Your personal attributes must include strong self-motivation, problem-solving skills, and a passion for learning new information.
You need five or more years of experience as an executive assistant, project manager, or a similar administrative support role.
A Bachelor’s degree is preferred but not mandatory.
Your home office setup must include the following: MAC or PC with a minimum 1.0 GHz dual processor, 8 GB of storage, the most recent Microsoft Office programs, high-speed Internet, webcam access, and a smartphone with e-mail capabilities.

You can read the full list of necessary qualifications here by clicking the Virtual Assistant position. BELAY also notes that you must pass a background check after applying.

Payment Information

BELAY doesn’t list hourly pay on their website. Glassdoor.com reports that BELAY virtual assistants earn $13 to $19 per hour. Several reviews note that the company pays via direct deposit.

Worker reviews also note that this part-time position averages 10 to 20 hours per week. So your potential earnings may vary between $130 to $380 per week.

8. Wonder

About Wonder

Wonder – also called Ask Wonder – offers a unique virtual assistant position. In this position, you perform research and collect information needed by clients. You’re responsible for finding hard data to answer the questions that clients have. You can find example questions at the link above.

This position offers workers a lot of flexibility. You can work from anywhere you’d like, and you work as little or as much as you want. Once you’re hired, you’ll have access to a list of research tasks. You can pick and choose the tasks you want, and the pay per task is listed upfront.

Qualifications And Application

Wonder lists pretty basic qualifications on their job page. They are looking for workers that have:

A sharp eye for high-quality content.
Strong general knowledge along with specific areas of expertise.
Strong English language skills.
The ability to create high-quality research summaries that thoroughly answer client questions.
Critical analytical and reasoning skills.
An eye for detail.
A basic understanding of economics.

They also mention that workers with previous experience or understanding of STEM fields and technical subjects are encouraged to submit applications. But overall, you simply need strong research and communication skills. If you meet the qualifications listed, you can apply here.

Payment Information

Wonder pays you per task versus paying a specific hourly wage. Your earnings are based on how much you work, how quickly you work, and the research tasks you choose.

The application page says active researchers earn $2,000 per month or more. Glassdoor.com shows that earnings for this role range between $8 to $24 per hour. Wonder pays bi-weekly via PayPal.

9. Spare5

About Spare5

Spare5 is pretty different from the other virtual assistant positions on this list. This is more of a flexible gig than a traditional job. If that’s what you’re looking for, it may be ideal for you. Spare5 pays you to complete small tasks through their website and mobile app.

These tasks include assessing audio files, annotating imagines, and providing keywords to develop algorithms. Several major companies use Spare5 for these virtual services. Examples include Microsoft, Expedia, Getty Images, IBM, and Pinterest.

You are paid for every micro-task you complete, and you can work whenever and wherever you want. Spare5 worker reviews say that tasks usually only take a few seconds to complete.

Since these tasks are short, they typically pay anywhere between $0.01 to $0.50. That doesn’t sound like much, but working for a few hours can lead to impressive earnings.

Qualifications And Application

Spare5 doesn’t have any mandatory qualifications, so you can start working very easily. You simply need to:

Register using LinkedIn, Facebook, Google, or your e-mail address.
Fill out a short survey about your demographic information. Be thorough and honest because this info determines what tasks you’re eligible to do.

Once you do this, you can immediately start completing tasks. If you’re looking for a hassle-free gig that doesn’t require time commitments, you’ll likely enjoy Spare5.

Payment Information

Spare5 pays via PayPal, and you receive payments by submitting cashout requests. You can request payment anytime as long as you have at least $1 in earnings. Since you’re paid per task, you don’t earn an hourly wage.

But we’ve estimated that you can earn between $8 to $12 per hour – read our Spare5 review to learn more.

10. Lifebushido

About Lifebushido

Since 2006, Lifebushido has hired at-home employees to complete general virtual assistant work. The company aims to match you with clients and tasks that fit your skills and experience. This position offers part-time hours ranging from five to 25 hours per week. The application page states that they are always hiring, and international workers are accepted.

Qualifications And Application

Lifebushido doesn’t list any qualifications or skills needed for this job. They emphasize that they focus on finding remote workers with unique talents. Other than that, no additional information is provided. To submit an application, you need to e-mail Lifebushido to express your interest. Visit this page to get started.

Payment Information

The pay rate isn’t disclosed on their website, but workers frequently say they earn $10 per hour. Depending on your hours, your potential earnings may be $50 to $250 per week. Workers are paid through PayPal on a monthly basis.

Tips For Becoming A Virtual Assistant

Some of these virtual assistant positions don’t require any prior experience. Others pay based on your experience and skill set. No matter what positions you pursue, you can always boost your income potential. Follow these tips for becoming a virtual assistant to get the most out of this job opportunity:

Be able to show your specific skills and abilities. You know that it’s important to list your skills on your application and resume. But make sure you’re specific and truthful. Let’s say you list computer skills. Name the programs that you’re most familiar with. Be thorough when you do this. Virtual assistants work with everything from Gmail to Excel spreadsheets. The more you can offer, the better you’ll do.
Develop your strengths and expertise. I’ve been freelancing for six years, and I firmly believe there’s always room for improvement. Brushing up on your strengths and expertise can help you succeed as a virtual assistant. Free courses through FutureLearn and Coursera are an excellent way to do this.
Manage your time effectively. You’ll notice that almost every company on my list mentions time management. It’s a very necessary skill for any virtual assistant. It can also boost your hourly income for task-based pay. There are free time management tools such as Toggl that help me in my work from home position.
Set up a quality home office environment. Working remotely can be great, but it may be difficult to focus. Having a quiet space dedicated to your work is ideal. My small home office area is simple but effective. Invest in an affordable desk, basic planner, and other necessities. A professional environment can help you stay on track.
Be a reliable worker for each company and client. You may also notice that reliability is a huge qualification for virtual assistants. It’s important for each individual client to depend on you. Even if a project seems small or pays less than others, give it your full effort. Doing this gives you a great track record as a virtual assistant. It may also open the door to better-paying opportunities in this field.
Boost your communication skills. A huge part of being a virtual assistant is communicating effectively. You’ll be talking on the phone, sending e-mails, attending video conferences, and more. Work on your verbal communication so that you sound confident. You can also use free tools like Grammarly to polish your e-mails and chat logs.

More Legitimate Work From Home Jobs

Virtual assistant jobs from home aren’t the only options out there. There are part-time and full-time positions that suit all sorts of skill sets and experience levels. Frugal For Less discovers and reviews lots of work from home jobs. I suggest reading these posts:

It’s easy to see that your options are limitless. Check out the posts above and our Make Money section. You’ll quickly see that there are many ways to make real money online.