How to hire a virtual assistant

How to hire a virtual assistant, step by step

Here's a step-by-step virtual assistant hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a virtual assistant job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new virtual assistant
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a virtual assistant do?

Post a virtual assistant job for free, promote it for a fee

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your virtual assistant job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a virtual assistant for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect virtual assistant also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   The following list breaks down different types of virtual assistants and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Virtual Assistant	Description	Hourly rate
   Virtual Assistant	Secretaries and administrative assistants perform clerical and administrative duties. They organize files, prepare documents, schedule appointments, and support other staff.	$13-25

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Data Entry
   • Customer Service
   • Email Management
   • Booking
   • Website Maintenance
   • Zoom
   • Project Management
   • Database Management
   • Web Design
   • Social Media Management
   • Media Management
   • Facebook
   • Administrative Tasks
   • Travel Arrangements

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Organize and manage client's social media using Hootsuite.
   • Manage payments and receipts in QuickBooks, manage bank deposits.
   • Manage the LinkedIn account and network of a human resources professional.
   • Assist in managing client accounts via twitter, Facebook, and link in.
   • Manage emails, voice mail, Skype, chat, and twitter correspondence.
   • Manage social media pages as well as the business Facebook page and group page.

   More virtual assistant duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your virtual assistant job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A virtual assistant can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, virtual assistants' average salary in oklahoma is 42% less than in district of columbia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level virtual assistants 46% less than senior-level virtual assistants.
   • Certifications. A virtual assistant with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a virtual assistant's salary.

   Average virtual assistant salary

   $39,915yearly

   $19.19 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level virtual assistant salary

   $29,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 18, 2025

   Average virtual assistant salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	District of Columbia	$58,064	$28
   2	Washington	$53,789	$26
   3	Minnesota	$49,694	$24
   4	New York	$48,121	$23
   5	New Jersey	$47,918	$23
   6	Oregon	$46,988	$23
   7	California	$45,306	$22
   8	Vermont	$44,977	$22
   9	Colorado	$44,577	$21
   10	Massachusetts	$43,214	$21
   11	Illinois	$43,030	$21
   12	Michigan	$42,790	$21
   13	Maryland	$41,917	$20
   14	New Hampshire	$41,150	$20
   15	Alabama	$40,453	$19
   16	Arizona	$39,872	$19
   17	Texas	$39,781	$19
   18	Pennsylvania	$39,759	$19
   19	Florida	$39,264	$19
   20	Georgia	$39,157	$19

   Average virtual assistant salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	IBM	$77,053	$37.04
   2	Lincoln County High School	$57,977	$27.87
   3	Navistar	$57,737	$27.76
   4	JPMorgan Chase & Co.	$50,669	$24.36	10
   5	Intel	$50,288	$24.18
   6	BioCryst Pharmaceuticals	$48,229	$23.19
   7	Fidelity Investments	$47,300	$22.74
   8	Holy Innocents' Episcopal School	$44,001	$21.15
   9	Global Risk Solutions	$43,774	$21.05
   10	GAVS Technologies	$43,117	$20.73
   11	PC House Call	$42,538	$20.45
   12	eXp Realty	$42,509	$20.44
   13	Toyota Connected North America	$42,508	$20.44
   14	J.P. Morgan	$42,274	$20.32
   15	US Foods	$42,204	$20.29	2
   16	ComAv	$42,175	$20.28
   17	BELAY	$42,114	$20.25	2
   18	Prudential Financial	$41,860	$20.13
   19	One Mission Society	$40,972	$19.70
   20	ADP	$40,589	$19.51	2

4. Writing a virtual assistant job description

   A job description for a virtual assistant role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a virtual assistant job description:

   Virtual assistant job description example

   At JP Morgan Chase, we have an obsession for helping our customers, taking care of our employees, a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion, building relationships, and delivering extraordinary customer service. Using the latest banking solutions combined with cutting edge financial technology you'll be front and center representing our brand, and providing superior customer service, to offer our customers the best solutions for their financial needs. If you are passionate about people, helping to improve the lives of our customers through financial solutions, education and advice, and want to join an exemplary team, then join us at JP Morgan Chase.
   Responsibilities:
   
   You'll contribute significantly to the success of the Virtual Branch and helping clients by:
   Providing strong customer service, offering advice and sharing products and services to help clients meet their financial needs Must be willing to work in an environment that requires a mix of phone-based and video based customer interaction Engaging clients over the phone and video both inbound and outbound Making clients feel appreciated and being their advocate Listening carefully and assisting clients with their questions or issues Showing initiative and proactively preventing problems for our clients Making customers lives easier by sharing and setting up self-service options so that they can access their accounts how, when and where they want Ability to maintain success in an ever changing environment Strong email communication - including appropriate use of spelling, grammar and professionalism Be able to work in a call center environment
   
   Desired Skills:
   Deliver exceptional customer experience by acting with a client-first attitude Ability to make personal connections, engage and educate clients, ask open-ended questions and listen to establish trust and build lasting relationships Display confidence with clients when sharing advice, product knowledge and solutions Possesses drive, initiative and knowledge to provide financial options for clients using a consultative approach Excellent communication skills - in person, over the phone and through email Proven ability to tailor features and benefits of products and services to clients with differing needs Ability to educate and connect clients to technology solutions Operate within established risk parameters/tolerances, and meets internal/external risk and compliance obligations, including completion of required training Professional, thorough and organized with strong follow-up skills Engage and partner with team members and other lines of business to offer most appropriate solutions Ability to learn products, services and procedures quickly and accurately Minimum 6 months customer service experience is required Preferred experience in: Retail banking Financial services Consultative customer relationship role in a related industry, with proven success, deepening client relationships and delivering results College degree or military equivalent strongly preferred; High school degree, GED or foreign equivalent required Ability to work Virtual Branch hours, including evenings and some weekends Bilingual in English and Spanish required To be considered for this role, you may be asked to complete a video interview powered by Zoom This is not a remote position (10a to 7p shift)
   Same Posting Description for Internal and External Candidates
   
   Chase is a leading financial services firm, helping nearly half of America's households and small businesses achieve their financial goals through a broad range of financial products. Our mission is to create engaged, lifelong relationships and put our customers at the heart of everything we do. We also help small businesses, nonprofits and cities grow, delivering solutions to solve all their financial needs.
   
   We recognize that our people are our strength and the diverse talents they bring to our global workforce are directly linked to our success. We are an equal opportunity employer and place a high value on diversity and inclusion at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of any protected attribute, including race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital or veteran status, pregnancy or disability, or any other basis protected under applicable law. In accordance with applicable law, we make reasonable accommodations for applicants' and employees' religious practices and beliefs, as well as any mental health or physical disability needs.
   
   The health and safety of our colleagues, candidates, clients and communities has been a top priority in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. JPMorgan Chase was awarded the "WELL Health-Safety Rating" for all of our 6,200 locations globally based on our operational policies, maintenance protocols, stakeholder engagement and emergency plans to address a post-COVID-19 environment.
   
   As a part of our commitment to health and safety, we have implemented various COVID-related health and safety requirements for our workforce. Employees are expected to follow the Firm's current COVID-19 or other infectious disease health and safety requirements, including local requirements. Requirements include sharing information including your vaccine card in the firm's vaccine record tool, and may include mask wearing. Requirements may change in the future with the evolving public health landscape. JPMorgan Chase will consider accommodation requests as required by applicable law.
   
   Equal Opportunity Employer/Disability/Veterans

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right virtual assistant for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with virtual assistants they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit virtual assistants who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your virtual assistant job on Zippia to find and recruit virtual assistant candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit virtual assistants, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new virtual assistant

   Once you've decided on a perfect virtual assistant candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new virtual assistant first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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