How to Become a Virtual Assistant in 2025

Thanks to the onset of remote work, virtual assistants are increasingly in demand. Becoming a virtual assistant can be a flexible career choice, offering the opportunity to work from home or another remote location as long as you have a solid internet connection.

Discover what a virtual assistant is, their major responsibilities, and how to get started in this career. If you're interested in building a foundational skill set to be a virtual assistant, consider enrolling in the Microsoft 365 Fundamentals Specialization, where you'll learn how to use a suite of productivity-enhancing applications.

What is a virtual assistant?

A virtual assistant (VA) is an administrative professional who offers remote support to businesses. By handling administrative tasks, virtual assistants help companies of all sizes improve their operations.

VAs can work as freelancers and take on several clients at once or work as long-term employees for one company. The virtual assistant services offered most frequently include: 

• Administrative assistant

• Executive assistant

• E-commerce management

• Data entry

• Web research

• Social media marketing

• Research assistant

Read more: 11 Side Hustles from Home and How to Get Started

What do virtual assistants do? 

Virtual assistants typically offer support through a range of functions. If they work in an administrative capacity, they'll handle tasks such as email correspondence, scheduling, travel arrangements, and presentation support, enabling a company's leadership to focus on bigger business goals. If they work in another capacity, they'll support the larger efforts of a team.

Because of the virtual nature of theiri work, virtual assistants rely on technology to communicate with their supervisor or team in order to understand their needs and offer relevant support. Some common virtual assistant services include:

Virtual assistant talent marketplaces

Various talent marketplaces available for virtual assistants to source clients and businesses. Fiverr and Upwork are among the more popular and well-known talent pools. 

Other talent pools include: 

• Belay Solutions

• VirtuDesk

• The Virtual Hub

• The VA Hub

• MyOutDesk

• Intelligent Office

• MyTasker

• The ROOM

• Wing

Some advantages these talent pools offer are secure payments, client matching, the ability to build a detailed profile and description of your services, and access to success tips and educational resources. In addition, VAs on these talent marketplaces may be able to find work at industry leading companies such as GE, Microsoft, Airbnb, COTY, Meta, Google, and AWS.

How much do virtual assistants make?

Virtual assistant salaries and hourly rates can differ. We've compiled information from the more popular job sites below:

• Glassdoor: $46,855 average annual US base salary [1]

• Indeed: $27.07 per hour in the US [2]

• Zip Recruiter: $24 per hour or 50,749 per year in the US [3]

A virtual assistant's income depends on several factors, including:

• The services you offer

• The prices you charge

• The country you live in

• Your skills and expertise

Another useful strategy for estimating how much you can make is to click through virtual assistant profiles on different marketplaces. How much do other VAs charge for their services? Here are some examples of information you can gather: 

• On Fiverr, you keep 80 percent of your earnings. 

• On Upwork, you can set hourly rates or project rates.

How to become a virtual assistant

Learn some of the common steps you can follow to become a virtual assistant.

1. Decide what types of services you will offer. 

Examine common talent marketplaces to better understand the types of services that virtual assistants offer and determine where your experience and skill set will best fit. Consider whether you'd like to pursue a full-time position remotely or offer your services as a freelancer.

2. Build relevant skills.

Once you know what type of support you want to offer, assess your skills and experience. What skills are your ideal clients looking for in a virtual assistant? What skills do you possess that can help you offer value to clients? What skill gaps will you need to fill?  

3. Create an online presence.

An online presence can make it easier to promote your virtual assistant services, display your skills and experience, and find new clients. Review your services, skills, experiences, letters of recommendation, and testimonials. Draft clear, compelling copy, such as a value proposition, mission statement, services list, and About Me paragraph. Then, set up any or all of the following: 

• Website 

• Online portfolio

• Profiles on virtual assistant talent marketplace sites

• Social media accounts specifically for promoting your VA services  

Read more: How to Create a Striking LinkedIn Profile: Guide + Tips

4. Look for virtual assistant jobs.

There are several ways you can earn income as a VA, including:

• Part-time virtual assistant jobs 

• Temporary VA gigs

• Full-time VA positions

• Starting your own VA business 

Watch this short video, "Get Found by Buyers," from the CalArts Building Your Freelancing Career Specialization, for ideas on how to get potential clients to notice your work.

Build foundational assistant skills with Coursera 

Build and strengthen key technical and workplace skills you'll need to offer valuable support to a team or company. Consider enrolling in the Microsoft 365 Fundamentals Specialization. You'll grow familiar with key tools such as Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.