I have been recruiting and leading Talent Acquisition teams for over 15 years. In that time, I have seen numerous alternative routes into a career in the professional world. One of the most attractive and accessible pathways into the global digital economy is through the role of a Virtual Assistant (VA) particularly when working with reputable virtual assistant agencies. However, for individuals new to the field, entering this rapidly developing and highly competitive industry without proper guidance is fraught with risks, particularly around unstable income and difficult clients.
As a result, the best strategy I recommend for individuals beginning their careers in this area is to join forces with reputable virtual assistant agencies that provide the structure, credibility, and support that new professionals need.
Virtual Assistant agencies function as your first professional employer, agent, and career coach. They assist in mitigating the experience paradox by providing the training, credibility, and client pipeline you will lack as a newcomer to the VA industry. Based on assessments of the business models of several different Virtual Assistant agencies, below is a summary of the agencies that represent the most viable and structured gateway to begin your new career.
Why an Agency Provides the Best Opportunity to Enter a Career as a Newcomer
Entering a career as a freelance Virtual Assistant places an individual in a situation where they must possess a full range of business skills from the very beginning, including sales, marketing, legal, and financial. Many newcomers to the field find this steep and often discouraging curve to be overwhelming. Partnering with a Virtual Assistant agency represents a strategic opportunity to bypass this curve.
Through an agency relationship, you can leverage institutional credibility: the reputation of the agency with its clients is substituted for your lack of a personal track record. The agency has already established trust with its clients, which is your greatest obstacle to overcome in establishing yourself as a freelancer.
You can focus on improving your expertise, rather than trying to sell your services: your time is spent delivering service and continuing to develop your skills, rather than trying to acquire new clients.
You receive structured onboarding, as I did when I created graduate programs. Reputable Virtual Assistant agencies provide formal training to turn your raw potential (organization, communication, diligence) into standardized, billable skills.
You are protected from non-payment: the agency takes responsibility for collecting payments from clients, which protects you from the risk of non-payment, a common and debilitating threat to new freelancers.
Your Guide to Virtual Assistant Agencies: An Evaluation from a Recruiter
Below is a comparison of the seven agencies mentioned earlier, based on their onboarding procedures, client base, and support systems.
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Brivity VA
Website: https://www.brivity.com/va-careers
Strategic Profile: a niche expert focused primarily on the real estate sector, offering a traditional “earn while you learn” model. Through their singular focus on the real estate sector, Brivity offers deep, paid training that makes you a sector-specific asset as soon as you begin working.
Starting Salary: approximately $8 – $10/hour during the introductory period, increases to $11 – $15+/hour upon successful client placement.
Key Differentiation (From the Recruiter’s Perspective): The paid, sector-specific training is a major differentiator. Brivity is clearly investing in your human capital, which is indicative of a quality employer. This is the ideal scenario for someone with little or no prior experience as a VA or in the real estate sector, yet who possesses strong foundational soft skills.
Notable Benefits: 100% remote work environment, equipment/software assistance, structured team environment.
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Pineapple VA
Website: https://pineapple.virtualassistant.net/
Strategic Profile: functions as a traditional employer with a fully remote workforce. Unlike many other Virtual Assistant agencies, Pineapple offers formal employment benefits, which are extremely uncommon in the VA space and demonstrate a level of maturity and stability.
Starting Salary: typically begins at $15/hour for entry-level positions.
Key Differentiation (From the Recruiter’s Perspective): Health, dental, and vision insurance for US-based employees. This enables individuals to transition from gig work to a legitimate career path, with stability and security. The “Pineapple Academy” and defined paths of advancement illustrate Pineapple’s commitment to long-term employee development.
Notable Benefits: Health insurance, paid vacation/time off (PTO), holiday pay, and an active community.
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REVA Global
Website: https://revaglobal.com/careers/
Strategic Profile: a large, global employer of VAs, employing them in full-time, permanent positions. This provides a sense of stability and structure on an international scale, albeit the starting wage is reflective of global market conditions.
Starting Salary: typically $4 – $7/hour for entry-level positions, depending on geographic location.
Key Differentiation (From the Recruiter’s Perspective): permanent full-time employment status. For many, particularly outside of the United States, this provides essential financial and legal protection, along with mandated government benefits (e.g., SSS, Pag-IBIG, PhilHealth in the Philippines). This represents a corporate-style entrance into the remote workforce.
Notable Benefits: permanent full-time employment, PTO/sick leave, internet/utility allowance, performance bonuses.
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Virtudesk
Website: https://virtudesk.com/
Strategic Profile: a reputable agency with a concentration on the real estate, insurance, and marketing industries. Virtudesk emphasizes a comprehensive mutual evaluation process and ongoing coaching, indicating they view themselves as career partners.
Starting Salary: approximately $7 – $9/hour, with increases based on performance.
Key Differentiation (From the Recruiter’s Perspective): ongoing coaching/mentorship. This suggests Virtudesk is interested in both your continued performance and professional growth, beyond merely placing you with a client. The agency also offers a weekly pay schedule, which is beneficial for beginners needing a predictable cash flow.
Notable Benefits: weekly pay, mentorship programs, online community, specialization opportunities.
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The VA Hub
Website: https://thevahub.com/
Strategic Profile: uses a high-touch, curated approach, focusing on matching VAs and clients on personality and culture. They manage all commercial aspects, allowing you to focus solely on delivering your services.
Starting Salary: client packages begin at ~$1,800/month for part-time, representing a competitive hourly rate.
Key Differentiation (From the Recruiter’s Perspective): focus on cultural fit and long-term client relationships. Virtudesk is a good option for a newcomer who is personable, proactive, and has basic foundational skills, yet does not wish to engage in the stresses associated with direct sales or negotiations. They serve as a high-quality matchmaker.
Notable Benefits: manages all billing/payouts, curated community, seeks to establish stable client matches.
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Star VA
Website: https://starva.co/
Strategic Profile: targets the premium executive support market. They seek candidates they can train to become elite, proactive assistants for high-level entrepreneurs.
Starting Salary: full-time positions start at $2,000+/month packages.
Key Differentiation (From the Recruiter’s Perspective): investment in creating elite assistants. Their extensive training in executive support and productivity tools is intended to accelerate your movement to a high-value, high-trust position within the VA industry. This is the ideal option for a newcomer who is ambitious and wishes to reach the upper echelons of the profession quickly.
Notable Benefits: guaranteed monthly salary, dedicated success manager, internet allowance, and performance bonuses.
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Athena
Website: https://athenago.com/
Strategic Profile: the most selective and premium model. They employ “Athena Executives” as strategic partners to CEOs and Founders, not simply as task-completion assistants. This is an elite career accelerator program.
Starting Salary: high-end: $1,500/month (part-time) to $3,000+/month (full-time), equivalent to $15-$30/hour.
Key Differentiation (From the Recruiter’s Perspective): elite training for a strategic business partnership role. This is not your typical entry-level role; it is an exclusive program aimed at grooming future leaders and executives. The rigorous hiring and training process is comparable to the top-tier graduate leadership programs I have developed.
Notable Benefits: elite training/coaching, health stipend, PTO, productivity allowance, and collaboration with thought leaders in the industry.
A Strategic Framework for Choosing the Right Agency for Your New Career
Similar to any career decision, the correct agency for you will depend on your own background and objectives. Use the following criteria to determine which agency is best for you:
- Determine how much training you require: Do you require paid, comprehensive training (Brivity, Athena), or do you currently have a foundation of skills and merely need access to clients (The VA Hub)?
- Determine your financial and security needs: Are you seeking a career to replace your current income, or are you looking to supplement your existing income? If you need stability and security, prioritize agencies that offer full-time employment and benefits (Pineapple, REVA).
- Determine what areas of interest you would like to pursue: Would you like to concentrate in a specific area early on (Brivity, Virtudesk, in real estate) or maintain a broader range of professional interests (Pineapple, REVA)?
- Evaluate your desired work environment and company culture: Review agency culture on Glassdoor to determine whether you are comfortable working in a large, structured corporation (REVA) or a tight-knit community (Pineapple, The VA Hub).
Your Strategic Next Step
Go to each website and review the “Careers” section as you would review a job posting for any professional position. Present your applications in a manner that demonstrates the skills you bring to the table and the potential you have to succeed in the chosen agency’s model. This is the starting point, and it is a smart one for establishing a long-lasting remote career.
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