HUSBAND. FATHER. DISCIPLE OF JESUS CHRIST.
ENTREPRENEUR. MEDIOCRE GOLFER.

I’m John Jonas. I live in Utah and I founded OnlineJobs.ph. My life is better because of my Filipino OFS (Online Filipino Specialist). My team.

I had a normal “job” for 8 months after college and my biggest goal at that time was to be able to quit that job. I managed to quit back in 2004 and worked from home for myself ever since then.

When I first hired someone from the Philippines in January of 2006, I knew I was onto something special. Since then I’ve learned that for most people, life is definitely better with Filipino workers on your team.

Yes, because of my Filipino workers I get to play a lot of golf, spend a lot of time with my wife and kids, and get out backpacking in the middle of the week. I work for about 17 hours a week because of the amazing work they do. However it’s not just better for us; it’s better for them too.

Learn why & how to hire
talented OFS from the Philippines

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an OFS using Onlinejobs.ph

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P.S.
I DON’T DO SOCIAL MEDIA…
MY OFS DO IT FOR ME.

} My Latest Post

How I figured out how to pay my VA fairly

by John Jonas | Mar 1, 2026

“How much should I pay my Filipino VA?”

The short answer is that it depends on the skill and experience.
Then I (or Julia, if you sent me an email) would direct you to our salary guide.

It’s the short answer, but I know it’s not the most helpful answer.

Here’s what you need to understand.

First, the minimum rate.
OnlineJobs.ph does not set minimum rates on the platform, and our salary guide is based on the asking rate of the jobseekers. If you want to pay your VA fairly, you shouldn’t go any lower than what is posted there.

Based on our experience (and research on salary rates across different jobs and regions in the Philippines), a good starting salary for a newbie doing full-time job would be around $400-$500 per month, or roughly $2.50 per hour. Even if you’re hiring someone inexperienced, you shouldn’t go lower than that.

It’s a good salary for people just starting out, like recent graduates or young adults. People who are still living with their parents and don’t have families yet. It’s not enough for them to live on their own, but it’s a good start. This will give them the chance to help their parents and start saving up.

I feel like I need to reiterate this:
$400/month ($2.50-$3/hour) IS FOR A NEWBIE!!! Someone with ZERO experience.
I see too many employers insisting on an expert at $3/hour. Not going to happen.

If you’re looking for VAs with technical or specialized skills, even newbies may ask for a higher starting salary. Even if they don’t have a lot of experience, they have received training for that job, either through school, from VA training, or self-study.

A beginner programmer wouldn’t be starting from absolute zero and won’t work at $2.50/hour.

Next: a bit about underpaying and overpaying:
Underpaying: Don’t!
Overpaying: This is complicated. It seems like the right thing to do is to offer more.
“If I offer $10/hour I’ll get the best, and I feel better about it.”
The reality?
When you over pay you tend to attract bad actors. You attract those who have “been in the game” a long time. They know the right things to say to get you to hire them. They’re likely working for multiple employers.
Or…they don’t know anything but they took a course from some dumb social media influencer who promised they could make $10/hour with little work.

I see a pattern with employers who offer rates that are too high. They complain to me about the people they hire. They get poor work done.

The sweet spot
Right now, from all the data I see, $4-$7/hour feels like the correct wage.
At $4 you’re on the lower end. At $7 you’re on the higher end.
This shifts upward with more skilled positions.
But for skilled SEO, content writing, admin, social media management, lead generation, video editing, graphic design, customer support, email marketing, google ads, Facebook ads…$4-$7 is the right range right now.

How to find these people
This is where using our filters can help. You’ll see this on the left side of the search page. Just set whether you need someone part-time or full-time and how much you’re looking to pay.

Negotiable
Don’t underpay. Don’t overpay. Salaries are negotiable.
Recently I’ve hired 2 different people.
I set my salary at $900/month (~$5.25/hour), plus a bunch of benefits that equates to ~$6.50.
One was asking for $720 (~$4/hour). The other was asking for $2200 (~$13/hour). They both said yes to $900. They’re both amazing.

How to pay
Use Easypay. We offer favorable rates with fewer fees, and it’s free to use with any OnlineJobs.ph account, whether it’s a free, pro, or premium account.

John

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I cannot tell you how much I appreciate these emails you send out John. Since I have been reading them, I have developed such great relationships with 2 my VA’s and soon to hire a third. So grateful that you created this!

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HUSBAND. FATHER. DISCIPLE OF JESUS CHRIST.
ENTREPRENEUR. MEDIOCRE GOLFER.

P.S.
I DON’T DO SOCIAL MEDIA…
MY OFS DO IT FOR ME.