Virtual assistant Australia: your own VA, hired directly.
Looking for a virtual assistant in Australia? Most businesses rent one from an agency for a monthly fee. Tarino finds you a dedicated, Philippines-based virtual assistant you hire and pay directly, for one $5,000 fee and no ongoing markup.
- Recruitment fee
- $5,000 once, excl. GST
- Monthly markup
- $0
- Shortlist
- 3–4 in about 2 weeks
- Replacement cover
- 6 months
Virtual assistant services by role.
A general assistant suits most small businesses. If the work is specialist, hire for that role, so the practical test matches the job.
- Virtual assistantVirtual assistant Philippines support for Australian small business owners: one dedicated assistant who handles enquiries, scheduling, data entry and follow-ups across your business, hired and paid directly by you.
- Executive assistantAn executive virtual assistant for Australian partners, directors and business owners: a Philippines-based assistant who runs your inbox, diary, meetings and follow-ups, hired and paid directly by your business.
- Admin assistantAdmin outsourcing for Australian builders, trades, NDIS providers and allied health practices: a Philippines-based admin assistant who keeps bookings, records, invoices and follow-ups in order, hired and paid directly by you.
- Customer service representativeCustomer service outsourcing for Australian NDIS providers and property businesses: a dedicated Philippines-based representative who answers calls, emails and chats in your tone, hired and paid directly by you.
- Real estate assistantA real estate virtual assistant for Australian sales agencies, property managers and buyers agents: a Philippines-based hire who handles listing admin, CRM upkeep, inspection bookings and property research, hired and paid directly by you.
- Legal assistantA legal virtual assistant for Australian law firms: a Philippines-based legal assistant or paralegal who opens and maintains matters, prepares documents from your precedents and keeps deadlines and billing in order, hired and paid directly by your firm.
- Medical receptionistA medical virtual assistant for Australian allied health practices: a Philippines-based receptionist who answers your practice phone, manages bookings and recalls, and keeps patient admin in order, hired and paid directly by you.
- NDIS admin assistantAn NDIS virtual assistant for Australian providers: a Philippines-based administrator who organises intake, roster updates, service agreements and invoicing data so your local team can focus on participants, hired and paid directly by you.
- Marketing assistantOutsource digital marketing for Australian agencies and in-house teams: a Philippines-based marketing assistant who produces content, builds email campaigns, updates websites and pulls reports from your briefs, hired and paid directly by you.
- Social media managerOutsource social media marketing for Australian agencies and brands to an offshore social media manager: a Philippines-based hire who plans content calendars, creates posts and short videos, schedules them and reports on results, hired and paid directly by you.
By industry: Virtual assistants for mortgage brokers · Virtual assistants for buyers agents · Virtual assistants for allied health · NDIS admin support · Property management outsourcing
How much does a virtual assistant cost?
There are two costs: what your assistant is paid, and what you pay to find and keep them.
Through a managed agency, both are bundled into one rate per assistant, charged every month for as long as they work for you. Virtual Coworker, for example, publishes rates from A$8 an hour for a virtual assistant; Staff Domain lists A$1,099 per person per month on top of the assistant's salary.
Through Tarino, you pay a one-time recruitment fee of $250 upfront and $4,750 on hire ($5,000 excl. GST in total). You then pay your assistant directly, so they keep their full salary and there is no monthly margin in between.
Compare the full cost of both models for your role, or see how our pricing works.
Agency rates from each provider's own website, checked October 2026.
Hiring a virtual assistant: what they take off your plate.
- Monitor shared inboxes and answer routine enquiries using approved templates
- Log new leads and enquiries in your CRM and send first responses
- Book appointments, inspections and site visits and send confirmations
- Update spreadsheets, CRM records and job or property files
- Prepare documents, forms and simple reports from your templates
- Follow up clients, suppliers and agents on outstanding items
- Schedule approved social posts and update listings or website content
- Keep shared folders organised and maintain your process checklists
How we screen for this role
- 01
Candidate pool
Applicants, headhunted candidates and referrals from vetted local networks build a pool of 1,000+ per role.
100%1,000+ people - 02
CV + quality screening
Experience, stability, written communication, responsiveness and attention to detail.
40%about 400 of 1,000 - 03
Video screening
Communication ability, professionalism and personality.
20%about 200 of 1,000 - 04
Practical assessment
Role-specific tasks test real capability and quality of work.
10%about 100 of 1,000 - 05
Structured interview
Judgement, ownership, communication, problem-solving and independent operation.
5%about 50 of 1,000 - 06
Finalist review
The strongest candidates are reviewed across every assessment stage.
2%about 20 of 1,000 Your shortlist
3–4 finalists with scorecards, practical-task results and independent reference checks, in about two weeks.
3–4people you meet
Virtual assistant questions
What does a virtual assistant do?
A virtual assistant handles the admin that keeps a business running: inbox and diary management, client follow-ups, data entry, CRM updates, document preparation, bookings and basic reporting. Specialist assistants also cover industry work, such as loan file preparation for brokers or appointment management for clinics.
How much does a virtual assistant cost in Australia?
It depends on the model. Managed agencies charge an ongoing rate per assistant; Virtual Coworker, for example, publishes rates from A$8 an hour. Through Tarino you pay a one-time recruitment fee of $5,000 excl. GST and then pay your assistant's salary directly, with no monthly markup. Use the cost calculator to compare the two for a specific role.
Is a Philippines-based virtual assistant right for an Australian business?
Often, yes. The Philippines has a large English-speaking workforce familiar with Australian businesses, and working hours overlap well with the Australian day. The right fit depends on the role, the systems your assistant needs and how clearly the work is documented.
What is the difference between a virtual assistant agency and direct hire?
An agency hires the assistant and charges you a monthly fee on top of their pay for as long as they work for you. With direct hire, a recruiter such as Tarino finds and screens candidates, you hire the person yourself and pay them directly, and the recruiter is paid once.
Virtual assistant outsourcing or an offshore virtual assistant you hire?
Virtual assistant outsourcing means a provider supplies the assistant and charges you a monthly or hourly rate. An offshore virtual assistant you hire yourself works only for you, you pay them directly, and with Tarino you pay a recruiter once instead of an ongoing margin.
How long does it take to hire a virtual assistant?
Tarino sends a shortlist of 3–4 screened finalists in about two weeks. Each role starts with 1,000+ candidates screened across five stages, including a practical task that matches the job.
Find your virtual assistant in about two weeks.
Book a 30-minute call. No pitch, no pressure, just a straight conversation about your business and whether Tarino is the right fit.
Book a free call