The Ultimate Guide to Becoming a Virtual Assistant and Working Remotely

You’re organized, tech-savvy, and love helping others get things done. Why not turn those strengths into a remote career as a virtual assistant (VA)? Whether you’re looking for a part-time or freelance side hustle or a full-time remote role, virtual assistant jobs offer a flexible career path that can be tailored to your schedule and skill set.

In our ultimate guide to becoming a virtual assistant and working remotely, we’re covering:

The definition and description of virtual assistant jobs and why to consider them
Steps to find virtual assistant jobs, remote, and how to land them
Different types of virtual assistant jobs and companies hiring
Essential hard and soft skills needed for remote virtual assistant jobs
Answers to common questions about virtual assistant remote jobs

What Is a Virtual Assistant?

A virtual assistant is a remote professional who provides administrative, technical, or creative support to individuals, entrepreneurs, or businesses. Unlike an in-office assistant, a virtual assistant works entirely online, using tools like email, messaging apps, and project management platforms to communicate and complete tasks.

Virtual assistants can work as independent freelancers, through staffing agencies, or as employees. Their roles are highly flexible, with opportunities to specialize in areas from customer service to marketing to executive support.

What Does a Virtual Assistant Do?

A virtual assistant handles a wide range of tasks to help clients stay organized, save time, and focus on big-picture goals. Common responsibilities include managing emails and calendars, booking travel, conducting research, preparing documents, and handling data entry. Many virtual assistants also manage social media accounts, help with customer service, or assist with content creation and marketing campaigns.

The exact duties of a virtual assistant depend on the needs of the client or business. Some may support one executive with day-to-day scheduling and communication, while others juggle multiple clients, providing specialized services like bookkeeping, email marketing, or lead generation. Regardless of your virtual assistant niche, however, strong communication, tech savvy, and organizational skills are key to success.

Why Become a Virtual Assistant?

Becoming a virtual assistant offers flexibility, freedom, and the chance to build a career on your own terms. As a virtual assistant, you can develop a wide range of valuable skills, take control of your workload and income, and often have the freedom to work from anywhere. Plus, with low barriers to entry and opportunities for specialization, it’s an accessible path for beginners and experienced professionals alike.

Whether you’re looking for a full-time remote job or part-time work that fits around family life or other responsibilities, virtual assistant jobs, remote, provide options that can adapt to your lifestyle.

How to Become a Virtual Assistant: 10 Steps to Find and Land Remote Virtual Assistant Jobs

We’ve broken down the process of becoming a virtual assistant into two parts—how to find virtual assistant jobs and how to land them—and cover remote job search strategies, where to look, and how to stand out and get hired.

Step 1: Use Smart Search Strategies

Finding remote virtual assistant jobs starts with knowing exactly what to type into the search bar.

Use targeted queries (“virtual assistant jobs remote” or “virtual assistant jobs remote part-time”) to surface listings that match your goals, and include keywords (“freelance,” “entry-level,” “contract”) if you have specific availability or experience levels in mind. Set up job alerts using these phrases so opportunities come straight to your inbox.

Step 2: Use Niche Job Boards

Instead of scrolling endlessly through general job sites, head straight to job boards that specialize in remote or virtual assistant roles. Sites like Remote.co and FlexJobs vet all job listings, helping you avoid scams and find legitimate jobs from reputable employers.

You can also check out assistant-specific platforms, like BELAY and Boldly, which focus exclusively on hiring virtual assistants for clients in industries like real estate, tech, and executive services. These sites often list both part-time and full-time opportunities, making them great places to start your search.

Step 3: Avoid Job Scams

Virtual assistant jobs are popular. Unfortunately, that makes them a target for work-from-home job scams.

Be wary of job listings and companies that promise high pay for little work, ask you to pay upfront for training, or use generic email addresses (like Gmail or Yahoo). Always research companies, avoid sharing personal information too soon, and stick to reputable job boards to protect yourself.

Step 4: Tap Into Networking Groups

Don’t underestimate the power of your network. Many jobs are filled through word of mouth, so staying active in these spaces can open doors to virtual assistant jobs you wouldn’t find through traditional listings.

Join Facebook groups, LinkedIn communities, or forums like Reddit’s “r/virtualassistant” thread to connect with other virtual assistants, get referrals, and find job leads.

Step 5: Explore Freelance Marketplaces

Companies and individuals often hire virtual assistants for freelance jobs, so consider that option in your search.

Freelance platforms, like Upwork or Fiverr, can be great for building your virtual assistant career, especially if you’re just starting out. These marketplaces let you set your rates, pitch clients directly, and get reviews that help build your credibility. While competition is high, a strong profile and clear service offerings can help you land your first few clients, gain experience and testimonials, and start generating income quickly.

Step 6: Build an Effective Base Virtual Assistant Resume

To land remote virtual assistant jobs, you’ll need a neatly formatted resume (ideally under two pages) that uses action verbs to showcase the right skills. Think time management, communication, and knowledge of tech tools like Microsoft Office and Google Workspace.

Include any relevant freelance, admin, or customer service experience you have. For instance, if you’ve helped organize a team, managed a calendar, or handled email outreach, that’s valuable experience worth listing. You can use these experiences to create a foundation resume that can be tweaked to align with different jobs.

Step 7: Craft Your Online Presence

You don’t need a flashy website, but an optimized LinkedIn profile or portfolio can boost your credibility.

Use your online profiles to showcase your skills, share testimonials (if you’ve worked with past clients), and let potential employers know what types of tasks you specialize in as a virtual assistant, whether that’s inbox management, social media scheduling, or research.

Step 8: Customize Your Applications

Avoid generic copy-and-paste resumes or cover letters. Taking the time to personalize your application can significantly improve your chances of getting noticed.

To tailor your virtual assistant application to each job, mention specific tools or skills from the job posting. For example, if a listing asks for experience with calendar management, mention exactly that. Highlight your most relevant experience, and reorder bullet points to match the priorities of the posting.

Step 9: Brush Up on In-Demand Virtual Assistant Skills

The most successful virtual assistants stay sharp on tools and tech. Continuous learning helps you stay competitive and can potentially help you land high-paying remote jobs.

Brush up on platforms relevant to the niche you want to support as a virtual assistant, such as Trello for project management, Canva for graphic design, or QuickBooks for accounting support. You can find free or low-cost courses on sites like Coursera, LinkedIn Learning, and even YouTube.

Step 10: Be Ready to Start Small (and Grow)

You may need to accept lower-paying remote virtual assistant jobs to build experience and testimonials, especially when you’re starting out. That’s normal as you gain client trust, build your confidence, and refine your niche.

Once you’ve established a track record, you can raise your rates if you’re freelancing or transition to higher-paying clients and more specialized work.

5 Different Types of Virtual Assistant Remote Jobs

Companies and clients hire virtual assistants under a range of titles, responsibilities, and niches. Below are five common types of virtual assistant jobs you may come across in your search, with average salary data from Payscale. Note which ones match your goals, and keep an eye out for these in the job market!

1. Administrative Assistant Jobs

Average Salary: $45,465

Remote administrative assistants handle a range of tasks that keep businesses running smoothly. Common responsibilities include scheduling meetings, managing emails, organizing files, and updating spreadsheets. These roles are ideal for detail-oriented, organized individuals who are comfortable juggling multiple responsibilities online.

2. Bookkeeping Assistant Jobs

Average Salary: $39,838

Virtual bookkeeping assistants help manage financial records, track expenses, send invoices, and reconcile accounts. This role typically requires some familiarity with tools like QuickBooks, Excel, or other accounting software. Accuracy and attention to detail are especially important for bookkeeping.

3. Executive Assistant Jobs

Average Salary: $65,498

Remote executive assistants provide high-level support to business leaders by managing their calendars and booking their travel, preparing presentations, and acting as a gatekeeper for meetings and communications. These roles require discretion, communication skills, and the ability to manage complex schedules with competing priorities.

4. Personal Assistant Jobs

Average Salary: $51,984

Personal assistants help busy professionals handle day-to-day tasks, such as calendar management, travel planning, email correspondence, and personal errands. These roles may be remote or hybrid and require discretion, organization, and communication skills. Responsibilities can vary by employer, so carefully review job listings.

5. Social Media Assistant Jobs

Average Salary: $35,374

Social media virtual assistants help businesses maintain a consistent presence online. This can include scheduling posts, creating content, responding to messages, and analyzing performance metrics. A strong understanding of platforms like Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok is key, as well as basic design or copywriting skills.

10 Companies That Hire for Virtual Assistant Remote Jobs

Explore this sampling of 10 companies hiring for remote virtual assistant jobs to find flexible opportunities that allow you to support clients across a range of industries from the comfort of home.

Assistantly
BCG Digital Ventures – BCGDV
Brigham and Women’s Hospital
DLA Piper
Lockheed Martin
Pearson
Sargent & Lundy
State of Arizona
University of Minnesota
Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker

You can find more opportunities by exploring remote jobs in Remote.co’s database.

20 Skills Needed for Remote Virtual Assistant Jobs

To succeed in virtual assistant remote jobs, you’ll need a mix of hard skills and soft skills.

10 Hard Skills for Virtual Assistant Jobs

Hard skills are technical abilities you can learn through training or experience.

In virtual assistant jobs, you’ll typically need hard skills such as:

Basic bookkeeping (e.g., QuickBooks, Wave)
Calendar and schedule management
Customer relationship management (CRM) software (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot)
Data entry and spreadsheet tracking
Email management and inbox organization
Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Calendar, Gmail)
Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, etc.)
Online research
Project management software (e.g., Trello, Asana, ClickUp)
Social media management tools (e.g., Buffer, Hootsuite)

10 Soft Skills for Virtual Assistant Jobs

Soft skills refer to personal and professional traits that influence how you work with others and manage your time.

Common soft skills for virtual assistant jobs include:

Ability to work independently
Adaptability
Attention to detail
Customer service mindset
Discretion and confidentiality
Organization
Problem-solving
Reliability and self-motivation
Time management
Verbal and written communication

Frequently Asked Questions About Remote Virtual Assistant Jobs

After reviewing the guide above, you might still have some questions about virtual assistant remote jobs. Below, we’ve provided answers to questions job seekers just like you commonly ask.

1. Can you get virtual assistant jobs with no experience?

Yes, it’s possible to land virtual assistant jobs without prior experience, especially if you have transferable skills. Many entry-level virtual assistant jobs don’t require formal experience in administrative support but instead focus on general administrative tasks, like email management, data entry, and calendar scheduling.

Highlighting your transferable skills, such as organization, communication, and tech skills, can help you stand out, even as a beginner. You can also build experience by freelancing, volunteering, or completing short courses that teach relevant tools, such as Google Workspace, QuickBooks, and Canva.

2. Can you work worldwide as a virtual assistant?

Yes, many virtual assistant jobs are work-from-anywhere jobs open to candidates worldwide. However, some employers or clients may require you to work within a specific time zone or have access to certain tools or payment platforms, so you should always check location requirements in job listings.

Freelance platforms and remote job boards often include global opportunities, especially for roles that are project-based or focused on asynchronous communication. If you want to work from anywhere as a virtual assistant, targeting these platforms can give you a head start.

3. Are there virtual assistant jobs, remote, part-time?

Absolutely. Virtual assistant jobs are well known for offering part-time flexibility, making them ideal for working parents, full-time students, or anyone looking to supplement their income.

When searching, use specific terms based on your scheduling needs, like “virtual assistant jobs remote part-time,” to narrow results and find opportunities that fit your schedule. You can find part-time roles that range from a few hours to 20 or 30 hours per week.

4. How much money can you make as a virtual assistant?

Virtual assistants can make anywhere between $23,000 and $69,000 per year, according to Payscale. However, it’s important to note that salaries vary by location, experience, and specialty.

For instance, the average annual salary for experienced executive assistants is $71,819. In contrast, entry-level personal assistants have an average yearly income of $36,839. As another example, marketing assistants have a median annual salary of $44,536.

Find Virtual Assistant Remote Jobs With Remote.co

You don’t need a fancy title or years of experience to start building a meaningful, flexible career as a virtual assistant. With the right tools, key skills, and the drive to help others stay organized, you can carve out a remote job that works for your life, not the other way around.

Ready to find a virtual assistant job? At Remote.co, you’ll find a curated job board featuring legitimate remote jobs across more than 50 career categories. New jobs are vetted and posted daily, so start your search today!