Free Tool

Virtual Assistant
Cost Calculator

Work out what a virtual assistant costs next to a local hire, and how much you could save each year by hiring remote talent from the Philippines instead.

Detecting location...
Local Hire (US 🇺🇸)
$56.00/hr
≈ $116,480 / YR
DonutJobs Hire (PH 🇵🇭)
$5.60/hr
≈ $11,648 / YR

Total Arbitrage Value

+$104,832/yr
View Candidates

Turn these theoretical savings into reality.

Start hiring now

You've seen the math. Now meet the talent. DonutJobs gives you direct access to the top 1% of pre-vetted professionals in the Philippines. Skip the risky offshore agencies and build your team instantly.

Strictly Vetted Talent

Strictly Vetted Talent

Every candidate passes rigorous English proficiency and role-specific skill assessments before entering our pool.

Zero Middlemen

We aren't an agency. You hire your team directly, pay them directly, and keep 100% of the salary arbitrage.

Hire in days, not months

From browsing voice samples to in-app messaging and interview scheduling, the entire process happens right here.

How to compare a local hire against a remote one

Compare like for like. Match the responsibilities, weekly hours and experience level on both sides before you read the gap. A cheaper hourly rate on a narrower role is not a saving, it is a different job.

The figures here are planning inputs, not salary benchmarks or a claim about what any individual should earn. Taxes, statutory contributions, payroll charges, currency conversion and one-time setup costs are not automatically included. Add the recurring costs that apply to your own arrangement.

Budget for the ramp as well as the rate. Training, review and coordination take real time in the first few weeks, and they are the difference between a hire that pays for itself and one that quietly does not.

Everything runs in your browser. No account, no email address and nothing you type is sent to us.

Got questions?

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about comparing local and remote hiring costs

Are these current market salary rates?

The starting figures are illustrative planning inputs and every field is editable. The calculator does not read live candidate salary data. Replace the defaults with real quotes once you have them.

Does the calculator include taxes and employment costs?

Not automatically. It covers the pay inputs and recurring extras you enter. Check which additional costs apply to your hiring arrangement and location, then add them yourself.

Is this calculator free?

Yes. There is no account, email address or usage fee. Posting a job on DonutJobs is a separate step.

Pricing

Start for free. No per-hire fees.

Find your first VA for free. Upgrade when you build the team.

Every week without a pipeline costs you the team you could have built.

Free Plan

No credit card

Find your first VA for free

No commitment
FREE FOREVER
$0/mo
No billing · no expiry
Active Job Posts1How many job posts you can have live at the same time. Close or pause a role to free up its slot.
Time to Go LiveUp to 48hHow long your job post waits before candidates can see it. Free posts are reviewed by a human first, which takes up to 48 hours. Posts on paid plans skip the queue and publish straight away.
Talent Pool OutreachNoneHow many candidates you can proactively contact in the talent pool each month, before they ever apply to you.
Team Seats1How many people can work in your workspace and share the same pipeline, chat, and candidate notes.
Boost PricingStandardBoosts are optional add-ons that push your job post in front of more candidates. This is the rate you pay for them.
SupportStandardThe level of help you get from our team, from standard email support up to direct founder support.

What's included

1 active job postRun one live job post at a time, for as long as you need it.
Up to 10 applicationsYour job post can collect up to 10 applications. Upgrade any time if you need more reach.
Broadcast to the candidate poolYour job is announced to matching candidates in the pool, so applications come to you without any outreach.
In-app chat with applicantsChat directly with everyone who applied, right inside DonutJobs.
Instant publishing (48-hour review)Free job posts are checked by a human before they go live, which takes up to 48 hours. Any paid plan publishes your post immediately and puts it ahead of the free queue.
Talent pool search & outreachSearching the talent pool and contacting candidates first is available on paid plans.
AI workflows & automationsThe AI Workflow Builder and automation rules are available on paid plans.
More than one open roleThe free plan runs a single role at a time. Paid plans unlock 10 or unlimited active posts.
Post my first job for free

No credit card · reviewed and live within 48h

Agency Plan

Everything you need to start hiring

BEST VALUE
$55/mo$99
Billed monthly · 6-month term
Active Job Posts10 / monthHow many job posts you can have live at the same time. Close or pause a role to free up its slot.
Time to Go LiveInstantHow long your job post waits before candidates can see it. Free posts are reviewed by a human first, which takes up to 48 hours. Posts on paid plans skip the queue and publish straight away.
Talent Pool OutreachUnlimitedHow many candidates you can proactively contact in the talent pool each month, before they ever apply to you.
Team Seats1How many people can work in your workspace and share the same pipeline, chat, and candidate notes.
Boost PricingStandardBoosts are optional add-ons that push your job post in front of more candidates. This is the rate you pay for them.
SupportStandardThe level of help you get from our team, from standard email support up to direct founder support.

Included in every paid plan

Application Tracking SystemA complete ATS: move candidates through pipeline stages, keep notes, and handle many applicants at once with bulk actions.
AI Workflow BuilderAutomate hiring busywork with rules: auto-message applicants and move or reject candidates based on their answers and test scores.
Time TrackingTrack your hired VAs’ working hours inside DonutJobs, no separate tool needed.
MCPConnect DonutJobs to AI assistants like Claude or ChatGPT via the Model Context Protocol and manage your pipeline in plain language.
Magic Search & SwipeFilter the talent pool by skills and test scores, then swipe through matching candidates one at a time.
Custom FormbuilderBuild your own application forms with custom questions and knockout rules that screen applicants automatically.
In-app chat (synced to ATS)Message candidates without leaving DonutJobs. Every conversation is saved on the candidate’s record.
Post my first job for free

No credit card · upgrade any time

Pro Plan

Team Seats

Unlimited everything with team seats

BEST VALUE
$166/mo$299
Billed monthly · 6-month term
Active Job PostsUnlimitedHow many job posts you can have live at the same time. Close or pause a role to free up its slot.
Time to Go LiveInstantHow long your job post waits before candidates can see it. Free posts are reviewed by a human first, which takes up to 48 hours. Posts on paid plans skip the queue and publish straight away.
Talent Pool OutreachUnlimitedHow many candidates you can proactively contact in the talent pool each month, before they ever apply to you.
Team Seats5 includedHow many people can work in your workspace and share the same pipeline, chat, and candidate notes.
Boost PricingMember −50%Boosts are optional add-ons that push your job post in front of more candidates. This is the rate you pay for them.
SupportFounder supportThe level of help you get from our team, from standard email support up to direct founder support.

Included in every paid plan

Application Tracking SystemA complete ATS: move candidates through pipeline stages, keep notes, and handle many applicants at once with bulk actions.
AI Workflow BuilderAutomate hiring busywork with rules: auto-message applicants and move or reject candidates based on their answers and test scores.
Time TrackingTrack your hired VAs’ working hours inside DonutJobs, no separate tool needed.
MCPConnect DonutJobs to AI assistants like Claude or ChatGPT via the Model Context Protocol and manage your pipeline in plain language.
Magic Search & SwipeFilter the talent pool by skills and test scores, then swipe through matching candidates one at a time.
Custom FormbuilderBuild your own application forms with custom questions and knockout rules that screen applicants automatically.
In-app chat (synced to ATS)Message candidates without leaving DonutJobs. Every conversation is saved on the candidate’s record.
Post my first job for free

No credit card · upgrade any time

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