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Module 19 — Hiring Your First Team
Compensation, Bonuses, and Retention for Remote Teams
11 min · text · Advanced
Your VA completed trial week and is performing. Month 2 is starting. If you pay them the same as month 1, they will leave in 60 days. The retention math: how much to pay a remote VA, the bonus structure that keeps them, and why $500/month turns into $700/month fast.
The Philippine VA market rate (2026)
Standard VA market rates in Philippines:
| Experience | Rate (USD/month) | Rate (AUD/month) |
|---|
| Entry (1-2 yrs) | $300-400 | $450-600 |
| Mid (3-5 yrs) | $450-600 | $675-900 |
| Senior (5+ yrs, ecommerce specialist) | $600-900 | $900-1,350 |
Key insight: These are on-the-books rates. Offshore VA platforms (Onlinejobs, Upwork, etc.) advertise