How Much Does a Marketing Virtual Assistant Cost in Australia? (2026 Guide)
Compare marketing VA costs in Australia in 2026. See pricing for direct offshore hires, Australian freelancers, managed agency VAs, and local employees.
If your marketing plan lives in your head and content, emails, and lead follow-ups keep slipping to next week, hiring help makes total sense. But what does a marketing virtual assistant actually cost in Australia?
Depending on whether you hire directly offshore, use an Australian freelancer, partner with a managed agency, or employ someone locally, quotes vary wildly. That is because you are buying completely different levels of skill, capacity, and management support.
Full disclosure: I’ve hired using every single model in this guide - direct offshore, freelance platforms, and managed agencies. It’s probably no surprise that I’m a huge advocate for offshoring through an agency. But that’s not because I own one. In fact, it’s why I started an agency in the first place. Offshoring makes total sense for Australian businesses, but it only works reliably when there’s a real system in place to support it.
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15 Hours a Week: What Does Marketing Help Actually Cost?
To keep the comparison fair, let's look at a standard 15 hours per week (roughly 65 hours per month). This is usually the starting point for an established service business to get marketing moving consistently.
All figures are in AUD; GST is additional where applicable.
What Can a Marketing VA Actually Take Off Your Plate?
A marketing VA turns an agreed plan into consistent execution. Key tasks might include:
📅 Content Scheduling: Formatting and scheduling posts across LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook.
🎨 Graphic Preparation: Creating branded social assets and flyers using Canva templates.
✉️ Email Marketing: Setting up monthly newsletters, broadcasting promos, and tagging contacts in your CRM.
📈 Lead Follow-Up: Monitoring inbox inquiries, logging leads, and updating pipeline status.
⚠️ Important Reality Check: Do not hire one person expecting them to be your senior strategist, copywriter, graphic designer, Facebook ads guru, and web developer all at once. A VA is an execution specialist - your business still provides direction and final approvals.
Direct Hire vs. Managed Agency: Where Does Your Time Go?
Opening your search to offshore talent, like in the Philippines, gives you access to exceptional skills at lower hourly costs. However, low invoice rates can become expensive in owner time:
Direct Offshore Hiring: You save on the monthly invoice, but you take on full responsibility for screening hundreds of CVs, verifying skill claims, setting up secure access, and troubleshooting performance issues.
Social Friends Managed Agency: You get a dedicated Specialist Marketing VA backed by our ProMatch™ vetting system, structured ProStart™ onboarding, and ongoing support from a dedicated Success Partner. If the match isn't right, our VA Love Guarantee covers a replacement without additional fees.
💡 Sliding Scale Loyalty Discount: Our monthly agency rates decrease the longer you stay with us. As your VA becomes fully embedded in your business and requires less management overhead, we pass those savings directly back to you.
Local Australian Employee Overhead
According to Robert Half’s salary benchmarks, a full-time Digital Marketing Specialist in Australia ranges from $90,000 to $110,000 + 12% Super.
Pro-rated to 15 hours/week, wages equal roughly $2,961–$3,618/month (plus $355–$434 in Super).
Leave & Coverage: A 15-hour permanent employee accrues 60 hours of paid annual leave per year. If you hire freelance cover while they are away ($55/hr), add another $275/month in hidden overhead.
Australian Freelancers
Freelancers offer project flexibility, but rates reflect their business overhead. At $55/hr, 15 hours costs $3,575/month. Senior specialist freelancers ($195/hr) cost up to $12,675/month for the same hours. ** Rates for Australian freelancer vary widely. These are two actual examples of what I’ve personally paid in years past.
Ready to Get Your Marketing Moving?
You don't need to do everything yourself to grow your business. Choosing the right support comes down to whether you want to manage HR yourself or hand that workload to a dedicated agency.
Option 1 (Recommended): Want to map out your tasks with our team? 👉 Book a Discovery Call
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Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a marketing virtual assistant cost per month in Australia?
For a consistent 15 hours a week, direct offshore candidates cost ~$740–$1,110/month before payment/management fees. Local Australian freelancers cost $3,575–$12,675/month. Social Friends Specialist Marketing VAs start from $1,912/month + GST (plus a one-off $450 recruitment fee), including matching, onboarding, and ongoing Success Partner guidance.
Can a marketing VA run my entire marketing strategy?
A marketing VA executes established workflows (scheduling, graphic creation, CRM updates, email sending). Strategy, offer positioning, and final content approvals remain with the business owner or marketing lead.
