VA Masters data: time zone gap barely changes how fast US clients fill VA roles

Industry News · Human Resources and Staffing · October 21, 2026

Distance from Manila did not slow hiring much. Write your work hours down instead.

Week of October 15 to October 21, 2026 · Orbytt Editorial

VA Masters reviewed 318 virtual assistant roles opened from February to August 2026. US roles took a median of 12 days to fill, and roles elsewhere took 10.

VA Masters, a virtual assistant staffing firm, published the data in September 2026. Outsource Accelerator covered it on October 15. The roles came from 253 client companies.

The median client sat 12 hours from Manila, and 82% of roles sat 12 hours or more away. US companies opened 69.2% of the roles. Eastern time held 49.5% of the US roles.

The firm says distance did not slow hiring. The gap is only two days, and it compares medians for two broad groups. The data does not prove that distance has no effect.

Also, 89% of role descriptions did not say whether the assistant must overlap with the client’s working hours. VA Masters advises buyers to write the hours down when they hire.

Read the scope with care. The data covers one firm’s client pipeline, not the whole market. VA Masters sells assistants, and it is a paid partner of Outsource Accelerator.

The takeaway

Distance from Manila did not decide how fast roles filled. The firm points to clear written work hours as the item to settle at hire.

Why it matters

• For talent: do not assume a far time zone blocks you. State your available hours in your profile and in every proposal.
• For employers: do not add search time for time zone alone. Write the expected hours in the role post.
• For agencies: ask each client about overlap early. Record the answer in writing before the assistant starts.

Sources

• Outsource Accelerator, October 15, 2026. Danica Macayan, VA Masters time zone hiring report. news.outsourceaccelerator.com
• VA Masters, The Twelve-Hour Working Day 2026, September 2026. vamasters.com