Why Australian Labour Costs Keep Climbing
The national minimum wage rose another 3.5 % on 1 July 2025, and an average administrative assistant now earns about AU $25.94 per hour , or ~AU $66 k a year when you add on-costs like super and leave loading. For many small and mid-size enterprises, payroll is the single biggest line item.
Calculating Your Virtual Assistant Cost Savings
A skilled offshore VA placed through Digitek Outsourcing averages AU $1,800–$2,400 per month (depending on hours and skill set). Stack that against AU $66 k + 20 % on-costs for a local hire and you’re looking at:
| Cost Component | Local Admin (AU$) | VA via Digitek (AU$) |
| Base salary / fee | 66,000 | 26,000 |
| Super / payroll tax | 7,260 | — |
| Paid leave | 5,780 | — |
| Desk, computer, utilities | 3,000 | — |
| Annual total | ~82,000 | ~26,000 |
Result: Up to 68 % VA cost savings without sacrificing quality. That’s real cash you can redirect into marketing, R&D or new headcount where it matters.
Four Ways a VA Reduces Expenses Beyond Salary
- Pay-as-you-go hours – Scale a VA from 10 hrs/week to full-time with zero recruitment fees when workloads shift.
- No office overhead – Forget rent, equipment, consumables and utility costs.
- Reduced churn – Digitek’s dual-round screening and cultural fit checks cut replacement costs.
- Process efficiency – Documented SOPs plus time-zone coverage mean faster ticket resolution and fewer overtime penalties.
Together, these factors make a virtual assistant to reduce expenses an obvious move for growth-minded SMEs.
From Savings to Momentum: Virtual Assistant for Business Growth
Lower overhead is just step one. Clients who pocket the VA cost savings often reinvest in:
- 24/7 customer support to raise satisfaction scores
- SEO campaigns that compound leads quarter after quarter
- Product development without tapping cash reserves
Want the strategic view? See our guide on how VAs scale small businesses for real-world ROI examples.
Capture Your Savings with Digitek
Digitek offers two flexible hiring paths:
- Managed Virtual Assistants – hands-off recruitment, HR and daily supervision handled for you.
- Direct VA Recruitment – we source and vet talent; you manage them in-house.
Both models start with a free needs audit, so you know exactly how much virtual assistant cost savings you’ll bank before you commit.
External resources for deeper diligence
Wage benchmarks: PayScale AU Administrative Assistant Pay
Salary trends: ABS Wage Price Index
Bottom line: Rising wages don’t have to squeeze your margins. Leverage a virtual assistant to reduce expenses today and free up capital for the initiatives that drive real business growth.
