Virtual Assistant Jobs Now Demand AI Skills
Nearly a quarter of virtual assistant postings require AI capabilities, a shift that research has yet to tie to pay or hiring outcomes.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Artificial Intelligence
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A VA Masters study found 23.9 percent of virtual assistant job postings required AI capabilities, with 10.2 percent naming a specific AI platform. The Department of Information and Communications Technology expanded its SPARK 2.0 virtual assistance training to include AI literacy. The findings are based on job-posting analysis, not on shipped products.
Why it matters
Virtual assistant work is shifting from routine administrative tasks toward roles that combine assistance with AI tools across marketing, analytics, and content. The range of required skills is widening as VA services extend into digital marketing, bookkeeping, e-commerce, and data analytics.
VA Masters analyzed virtual assistant job descriptions and found AI requirements varied sharply by function, from 44 percent in analytics and software engineering to 5.3 percent in finance and accounting. Only 10.2 percent of postings named a specific AI platform, suggesting most employers want general AI fluency rather than a particular tool.
The players
VA Masters
A virtual assistant industry group that published the job-posting analysis measuring AI skill requirements.
Department of Information and Communications Technology
The Philippine government agency that launched SPARK 2.0 and expanded its virtual assistance training to include AI literacy.
The details
VA Masters measured AI skill requirements by reading virtual assistant job descriptions and tagging the ones that asked for AI capabilities. The Department of Information and Communications Technology expanded its General Virtual Assistance training to cover AI literacy, digital marketing, search engine optimization, and data analytics. These changes reflect a broader spread of VA work into functions where generative AI tools are used in daily tasks.
Timeline
October: The Department of Information and Communications Technology launched SPARK 2.0.
2026: The global virtual assistant services market is estimated at $6.5 billion.
2030: The global virtual assistant services market is projected to reach $34 billion.
The Tech Race
The VA Masters job-posting analysis measures AI demand inside one labor segment rather than across the wider tech workforce. The Philippines, which supplies 38 percent of the VA workforce, is responding through government training rather than through private certification alone.
Virtual assistants applying for roles in analytics, content, or social media now face AI skill expectations that were uncommon in standard VA listings. Workers without these skills may find fewer openings in the functions where requirements are highest.
The takeaway
The 23.9 percent figure is the first benchmark to track as VA postings evolve. Watch whether the share rises in the next annual VA Masters analysis, which would confirm that AI skills are becoming a baseline requirement rather than a specialty.
Further reading
For broader context on how AI skills are reshaping hiring, see the Artificial Intelligence section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by BusinessMirror.
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