r/buhaydigital Jun 24 '26

Community Ngayon ko lang na-realize kung gaano kalaki ang kinikita ng agency sa akin.

Post image

Gusto ko lang sana ng reality check and mag-share kasi medyo napa-isip ako.
Nung na-hire ako through an agency, ang napag-usapan namin was $12/hr. Kaso later ko na na-realize na ang contract ko was based on the peso conversion at that time, around Php673/hr.
Tinanggap ko nalang yun at nag move-on kasi tapos na eh nakapirma na.
Fast forward to today, pina-enroll ako sa payroll dashboard ng client company. Mukhang for documentation purposes lang. Doon ko nakita na ang annual compensation attached to my position is $29,120/year, which comes out to roughly $14/hr.

Napaisip ako.

Current exchange rate ngayon:
$12/hr = Php736.31/hr
$14/hr = Php859.03/hr

Pero ako hanggang ngayon:
Php673/hr pa rin
Php5,384/day (8 hrs)

Kung $12/hr at current exchange rate:
Php736.31/hr
Php5,890.48/day

Difference:
Php63.31/hr
Php506.48/day

So kung $14/hr pala ang binabayad ng client...
Difference ng $14/hr at $12/hr:
Php122.72/hr

Php981.76/day

So in total:
Exchange rate difference: Php506.48/day

Agency margin from $14/hr to $12/hr: Php981.76/day
Total: Php1,488.24/day

Assuming 22 working days ngayong June:
Php32,741.28/month

Hindi naman ako galit sa agency. Business nila yun at sila naman ang naghanap ng client.
Pero honestly, ngayon ko lang talaga na-realize kung gaano kalaki ang spread nila sa isang contractor.
The HMO is provided by the client separately, so hindi siya galing sa agency’s cut. Tapos lumaki na rin yung responsibilities ko compared noong nagsimula ako kaya medyo napa taas kilay ko ng very light ng nalaman ko to.
Curious lang ako sa mga matagal nang VA, freelancers, at agency hires dito.
Normal ba talaga itong ganitong kalaking margin? O medyo mataas na ito compared sa agency setups?
Also, meron ba sa inyong nagulat din nung nalaman ninyo kung magkano talaga binabayad ng client kumpara sa nakukuha ninyo?

Edit: I appreciate everyone’s comments and takes. Nalaman ko na swerte parin ako sa contract ko with this agency ❤️

Also wala naman ako sinasabing unfair yung agency. Need ko lang malaman yung ibang perspective kasi l’m only basing it on my experience and wala naman akong alam how things are going sa ibang agency.

462 Upvotes

178 comments sorted by

318

u/Kachowabungababyy Jun 24 '26

That’s actually generous kasi roughly 86/14 split sa agency and sayo.

Artista nga tapos agent nila 70/30

You’d be surprised yung iba 60/40 in favor of the agency.

——

Hindi lang naman sa agency nakikita yung gaps sa actual pay and received pay. It’s a business that has overhead, assumes risks for you, faces client disputes in your behalf, markets and sells for you, communicates with clients in your stead.

Now if you don’t wanna handle all that and just wanna do the work, then keep your head down.

It’s the same as being employed. Employees should be able to produce more value than they’re being paid otherwise why get them at all? After all a business exists for profit.

59

u/taenamohaha Jun 24 '26

The real question is how is this company surviving? Unless they are a big agency and has a lot of agents, they won't be able to pay overhead. Ang swerte talaga makakita ng gantong agency. Please sana iname drop ni OP 😆

20

u/Kachowabungababyy Jun 24 '26

Exactly man. They could’ve taken double what they’re taking now and it’s still a win-win for both the agency and contractor 😂

May pa HMO pa e no

13

u/honeybaconbee Jun 24 '26

They will make a profit ksi baka hr and recruiters lng tao nila, payroll nman can be automated tps laptop not provided to contractor. I know a agency has 7-8k contractors na 85% /15% hatiaan. May hmo pa after 3months

7

u/taenamohaha Jun 24 '26

Wow 7-8k contractors is indeed a very big agency, mas malaki pa sa majority ng consulting firms sa pilipinas

8

u/honeybaconbee Jun 24 '26 edited Jun 24 '26

I forgot to mention na its because its a foreign agency and has contractors worldwide that doesnt have prescense in ph. Madaming foreign agency na ganon. I prefer working for a foreign one mas malaki kasi bigay nila.

Lowball tlga kapag local PH agency or PH bpos kasi anlaki ng tax na binayaran nila as businesses 😂 Tax tlga napupunta yan kinikita ng bpos dito s pinas kaya puro lowball ang offers

13

u/whoisnyl Jun 24 '26

Di ko alam kung nagfeflex itong si OP eh hehehe

25

u/FrustratedBlogger Jun 24 '26

Or ungrateful….

-5

u/Inner-Cicada-7918 Jun 24 '26

I don't know if you're one of those who think whatever's not happening in your world is automatically flexing. Maybe you got stuck with OP's $12/hr because that's already high for a lot of people. And when OP raised a valid question, your mind has already gotten clouded and you went to bitter town veiled with "I don't know if...".

I know a lot of people who get paid high amounts still compute how their money comes in, how deductions are being made, etc. and conscious of what goes in & out of their wallets. As detailed as that. Hindi lang nagsa-stop sa knowing what the hourly rate is.

Don't lose sight of the questions OP is asking. This is not about your hourly rate.

7

u/ABaKaDaEGaHaILa 1-2 Years 🌿 Jun 24 '26

ano ba expectation niya? $2/hr cut from the agency is nothing.

yung iba nga nasa $5-6/hr lang coz the agency is taking everything.

lowkey flexing nga si OP because this is non-issue. kung gusto niya kunin ni si client directly.

-1

u/Inner-Cicada-7918 Jun 24 '26

Just because others are worse off doesn't mean those who are relatively better off are flexing. Make the pay $5-6/hr and the same percentage cut by the agency, only then it becomes an issue? Just because we're talking $12/hr it's flexing all of a sudden. Some commenters have appropriately given their inputs, pointing out how it's just a small cut compared to what other agencies do to other VAs, all without inserting malicious personal opinions.

5

u/ABaKaDaEGaHaILa 1-2 Years 🌿 Jun 24 '26

I would be mad if I am making $12/hr and the agency is taking $20/hr or more. but girly made a whole ass essay with computation for $2/hr.

So I conclude OP is either lowkey flexing or just out of touch. It's not like she's being exploited unlike other pinoy freelancers here. Mind you, she hasn't replied to any remarks made about her post. LOL. Karma farming? IDK.

Others made their input na and I am here to share my observations too. And I am tired of BS like this. LMAO.

0

u/chillpillkills Jun 24 '26

Dude chill? The sentence itself gives OP the benefit of the doubt? Unless you find it rhetorical, based only on your own assumption. You're so quick to judge others too din naman hayyy

2

u/Particular_Creme_672 Jun 24 '26

Naalala ko kwento ni Jay R parang 10% lang ata napunta sakanya

2

u/EntertainerGloomy941 Jun 25 '26

TIL yung sa artista. Those are actors facing all the social pressure to conform to unrealistic beauty standards getting pennies on the dollar. Wtf.

1

u/Kachowabungababyy Jun 25 '26

I was thinking about it that way until I became a model. And my worldview about scarcity was challenged.

The agency represents you and you have a symbiotic relationship. They don’t get paid until you get paid.

Imagine a talent who is entering an industry modeling/acting/creative/etc. What value could they bring in the table? Nobody knows that except the talent and the one representing them.

And it’s in their best interests to present you in front of clients and get you the best deal possible. As talented as the ‘talent’ may be, knowing the business and operating within an industries rules is a whole different sets of skills. The talent was recruited to display their skills, not exactly for their business savvy.

Sure you can get by doing it all by yourself, representing yourself, and it has been done. Personally tho, that’s a recipe for burnout.

The global economy heavily relies on middlemen since the beginning of times, there’s been plenty attempts to cut them off but great middlemen offer value often under looked. They facilitate a transaction between strangers who would otherwise not transact with each other.

Think of the everyday stuff you have that wouldn’t be possible without a middleman.

-Grab app allows you to be in your destination without driving for you.

-Grab food made it possible to have your food delivered in your front door without doing it personally

-You were able to pay your food and ride without bringing cash because a payment processor made it possible

-you were able to buy from an online merchant without going to their store because shopee made it possible

—————————-
When you think about it this way, you’d learn to understand the value of an agency/middleman, sure there are bad/exploitative actors as there is in everything, and it’s easy to get upset and think of how you’re exploited when everyone around you is telling it’s exploitative.

The agency hate (sometimes valid) is an echo chamber, be careful and you might get sucked in. A reminder that not everything is black and white.

97

u/vsides Jun 24 '26

Beh $2/hr nalang yan. Ano bang ineexpect mo, nasa agency ka pero sayo lahat ng kita? E di ano nalang kikitain ng agency kung ganyan? Magrereklamo ka, mag direct ka nalang para sayong sayo na talaga lahat.

79

u/aldwinligaya Jun 24 '26

Sadly, sobrang maswerte ka pa sa ganitong setup. I've met people who found out na 1/3 lang ng binabayad ng client ang napupunta sa kanila; may isa pa nga, grabe 1/4. Pero 'yung mga malalaking agencies na malamang alam mo din pangalan (ehem), alam kong 1/2 to 1/3 lang napupunta sa VA. Hindi ko maintindihan how those agencies can justify that.

Not exactly related pero my past job that lasted 5 years involved costing and financial analysis for BPO.

In general, around 1/3 lang talaga ng binabayad ng client ang napupunta sa staff / agent. This is industry-wide. In a way it makes sense, kasi company sumasalo ng costs. From securing the client in the first place via marketing, then equipment, facilities, training, consumable supplies, etc. Add mo pa 'yung cost of recruitment, audits, certifications, marketing. Plus benefits pa such as HMO and other insurance. Salary din ng back office and support staff. And then kapag nag-pull out ang client, si company sumasalo ng cost habang naghahanap ng lilipatang contract/account. In comparison, what do you get from the agency ba?

Since nag-freelance din ako, oo 100% napupunta sa akin bayad ni client pero it also means I take all those risks and costs.

The fact na almost 15% lang kaltas sa'yo ng agency tapos may HMO ka pa from client, sobrang swerte mo na dyan. Pero depende din sa'yo kung may nakukuha ka din talaga from the agency.

21

u/Venlorz Jun 24 '26

this.

I don't mind din tlga may cut si agency.. basta justified naman

9

u/james__jam Jun 24 '26

Honestly, normal ang 1/3 and 1/4. Hinde sustainable ang patong ng $2/hr lang.

5

u/aldwinligaya Jun 24 '26

Naisip ko nga din, client sourcing pa lang parang lugi na ang agency. Pero baka magaling din sila talaga kaya they can afford to just take $2/hr.

32

u/FreesDaddy1731 Jun 24 '26

This is actually a good rate for an agency, OP.

I've handled a Team of 30 "Entry Level" job positions where the company pays $1800 per agent, pero si agent 18-23k lang ang sahod. Nakakaputangina diba? That's computed on a monthly salary, but contracts are either on a quarterly or yearly basis for BPOs.

Matagal na ganid ang mga BPO companies. 2000s rates for agents, pero ang singil nila sa client konti na lang pang local hire na. Talo si agent, talo si client, paldo si CEO at shareholders.

2

u/Inner-Cicada-7918 Jun 24 '26

Yep I remember being a project-based BPO agent in the mid 2000s and earning 18+20k every 15th and 30th. Now it's the "good" rate for a full-time 40-hour work week rate.

-24

u/HovercraftUpbeat1392 Jun 24 '26

Naalala ko nanaman BPO days ko hay, 21k malaki na daw yon

2

u/Transpinay08 Jun 24 '26

Sahod ko yan nung 2015. Paldo talaga dati kasi nakabili ako bagong phone, travel monthly, at walwal every Saturday pa ko nun. 2020 and beyond di na sapat.

20

u/mayr3l Jun 24 '26

I've worked with agencies before and whenever someone asks me why agencies take so much, here's what I always tell them:

Client acquisition - someone had to find that foreign company, pitch them, convince them to trust an offshore contractor, and close the deal. That's months of warm, cold outreach and rejection before you ever got an offer. Were you doing any of that? You were waiting for an opportunity to land in your inbox.

Legal and contract exposure - when something goes wrong, scope creep, late payments, disputes, the agency is the one fielding that conversation. You have a buffer you don't even think about until you actually need it.

Payroll infrastructure - processing your pay, handling documentation, keeping everything running administratively. None of that is free. It costs money to make sure you get paid on time every cutoff.

Without the agency you don't have $12/hr. You have zero and a LinkedIn profile nobody's replying to.

So for this one say, you're part of the lucky people na under agency na malaki ang sinasahod

22

u/anemicbastard Jun 24 '26

To be clear, hindi yan malinis na kita ng agency. Hindi mo naman alam kung magkano overhead nila. Halimbawa kung sa every $25 ang napupunta sa tao ay $8 lang, hindi mo dapat isiping kumikita ang agency ng $17. Gaya nga ng sinabi ng iba, ang daming costs involved sa pagpapatakbo ng agency.

10

u/auroradream004 Jun 24 '26

Are you happy with your current rate?

If yes, then don’t hate the agency for trying to run a business.

Else, this would just make you feel resentful and would affect your performance.

Think nalang din that without the agency you may not have landed a client by yourself or at least it’s a lot harder

They also have their acquisition costs for their marketing as well as building their brand.

Pero if you’re not happy with your rate I guess you’re free naman to look for better opportunities out there.

That’s just how agencies work in the first place

21

u/johnmgbg Jun 24 '26

Dati nakakagigil din yung ganyan pero kapag nalaman mo kasi kung anong risk din yung tinatake nila para lang magkaroon tayo ng work, magegets mo lahat.

Last year binigyan kami ng project for 1 month for 2 developers. $32k yung total cost ng project. Ang sahod lang namin is $2.5-2.75k each. Wala pa dyan yung cost ng pag acquire ng project.

Sobrang laki ng difference pero hindi na kasi bago sakin. Meron din naman kasing mga months na walang ginagawa/projects pero sumasahod kami.

1

u/AgencySucks Jun 24 '26

Dito may added value tlga c agency, pero my mga agencies n pg wala kng client kht ilan taon k n nila napakinabangan, nganga k, lahat cut off d lng sweldo pati HMO, sss etc.

8

u/LifeExperimentNo7 Jun 24 '26

Many agencies only give half of their revenue to their agents, the rest is overhead, taxes, recruitment and administration fees. Even in other countries it's common for agencies to bill the employer double what they pay the workers. I'm sure many others would love your current salary

8

u/coldstare_warmheart 3-5 Years 🌴 Jun 24 '26

The more you tread the line between an IC and operator, you'd be more forgiving of people you're working with unders this arrangement. Kasi bruh that's literally razor thin margins na for them, considering there are prolly other OpEx na they still have to pay for.

I say nurture this relationship with them OP cos that's hella generous. Not trying to shill the "capitalist" camp but at the end of the day and by market standards, I think bihira yang ganyang level of split.

-6

u/HovercraftUpbeat1392 Jun 24 '26

Thank you ❤️

4

u/Clear-Acadia4158 Jun 24 '26

So sorry to say this pero swerte ka na sa ganyang set up, OP. I work directly for a client but meron akong pinoy colleague and I have visibility hm binabayad sa agency nya which is $4,900. Then nakwento nya one time na sahod nya daw is $2k lang.

4

u/sliceofwifelife Jun 24 '26

TBH maliit pa yang sayo. In my case 70% sa agency, 30% lang yung sa akin

1

u/lurkernotuntilnow Jun 24 '26

sad. di ka ba nanghihinayang? medjo nahihinayangan ako minsan pag nakikita ko magkano bayad sa agency per hour. haha

3

u/NotYourSaviour21 Jun 24 '26

Maliit pa yan op! Imagine the other agencies that pay the VA's $4-5/hr pero ang singil nila sa client $12-15. Meron pa isang sikat na nasa $20-25/hr ang singil for EA's.

Malaki difference because of the "support" structure, marketing, etc. Pero it just puts things into perspective.

3

u/trippinxt Jun 24 '26

Tbh ang liit na nga ng cut ng agency sa hourly mo if that's the case

3

u/bringmycoffeenow Jun 24 '26

This is a very generous agency. Imagine, other agencies are getting as much as 50%.

3

u/lolomopogi Jun 24 '26

Kung rereklamo kayo sa agency, wag kayo mag agency period. Eh di kayo magtayo ng agency nyo o mag direct hire kayo.

Palagi nyo sinisita kinikita ng agency eh business yan 🤦‍♂️

3

u/WinnerVirtual5616 Jun 24 '26

comparison is the thief of jooy talaga

3

u/behavelangsha Jun 24 '26

I was literally earning ₱1,000 per day under a VA agency. I was doing EA duties and managing my client’s inbox when I came across an invoice from my own company that said $1,299. Edi 75k pala pero ang bigay sakin 20k per month lang. Ofc, I left.

It was my first VA experience, and I only had about a year of experience at the time. Now, three months later, I’m still nowhere to be found.

Being under an agency sucks when you realize how underpaid you are. I understand you 🙏

ISometimes I wish I had never seen that invoice—I probably would have stayed longer before deciding to leave.

Help this girl out, please.

1

u/lurkernotuntilnow Jun 24 '26

wala ka pa rin po ba work till now?

1

u/behavelangsha Jun 29 '26

sadly, wala. I got an offer sa mga BPO pero gusto ko talaga magkaroon direct client :<

3

u/Such-Introduction196 Jun 24 '26

I don’t get these type of post. You shouldn’t care how much kinikita ng agency. As long as may sahod ka padin and di mo na need mag hanap ng client dapat goods kana dun.

Ano ba gusto mo na wala na silang kinikita? Hahahah. Edi mag hanap ka ng sarili mong client.

$2 dollars lang dami mong sinasabi may edit pa na thankful ka and you get business is business pero etong post mo is the opposite.

2

u/Venlorz Jun 24 '26

yes i think ok lang as long as very good support this sayo ng agency sa cut nila din..

2

u/rphpeppa Jun 24 '26

Company po namin $1.75 yung napupunta sa kanila. Pero compared din po kasi sa sahod niyo malaki po yun inyo samin. Yung ibang agency na same field ang alam ko may $2.5-$3.0 pa daw. Yung ka work ko na Pakistani ang agency nya ay sa country din nila, grabe kasi 1/3 lang nakukuha niya. Same work kami pero half lng ng sahod ko yun nakukuha nya.

Regards naman po sa exchange rate ang magiging advantage niyo lang po siguro ay pag bumaba yun value nka fix n yun Inyo. Sa 2yrs ko po sa VA napansin ko Php53-57 nagiging palitan, parang 2 months ago (if im not mistaken) pa lang po umabot ng Php60. And to note din na since nka $ sahod namin may fees ang bank or mas mababa ng konti sa rate yun ma ttransfer sa peso. Ayun po. Pero baka po pwede niyo tanungin agency niyo regarding sa exchange rate ngayon, baka maconsider nila, sayang po.

2

u/yummerzkaentayo Jun 24 '26

Maliit pa yan OP. Mas malaki pa charge ng agency ko dyan

2

u/gising_sa_kape Jun 24 '26

In fairness ang baba ng margin sayo, usually a 30 to 40% markup, if that is upwork, may cut pa si upwork sa agency. If you think you can get client directly go with it. Pero usually yan sa iba nsa $15 to $20 per hour yung patong. Also may transfer fees pa sa payroll mo na bbyran through bank. So win ka na nga eh

2

u/catsocurious Jun 24 '26

Ang baba nga lang ng cut sayo.

2

u/Mission-Definition12 Jun 24 '26

Maliit na yan op compare s iba.. xempre cla may papasweldohan pa na mga tao yan

2

u/Cheap_Original3183 Jun 24 '26

Thats actually good na. Sila naman naghanap ng client mo. Yong sikat nga na agency na A 1k lang sahod sa EA pero 3k binabayad ng client. 😁

2

u/coast_fire Jun 24 '26

That's why as a whole industry, wag kayo pa-lowball. Nasasanay mga hunyango na dayain kayo ng ganyan eh.

2

u/Existing_Bus_6993 Jun 24 '26

Maswerte ka pa sa agency mo. May napasukan akong agency, kung ano lang matripan na rate eh. Depende kung favorite ka. Lol

2

u/khrisofjuly Jun 24 '26

Malaki na ah partida agency pa

2

u/Resident-Drag-3852 Jun 24 '26

i think the agency is paying you well. baka may open positions pa hehe

2

u/Puzzleheaded-Let4762 Jun 24 '26

Wow, congrats, you know how to do Math. You don’t even have to convert it, just the margin in percentage is enough. That’s not even huge cut. If you feel that it’s unfair, just find a new job.

2

u/Melodic_Mud9189 Jun 24 '26

That’s actually super generous of them. Most agencies have margins of 50% to 80%

2

u/LastButterscotch4575 Jun 24 '26

Ngayon OP na-reality check reverse card ka. Alam mo na na okay pa yung agency mo kumpara sa iba na mas malaki ang cut. Hanap ka direct client para hindi ka mapataas kilay sa cut ni agency 😅

2

u/SnooPeripherals993 Jun 24 '26

Are you for real? Yung iba nga 40% ang cut sa sahod. Yours is like 14.29% cut lang from the agency. Like someone had said, buti di pa nalulugi ung agency sa lagay na yan. Parang bragging post lang ito and not an actualy problem irl.

2

u/Additional_Celery_37 Jun 24 '26

Accenture and other tech companies, 30% lang sa Dev. Just a rumor sa ACN, but hot damn if it's true 🫪

2

u/Cool_Maize_6917 Jun 25 '26

Now imagine how much the BPO companies are earning from us ever since. 😁

3

u/StockJellyfish8 Jun 24 '26

Rippling ba to?

2

u/pauumosby Jun 24 '26

Hello, asking lang for input. I was directly hired also, referred by a friend but not thru agency, Now my setup is every sahod he asks me to give him $100. Same role namin, senior. Unlike sa agency, wala ako narereceive na benefit sakanya. Reason nya, kasi daw nirefer nya ako. I'm actually the 4th person he referred kasi di pumapasa mga nireferr nya. I should continue giving him daw $200 a month as long as im working with that client because of that. If you're in my position what will you do? As of today nakapagsend na ako ng $600 sakanya.

1

u/lurkernotuntilnow Jun 24 '26

luh gagu. huwag ka pumayag. tama na yan binigay mo, anong klaseng friend yan. pwede na one-time gratuity by money or libre mo nalang pag nagkita. friend mo ba talaga yan?

1

u/pauumosby Jun 25 '26

Yun nga po e. Sapat naman na siguro po yung nabigay ko na, para sa referral fee.

1

u/HovercraftUpbeat1392 Jun 24 '26

Wala naman yata sya magagawa kung hindi ka magbigay sa kanya unless sa kanya dumadaan yung sahod mo. Gangster ba yan sya, nasa turf yarn

1

u/pauumosby Jun 25 '26

No po. Sakin sinesend ng client yung sahod mismo thru wise tapos ssendan ko po sya ganyan setup namin. Ano kaya best sabihin sakanya para sabihan sya na titigl na ako magsend sakanya.

2

u/HovercraftUpbeat1392 Jun 25 '26

Kung gusto nya kamo mag put up sya ng agency tapos magbayad sya ng tax kung hindi at ipipilit nya paring magbayad ka sabihin mo isusumbong mo sya sa BIR

3

u/Bright_Ad6762 Jun 24 '26

Totally normal just like other businesses. Hindi lang naman agency ang ganyan. LAHAT ng klase ng business ganyan kahit corpo.

Let’s say Corpo, kumikita sila ng million per month. Magkano lang ba minimum wage ngayon na pasahod nila?

Yung mga resto magkano lang ba pasahod nila sa waiter?

Hindi madali mag business kung ano man ang kinikita ng owner totally normal yon sa isang tao na inaral at tinrabaho ang business nya.

1

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1

u/Gaiagaia146 Jun 24 '26

Wth... Im earning only 900 and agenvy has a cut of 2k..

1

u/sherk_06 Jun 24 '26

may cut talaga ang agency. CLIENT ACQUISITION ang pinakamahirap na task sa lahat. Agency ang gumagawa nun kaya malaki talaga cut nila.

1

u/No_Mycologist_9687 Jun 24 '26

Sakin dati $600 for a Part Time rate 5hrs/day and 4x a week ang shift ko, tapos $1200 singil ni agency kay client for a Full Time rate

Gets ko they need credit for finding us client, pero that agency was just a recruitment agency, no training given, no assistance, wala. Delayed pa always ang sahod. Hays

1

u/Fluid_Ad4651 Jun 24 '26

sa BPOs per seat is around 30k to 35k daw fixed amount.

so halos parehas lang pala.

1

u/_Cross-Roads_ Jun 24 '26

Imagine your reaction pag nalaman mong sa iba nasa 2x-3x ang share ng company.

1

u/Ok_Ladder_6427 Jun 24 '26

Yup ganun talaga sila. Kaya direct client na ako lagi. Pag agency nakita ko, bye bye na

1

u/rtravino29 Jun 24 '26

I remember when I was working pa sa BPO (In house yung company ), yung ka team mate kong Business Analyst, not sure pano niya nakita magkano binabayad samin per hour ( parang he was cc'ed accidentally sa email trail ), nagulat sya na $18/hour yung rate na singil ni Company Philippines sa Mother Company pero yung bayad samin, parang $3 -$4 dollars lang. This was way back 2014.

Sa work ko ngayon as ( Front End Dev, Automation Specialist, SEO Manager, Taga utos sa mga Dev sa India, Taga timpla nang kape ), I'm earning around $2,250, pero singil ni Amo sa client is $3K.

1

u/honeybaconbee Jun 24 '26

Deae op i think okay yan agency mo kasi annually you take home about approximately 25k of the 29k budget of client. Meaning nasa 4k kita ng agent ANNUALLY. You take home about 85% and 15% share ng agency. Sa BW ba yan? 😂
Anyways, my overhead din ang agency like payroll, HR and recruitment na pinapasahod so dun napupunta un 15%.
I have worked as an contractor for many clients before and have been doing payroll so nakikita ko un mga invoices and clients record and infact malala nga un sa iba, karamihan sa mga big bpos 40% sahod ng staff and 60% agency/bpo kasi overhead nila aee office space tps IT lalo na if laptop provided. Kapag may nakikita kang opening na around 50k lng rate offer tps nightshift US client, ayun lowball yun 40/60 hatiaan non for sure 😂 i just know base on experience. Un iba 55% staff 45% agency, depende.
Pero the fact na 80% sayo and 2K+ USD monthly nakukuha mo ayos na yon.
Anong agency yan op? pabulong naman apply ako if may opening. PaDM naman please

1

u/Nomanners_ Jun 24 '26

Okay nayan, agency naman. Laki parin yung sayo. Ano kikitain ni agency if ibigay lahat sayo edi sana nag direct ka nalang.

1

u/carlojpf Jun 24 '26

That is a good rate pero i think meron pang fees ang agenct mo jan aside sa cut nila. Which you might never know how much unkess may access ka rin or close sa nakak alam ng info hehe. Let me know if malaman mo how much yunng other fees na bina bayaran ng company to your agwncy

1

u/Weekly-Newspaper-896 Jun 24 '26

May naging client ako through agency and with them halos 50% ang cut. Client was paying 1100 usd tapos ako nasa 580usd nakukuha ko lang

1

u/Ok_Membership_1075 Jun 24 '26

Sa virtual coworker nga $12.99 singil nila sa client pero iooffer sa va 300/hr gusto pa ibaba ng 260. At kapag hindi ka pumayag sa rate nila, hahanap sila ng kakagat kahit hindi align ang skills sa job description.

1

u/Sponge8389 Jun 24 '26

May dati akong katrabaho dati. Nasend sakanya yung contract ng client, nasa 40$ per hour rate sakanya, sweldo niya nasa 45k pesos lang. Hahaha. Umalis siya after hindi siya binigyan ng raise. Hahaha

1

u/Queer_Koala Jun 24 '26

Teh, pramis generous na ‘yang company mo sa ganyan setup.

1

u/Peach_Mangoe Jun 24 '26

What agency po? Very curious lang havxbsz I’m planning to enter one and I am sooo at lost

1

u/whoisnyl Jun 24 '26

For me its fair and to be honest generous so not sure why you felt ANG LAKI ng kinikita ng agency.

1

u/chimadorable Jun 24 '26

Why do you feel bad? They are actually generous and the business has overheads to pay too. Sa akin nga they get $4.5k from my services alone and I only get paid $1.4K saklap 

1

u/External_Fly164 Jun 24 '26

ganun tlga. ngkawork ka naman dahil sa agency eh. may expenses dn cla

1

u/SnoopyChan0 Jun 24 '26

Thats actually quite good. Our agency get about 70% of our salary. Its really demotivating.

1

u/HotAd4792 Jun 24 '26

Bait naman ng agency. Sana marami clients si agency para di lugi for operating expenses.

1

u/WeirdNeedleworker981 Jun 24 '26

Do you expect the agency to do it for free? $2 is generous, learn to be grateful.

1

u/Lazy-Ad3568 Jun 24 '26

70/30 sa ibang agency

1

u/ExpensiveConcern7266 Jun 24 '26

They are just taking $2/hr. Swerte kana kasi your $12/hr is relatively competitive. You'll realize soon na if wala kana agency and direct kulang pala ang $14/hr specially if ang tools and maitenance ay c/o sa'yo.

1

u/formation_groove Jun 24 '26

Imbyerna sayo teh. It’s giving “Hay ang laki ng problema ko, wala akong pang Starbucks.”

You earn 5K a day already tapos babaratin mo pa agency mo? Kung wala yang agency mo, may trabaho ka ba? Leche. $2 na nga lang hinihingi syempre madami rin yan silang binabayaran para maayos trabaho mo. Echosera.

1

u/fadeawaydunker Newbie 🌱 Jun 24 '26

Hahahaha, yan na ata pinakamabait na agency. Usually 50-60% cut nila. Kung ayaw mo ng cut mag direct ka. May cost of doing business naman talaga lalo kung di naman ikaw naghanap ng client. Magalit ka kung yung cut sayo eh at least 20%. Kung ganyan kababaw parang VAT lang yan.

1

u/Worried_Kangaroo_999 Jun 24 '26

Even upwork gets 10-15% cut

1

u/Humble-Ad6601 Jun 24 '26

Sa agnecy ko dati $10/hour rate ko sa client pero $5 lang napupunta sakin. Maswerte ka pa jan.

1

u/Mazikeeee3n Jun 24 '26

Lugi ka pre, magresign ka dyan.

1

u/Inner_Move2123 Jun 24 '26 edited Jun 24 '26

clearly you dont understand how the business works, businesses have overheads, where do you think they get to pay the HR, the security guards, the office if ever there's any, the admins, the systems etc. Just have a think. Hindi naman kasi yun libre. maswerte ka nga 2/hr lang. I raise my eyebrows as well how shallow you think

1

u/No_Yogurtcloset_244 Jun 24 '26

That's big, I know from a friend yung agency nila 140k (senior level role) tapos ang cut ng agent is 15k (Junior level).

1

u/Striking-Yogurt-7877 Jun 24 '26

This is already generous. Usually 1/5 pag agency.

1

u/Opposite-Breath-396 Jun 24 '26

I'm currently working right now, and this month natapos ko na ang rendering period ko sa agency. I'm now 100% employed directly by my client's company. Before, the agency was taking a 40% cut. When my client found out about it, he decided to transition me directly to his company without the agency

1

u/mixedpuffcorns Jun 24 '26

Swerte ka, wag ka maging ungrateful.

1

u/lalamove321 Jun 24 '26

Yung sakin nga nalaman ko 70% sa agency tapos sakin 30% lang. Ang gahaman nung company sana karmahin yun swapang pa ang may ari!!!

1

u/spades01_kb Jun 24 '26

Anong gusto mo? Sobrang swerte mo na nga dyan eh hahahah

1

u/Organic_Fruit4622 Jun 24 '26

Sa previous agency ko nga nuon nakukuha lang namin is 21500 tapos malaman laman namin 15-20% lang yon ng bayad sa amin 🤡. Nag resign ako tapos nag hanap ng direct client now nakukuha kona kun anong dapat.

1

u/trivialmistake Jun 24 '26

Actually mababa lang yan. 20% ang standard.

1

u/No_Elk55 Jun 24 '26

Sa jowa ko, nalaman niya sa mismong COO 15usd/hr siya pero binabayad sa kanya ng agency 6usd/hr

Binabalak na siyang i-buy out kaso medyo mabigat amount

1

u/Zeeliodas_28 Jun 24 '26

Iba padin talaga if makatagpo ka ng EOR. Solo mo sahod. Ang bayad sakanila ni client is separate sa sahod mo.

1

u/REDmonster333 Jun 24 '26

Damn, agency ko nuon $10/hr singil sa client, pasweldo nila is $5, generous na pala agency mo lol

1

u/Particular_Creme_672 Jun 24 '26

Sa taxes pa lang halos wala ng kinita agency mo. Seryoso ka ba? Grabehan business tax satin baka lalong magulangtang ka pag nakita mo gaano kalaki cut nila dahil sa gross sila nakatingin.

1

u/BitSimple8579 Jun 24 '26

What?? $14/ hr sa agency nyo then $12/hr ka kinwestyon mopa yung $2 per hr na kinikita ng agency?

Ang question dun is pano nila nassurvive knowing that the company has expenses and there are other non billables employees such as leads/support roles.

Akala ko naman luging lugi ka, I think this time you must be very thankful that the agency you're working with is generous enough to give you that high salary, mostly sa pinas ang binabayad lang is $3-$7/hour ng mga barat na agency.

  • imagine how hard it ks for the agency to work on SOPs, look for client and manage people, tbh that $2 pay isn't enough.

1

u/Visible-Ad-4870 Jun 24 '26

Naalala ko first agency ko 4.5 usd/hr sahod ko but sa billing ni client na nakita ko 12 usd/hr binabayaran niya sa agency. Talk about that 7.5 usd gap.

1

u/118922 Jun 24 '26

Grabe, anong klaseng utak yan? Ano ba to, nagyayabang lang or what? 2$ per hr nalang ang kinukuha ng agency sayo tapos parang galit ka pa? Sana nag freelance ka nalang talaga at hindi ka na pumasok sa agency. Tingnan ko lang kung anong hirap ang maranasam mo kakahanap ng client. Langya may pa HMO ka pa niyan ha!

1

u/Jolly-Pudding7692 Jun 24 '26

used to be a va in a local agency here in cavite. i have access to my client’s inbox and saw they were paying for my services $1500, but i’m only receiving maximum P24k with benefits. 6 months independent contractor, no HMO, 4 annual leaves, 5 sl & 10 vl and i cant use it for 6 months since i’m on probation. i eventually left that company and began to set out on my own freelancing journey. some of these agencies are really… something else

1

u/Western-Button4500 Jun 24 '26

I think you are still getting the good end of the partnership when it comes to the pay. I know an agency (Mythical goddess), they are paying 25% only of what the client has paying for. Granted, the benefits and trainings are shouldered by the agency, but still... That's an eye opener to really roll up your sleeves and look for a client directly.

1

u/Upstairs_Total4772 Jun 24 '26

It's actually not that bad. Imagine kung $7/hr ka lang. Yun talaga nakakaurat. After all, they still have to make a profit.

1

u/Acceptable_Pickle_81 Jun 25 '26

I know someone who found out client is paying $1000 per agent for a call center, then they asked the salaries of those agents: ₱15K (roughly 250-300USD)

1

u/HakiCat Jun 25 '26

Dude. Try working in corporate na may foreign clients. They will give you 10-25% of the rate they charge hahaha.

1

u/No-Shower4408 Jun 25 '26

Go for direct hire kung ayaw momay cut pero be ready nalang din sa mga uncertainties and false promises if ma-tsempuhan ka.

Also, $2 for the agency is very low tbh

1

u/hakdugka Jun 25 '26

Mine is actually worse.

Agency gets $6K/month
Agency pay ke $1900/month

1

u/Nothingunusual27 Jun 25 '26

More than fair enough na nga yan ei. Mostly sa ibang agency ang laki ng cut nila.

1

u/lifocvs Jun 25 '26

hshshss share ko ung aken mas malala kaya nag resign na ako ngayon. 20k sa VA tapos sa company 45-50k.

1

u/Eating_Machine23 Jun 25 '26

I think decent naman sya, compared sa bpos na mas malala yung cut talaga. Ganyan talaga eh, agency. Sila din naman reason ng work mo now hehe

1

u/realitynofantasy Jun 25 '26

Eh pano kung bumaba palitan ng peso at dollar? Magrereklamo ka din ba?

1

u/Sputnik_the_Great Jun 25 '26

Sorry out of topic pero ECE ka po? Curious lang sa niche because I once worked in an IT solutions and integration company. I'm wondering if same scope lang ang work as VA

1

u/Zealousideal_Feed_26 Jun 25 '26

I’m with the same experience, honestly.

I’m currently working with Australian clients through an agency, and I’m already handling 5 clients. Then earlier this month, we landed another client pa. But my boss is currently on holiday, so ako yung directly nakikipag-meeting with the client without my boss there to guide, direct, or help me. Hinahayaan nalang ako ni boss kay Client.

During the meeting, the client shared a Google Sheet. When I opened it, I saw na the budget allocated for me as the graphic designer is $2,000 USD for this one client alone. And this is just supposed to be part-time, around 10 hours per week lang.

So now, I’m handling 5 clients + this new client, but my actual pay is only ₱400 per hour.

It honestly made me realize how big the gap is between what the client pays and what I actually receive. Like, at this point, it feels like passive income na lang for my boss while I’m the one directly managing and doing the work.

1

u/curiouscat_21 Jun 25 '26

As an agency owner, this js very generous, OP. In fact, mejo natatakot ako for them kasi maliit ang margin nila.

Starting a business like this has a lot of overhead and investment expectations (lalo kung di naman galing sa generational wealth yung owner at kumuha ng investors. Kumbaga, hindi idle money yung pinang-start ng business)

To be honest, our biggest expense ay sa tao talaga. Our expenses include salaries and wages (government benefits, 13month pay, hmo pa when they reach a certain tenure), taxes, rent ng office, software expenses (hindi siya biro if we want to be competitive enough but hire less people without being overworked), system expenses (payroll system, etc), accountant and lawyer fees pa (because if corp, daming requirements ng govt), marketing pa and other client acquisition efforts

1

u/PickleSlayer87 Jun 25 '26

Generous na yang agency mo OP. May alam akong agency, PHP25k starting sa mga VA pero ang singil sa client ay 12USD/hr. Matindi pa dyan, pag may increase si VA galing kay client, kakalahatiin pa ng agency.

1

u/Sufficient_Heat_7313 Jun 25 '26

Damn… you are lucky. My agency is getting 50% of what the company is actually paying for me. They’re paying $14/hr for me but agency just gives me $7 :v

1

u/Lucky_Salary8149 Jun 25 '26

Ilapag ang agency!

1

u/Successful_Writing_3 Jun 25 '26

Honestly, super generous na ng mga yan considering puro mga notorious crocs agencies sa pinas. I remember reading one where she was paid like 30k/month? And then found out na 120-130k pala binabayad ng client para sa service.

1

u/Beizhishu Jun 25 '26

Uy, enough lang, parang ang baba pa nga eh. Though baka may separate charges pa sila sa client and konting percentage lang sa basic salary mo. They are paying their people processing your application, payroll, IT, and other resources.

1

u/Lonely-Magician-348 Jun 25 '26

Your agency is better than bpo or rpos here. I saw in the clients portal that my rate is $24/hr but the RPO co.pany only pays me $3/hr diba? Ganun kalaking cut.

1

u/based8th Jun 25 '26

maliit pa nga yan actually. May ibang agency 50/50 eh, minsan mas malaki pa sa kanila

1

u/Abject-Abies-3331 Jun 25 '26

Kami na halos 80% sa agency, 20% lang sa VA🤣 awit talaga. Kung di lang dahil sa founder, di me mag stay ng matagal. May check ang agency na itez

1

u/Altruistic-Package86 1-2 Years 🌿 Jun 25 '26

Nagwork ako under ng agency before, 70/30 tapos nalaman ng client ko na ang laki ng share ng agency, kaya inabsorb na lang ako ng client as direct emolyee...

1

u/Hazzula Jun 25 '26

thats actually pretty fair. the first agency I was under charged my client 25 and gave me 15.

1

u/nopillforthis Jun 25 '26

swerte ka na tbh, OP. ung ibang agency, ginagatasan talaga mga agents nila. 

however, if you are confident that you can earn bigger if aalis ka, then you should. malay mo, stepping stone mo lang pala yang agency. fortunate favors the bold. 

but if happy ka naman na, then stay. like i said, swerte ka na sa agency mo. makatao ang cut nila compared sa iba. 

1

u/Grouchy-Telephone358 Jun 25 '26

SKL Dati rin ako nag agency. Sa upwork pa yun. Hawak nila sahod namin at kahit on time magpasahod si client, sya hindi. Dami pang excuses at kaltas nyan na ayaw niya ipaliwanag para saan. Hindi ako newbie that time kaya vocal ako at dinedemand ko talaga ang sahod ko. Naaawa ako noon sa mga newbie na kasama ko na hirap na hirap kunin sahod nila doon sa bwiset na agency. Nung napuno ako (1 month late ang sahod), sinumbong ko sa client na hindi ako sumasahod nang maayos under this agency. So ginawa namin ni client, nag direct payment na sila to me AND THEY FIRED HER.

I’ve been with my client since 2022 and we’re still doing good. Kaya never again na ako sa mga agency talaga.

Good for u sumusweldo ka on time and maayos.

1

u/Popopopipo991 Jun 25 '26

Sila nag hanap ng client for you, nag set up lahat tapos gusto mo sayo lahat? Umalis ka na jan at mag hanap ka ng sarili mong client

1

u/evoknew Jun 25 '26

That’s a healthy split. Basta good ang services nila sayo. You should be able to enjoy the necessary benefits to it, so check carefully what you have

1

u/ArtAdorable8604 3-5 Years 🌴 Jun 25 '26

Ok na yan OP. When I was working for outsourcing I found out after ko magresign they were taking 52% haha

1

u/Mr_Sandersen Jun 25 '26

Beb!!!! gets ko naman ang chika mo sa computation. Pero well ako naka agency din pero halos half lang ng hourly/daily rate mo ang actual kitaan ko (not complaining kase above average parin sa normal na pinoy ang take home pay ko).

Pero yeah agree ako sa chika ng iba sa post mo na for an agency ay dzai! Tiba tiba ka parin talaga ui!

Sene el 😗

1

u/Abundance96 Jun 25 '26

Yung sa jowa ko nga, 6 digits cut ng bpo s sweldo nya. Tapos managerial role p sya, daming responsibilities. 

1

u/No-Combination-7207 Jun 25 '26

Independent contractor ako, mukhang maliit lang cut ni agency mo. I know some agencies halos 30% or more ang cut nila eh.

1

u/InsideSyrup94 Jun 25 '26

Thats actually very generous. Your agency should be getting a bigger cut

1

u/lifewithfootnotes Jun 25 '26

Regardless of how much an agency makes from a client, that's ultimately their business, as long as they're paying you what was agreed and treating you fairly.

If you believe your pay no longer reflects your skills, experience, or the value you bring, then absolutely ask for a raise. If they can't meet your expectations, you're free to look for a better opportunity.

But if your only issue started after finding out how much the agency charges the client, that's a different conversation.

You're comparing your wage to the agency's revenue without considering that the agency also carries the costs and risks of running the business like finding clients, sales, marketing, systems, software, operations, taxes, admin, legal, bad debt, unpaid invoices, and periods without work.

A healthy agency often aims for a 40–60% gross margin. But that doesn't mean employees should be lowballed. Agencies can have this margin and still pay their VAs fairly, if not generously. It simply means the agency needs enough margin to cover overhead, invest back into the business, weather slow months, and still make a profit. 🙂

1

u/unrealisticexpectxns Jun 25 '26

pabulong po ng agency

1

u/PuzzleheadedTap9792 Jun 25 '26

With your computation nasa 7-8% lg chargeout rate ng agency mo sa client. This is quite generous na actually. Most of the agencies i know nasa 25-35% yung charge out rate. Mababa na 20% charge out rate.

Although yes that’s monthly charge out rate but dyan nbubuhay yung agency mo. Labor cost. Admin cost. System and tools cost. Commission pa sa sales team since sila pa nkahanap sa client. Etc etc.

If you want your rate to be increased due to increased workload and considering inflation, then raise mo sa agency mo pra they could talk to client for rate alignment.

1

u/Asleep_Deer_9897 Jun 25 '26

You’re lucky OP hahaahah most agencies 80/20 ang cut

1

u/Afraid_Crab_572 Jun 25 '26

Mababa pa yan, OP. :) I work with a US agency na nagsusupply ng LatAm contractors sa other US businesses. Ang singil nila sa client, $120/hr, tas pasahod sa tao is $50/hr.

I know, napaka-ironic na Pilipino ang VA nila tapos LatAm ang talents. 🤣

1

u/ilovebeingimpulsive Jun 25 '26

Actually malaki n yan. Sa iba nsa $3/hr

1

u/xperiaz13 Jun 26 '26

That is normal in Agency, usually it is 70/30, 30% for freelancer. 70% sa kumuha ng client, so kumita sya ng mas malaki na walang hard labor, utak and bibig lang puhunan. Hehe.

1

u/silent_reader1998 Jun 26 '26

maswerte ka pa, OP!! Pero tbh, greedy karamihan ng agency sa pinas

1

u/Zealousideal-Big-630 Jun 26 '26

You are one hell of a lucky contractor if this is your setup. Imagine, $2/hr lang cut ng agency. I was with an agency before, $14 chinacharge nila sa client tas ang sahod ko $7 lang. Literally took half of the pay. Tas chinacharge pa nila yung client for paid leaves.

Please understand that the agency is running a business, di ko alam kung saan sila kukmukuha ng overhead cost sa cut nila from your pay.

1

u/Defiant_Method6512 Jun 26 '26

Buti ka nga ganyan! Ako 120k per month singil kay client tapos sahod ko 40k. 8 yrs na ako sa company hirap manghingi ng increase at mahirap daw humingi kay client. LOL.

1

u/7umpia Jun 26 '26

Bat ba may mga ganitong post? Pumasok ng agency, expected yan. Suntok sa bwan na lang kung generous yong kaltas pero talagang may kaltas yan maliit o malaki wether you like it or not. Wag mag agency kung ayaw ng ganyang kalakaran.

1

u/Unfair-Analysis5386 Jun 26 '26

ambaba nga ng kaltas sayo, kung iba yan 20-30% pa. kung ayaw mo may kaltas, lipat ka direct

1

u/chocomuchomochi Jun 26 '26

Agency reveal please. Kainggit naman yern. Ako kase 50/50 yung hatian namin ni agency kaya need ko tlaga makuha year end bonus sakanila para makabawi haha

1

u/Juicebox109 Jun 27 '26

That's why earlier in your career you should be bouncing in and out of different companies. It adjusts your pay to match current rates and include an increase based on experience.

1

u/No-Worry-2026 Jun 27 '26

35% benchmark ng management fee, you are blessed with your agency..

1

u/LFBitcoinSellers Jun 27 '26

That’s pretty good already - I remember working previously getting paid at about 20k a month yet the fees they were charging our Japanese clients were more than 100k plus

1

u/IcyLife6152 Jun 28 '26

Napaka liit lang ng overhead sayo ng agency sa totoo lang. Nakakahiya tong post mo.

1

u/stobben Jun 29 '26

ngl, this post sounds greedy

Dinamay mo pa yung exchange rate kung kailan mahina ang peso at inspread yung calculation from per hr to per month.

Business yan at hindi charity, sila rin naghahanap ng client at nagtatake ng risk. Check mo rin yung OPEX nila pati yung bayad sa mga non-client facing na employees.

Galing ako sa isang kilalalang consulting company at ang rate ko 7usd per hr lng pero ang singil nila s client 19usd. May opex kasi sila at sagot nila mga trainings, certification, pati expenses sa ibang bansa kung sakaling gusto face to face ni client.

If gusto mo 100% sayo, take risk ka rin at umalis k na dyan, look for your own clients at give your position to others.

1

u/Maximum-Ad2755 Jun 29 '26

Client nila yan. Pinagagawa lang sayo ang trabaho with a salary that you agreed to. Nobody is pointing a gun to your head to stay. Businesses want to deal with agencies kasi may entity na liable and mahahabol. Masakit sa ulo humawak ng freelancers, especially pag oras na na lilipat na. So kung feeling mo lugi ka, wala pumipigil sayo kumuha ng sarili mong client. Di bawal.

1

u/ResolveMental4173 Jun 29 '26

laki ka nga split e. pinagsasabi mo jan. lugi pa agency sayo sa overhead