Companies that outsource to the Philippines: who does it, which roles and what it costs

Companies that outsource to the Philippines range from global corporates to Australian businesses with fewer than 20 staff. Australian businesses most often hand over customer service, admin, bookkeeping, property support and digital marketing. A full-time Filipino professional with strong English usually earns A$1,300 to A$2,500 a month, plus a provider's fee.

This guide covers the kinds of Australian businesses that outsource to the Philippines, the roles they hand over, what it really costs and how to set it up so it works.

Why Australian businesses choose the Philippines

• Time zone. The Philippines is on UTC+8, two hours behind Sydney and Melbourne in standard time, so a normal Filipino working day covers most of the Australian business day.

• English. English is an official language and widely used in business, education and government, which makes phone and email work straightforward.

• A deep talent pool. The Philippines has a large, established outsourcing industry, so there are experienced people in support, finance, admin and marketing roles.

• Familiarity with Australian tools. Many candidates have already worked in Xero, MYOB, PropertyMe, HubSpot or Shopify for overseas clients.

Which Australian businesses outsource to the Philippines?

It is no longer only large corporates. The businesses we see doing it most often are:

• Accounting and bookkeeping firms, for data entry, reconciliations, BAS preparation support and payroll. See offshore staff for accounting firms.

• Real estate agencies, for listings, CRM updates and rent roll admin. See real estate agencies.

• Mortgage brokers, for loan processing and document collection.

• E-commerce businesses, for customer service, order processing and product listings.

• Medical and allied health clinics, for bookings, recalls and billing admin.

• Marketing agencies, for social media, design and campaign support.

• Founder-led growing businesses, for an executive or virtual assistant who takes the inbox and calendar.

The roles they hand over

The roles that work best are ones with clear, repeatable tasks that can be done in your systems from anywhere:

• Customer service representatives for email, chat and phone support

• Virtual assistants and executive assistants

• Bookkeepers, accounts payable and receivable officers, and payroll specialists

• Real estate virtual assistants

• Digital marketers, social media managers and graphic designers

• IT support, web developers and data entry specialists

Work that needs a licence, a physical presence or final sign-off usually stays in Australia. The offshore team member prepares the work and your local team approves it.

What it costs

A full-time hire has two costs: the team member's salary and the provider's fee.

• Salary. For roles that need excellent English, expect about A$1,300 to A$1,900 a month for admin and support roles and A$1,500 to A$2,500 or more for finance, marketing and specialist roles. Experience and Australian software knowledge push people to the top of the range.

• Provider fee. This depends on the model. A BPO charges per hour or per seat. An offshore staffing company usually charges a monthly fee, a one-off recruitment fee, or both.

At Elephant Teams, Ready for You is $5,999 + GST once, then $0 a month if you employ the person or $350 a month if we employ them. Managed for You is $1,000 a month with no recruitment fee. You can see the details on our Philippines page.

How to set it up so it works

1. Pick one role and list the tasks. Write the ten things you would hand over on day one.

2. Choose how they are employed. Decide whether you will employ them directly or have a provider employ them, and whether you want help managing them.

3. Screen on real tasks. Test candidates on your actual work, not just an interview.

4. Sort the tech first. Set up a managed laptop, logins and access before day one.

5. Plan the first 30 days. Short daily check-ins in the first fortnight make the biggest difference. Our first offshore hire checklist walks through it.

Philippines or Sri Lanka?

Both work well for Australian businesses. The Philippines has the smaller time difference and suits roles that are on the phone with your customers all day. Sri Lanka often suits finance and back-office roles at a lower salary. We compare them in Sri Lanka vs the Philippines.

Frequently asked questions

Is it legal for an Australian business to hire staff in the Philippines?

Yes. You can hire someone as a contractor, employ them through a local entity, or use a provider that employs them for you. A provider that employs them handles Philippine payroll, benefits and compliance on your behalf.

Do Filipino staff work Australian hours?

Most work a day shift that overlaps closely with the Australian day, because the Philippines is only two hours behind the east coast in standard time.

Is outsourcing to the Philippines only for big companies?

No. Many Australian businesses start with a single full-time hire. Because you pay a salary rather than an hourly agency rate, one dedicated person is often affordable for a business turning over a few hundred thousand dollars a year.