A global study has found that becoming a virtual assistant is now the career Filipinos aspire to most, reflecting the country’s growing role in the global remote work and outsourcing industry.
The study, conducted by digital financial services firm Remitly, analyzed Google searches for phrases such as “how to be a…” and “how to become a…” across 145 countries and 424 occupations to identify the careers that generate the most interest.
The Philippines recorded virtual assistant as its top “dream job,” replacing doctor, which held the top spot when Remitly conducted a similar study in 2024.
Rounding out the Philippines’ top 10 dream careers are doctor, vlogger, lawyer, actor, astronaut, flight attendant, diplomat, content creator, and social media manager.
The results indicate that while traditional professions such as doctor and lawyer remain highly desirable, Filipinos are increasingly drawn to careers tied to the digital economy, including virtual assistants, content creators, vloggers, and social media managers.
Globally, acting overtook pilot as the world’s most sought-after career for the first time since the study began in 2022. The top five global dream jobs are actor, pilot, firefighter, lawyer, and YouTuber.
The report also found that YouTuber ranked as the top dream career in 28 countries, more than any other occupation included in the study.
Another trend identified in this year’s research is the emergence of artificial intelligence-related careers.
Searches for jobs such as prompt engineer, artificial intelligence specialist, and machine learning engineer appeared in the global data for the first time, reflecting growing public interest in AI-driven professions.
The study tracked annual Google search volumes for career-related queries across multiple languages to gauge interest in different occupations worldwide.
Ryan Riley, vice president of marketing for EMEA and APAC at Remitly, said the latest results point to changing career priorities.
“While careers like actor and pilot continue to rank among the world’s most aspirational jobs, it’s notable to see traditionally stable professions such as lawyer and veterinarian climbing the rankings this year. One trend emerging from the data is that people may be placing greater value on financial security. At the same time, dream-driven careers like DJ and YouTuber are also gaining popularity, suggesting many are still prioritizing passions.
“Perhaps the most striking finding is the growing influence of artificial intelligence on career aspirations. Just three years ago, virtually no one was searching for roles like ‘Prompt Engineer.’ Today, AI-related careers are beginning to appear in the data, reflecting how quickly new technologies are reshaping the way people think about work. As AI continues to evolve, we expect this area of the study to change dramatically from year to year.”
