How Much Does a Virtual Assistant Cost?

The single biggest cost variable is what you are asking for. General admin work sits at the bottom of the range. Bookkeeping, design, ad management, or anything requiring a license sits well above it.

Rough rate ranges by skill

These are the ranges you see on direct-hire platforms where you pay the VA. Agencies charge more, often double, because they handle recruiting, replacement, and management.

• General admin and data entry. $3 to $7 an hour. Email sorting, calendar management, research, data entry.
• Customer support. $5 to $10 an hour. Handling tickets, chat, and order questions.
• Industry-trained admin. $6 to $12 an hour. Someone who already knows MLS systems, dental scheduling software, or agency reporting tools.
• Bookkeeping. $8 to $15 an hour. Higher if they hold a local accounting credential.
• Specialized skills. $12 to $25 an hour and up. Design, paid ad management, development, copywriting.

Direct hire versus agency

• Direct hire is cheaper per hour and you keep the relationship. You also do the recruiting, the training, and the replacing when someone leaves.
• An agency costs more per hour and gives you a vetted candidate, a backup if yours quits, and someone else handling payroll. If you have never managed a remote worker, that markup buys you a real service.

What else to budget for

• Transfer fees. Recurring international transfers add up fast if you use the wrong method. See the guide on paying a VA.
• Software seats. Your VA needs logins for whatever tools they use. Some tools charge per seat.
• Training time. Yours. Budget several hours in the first two weeks writing down processes you have never had to write down before.
• Overlap hours. If you want your VA working while you are awake, you may pay a premium for someone willing to work U.S. hours from a different time zone.

The comparison that matters

A U.S. part-time admin at $20 an hour for 20 hours a week is about $20,800 a year before payroll taxes. A VA at $7 an hour for the same hours is about $7,280, with no payroll tax and no office cost.

That gap is the whole reason the market exists. What the gap does not cover is management. A remote contractor in another time zone needs clearer instructions than someone sitting across from you, and that time is real even though it never shows up on an invoice.