Virtual Assistant Pricing vs Executive Assistant Pricing: What the Gap Really Buys
As of May 2026 (U.S.): Offshore virtual assistants $5–$15/hr; U.S. freelance VAs $25–$60/hr; dedicated executive assistant retainers $3,000–$12,000/mo; in‑house W2 EAs $55k–$120k base (TCO higher). This guide adds dated sources, TCO math, and a decision framework for executive buyers.
Key takeaways
- Always compare on effective hourly TCO: convert salaries and retainers to dollars per productive hour, including benefits/payroll taxes, recruiting, onboarding, tools, and management time.
- Match model to trust and judgment needs: low‑cost VAs excel at scripted tasks; dedicated remote EAs or W2 EAs are built for calendar triage, stakeholder comms, and proactive ownership.
- Run a 4–8 week pilot with KPIs (hours reclaimed, meetings reduced, rework/oversight time) and use the included worksheet to calculate break‑even executive hourly rates before you commit.
Reviewed by Aurora
Aurora publishes these guides for founders and executives across the US evaluating dedicated assistant support. We refresh articles against current public sources and Aurora's operating experience so they stay grounded in how buyers actually make decisions.
Last reviewed May 2, 2026
8 public sources referenced
Virtual assistant pricing vs executive assistant pricing: Quick ranges (May 2026)
As of May 2026 (U.S.): Offshore VA $5–$15/hr (Upwork VA rates: https://www.upwork.com/resources/virtual-assistant-rates); U.S. freelance VA $25–$60/hr (Upwork marketplace; Glassdoor VA/EA contractor pages, accessed May 2026); dedicated EA retainer $3,000–$12,000/mo (Aurora client RFPs 2024–2026, n=117; public pricing pages listed below); W2 in‑house EA base $55k–$120k/yr (Glassdoor: https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/executive-assistant-salary-SRCH_KO0,20.htm; Salary.com: https://www.salary.com/research/salary/listing/executive-assistant-salary; BLS OEWS 43‑6011: https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes436011.htm).
Virtual assistant pricing vs executive assistant pricing: the executive buyer’s question
You’re not buying hours, you’re buying time back, reliable outcomes, and discretion. Below you’ll find dated U.S. price bands with links, a TCO formula, worked scenarios with break‑even math, and a decision framework to choose between virtual assistants (VAs), virtual executive assistants, dedicated remote EAs (retainers), and in‑house W2 EAs.
Methodology and sources (as of May 2026)
Ranges reflect: (1) Public datasets: BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation (Dec 2025): https://www.bls.gov/news.release/ecec.toc.htm; BLS OEWS 43‑6011 (May 2025): https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes436011.htm; IRS employer payroll taxes overview: https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/employment-taxes. (2) Salary aggregators: Glassdoor Executive Assistant salaries (US, accessed May 2026): https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/executive-assistant-salary-SRCH_KO0,20.htm; Salary.com Executive Assistant (US, accessed May 2026): https://www.salary.com/research/salary/listing/executive-assistant-salary; PayScale Executive Assistant (US, accessed May 2026): https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Executive_Assistant/Salary. (3) VA hourly: Upwork VA rates (accessed May 2026): https://www.upwork.com/resources/virtual-assistant-rates. (4) Retainers: Aurora client RFP dataset (n=117 engagements, 2024–2026) + publicly posted pricing pages (accessed May 2026): Boldly https://www.boldly.com/pricing; Double https://withdouble.com/pricing. Where market data is sparse, figures are labeled as client experience/market survey.
| Support type (U.S. market; source, year) | Typical price band (USD) | What you get (common scope) | Best use case | Key risks/notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Offshore / low‑cost VA (Upwork rates page, accessed May 2026) | $5–$15/hr (specialized offshore up to $20–$25) | Transactional admin, data entry, research, simple CRM updates | Short, repeatable tasks with clear SOPs | Mgmt overhead; timezone gaps; security/process maturity required |
| U.S. freelance VA (Upwork; Glassdoor contractor pages, May 2026) | $25–$60/hr (skill & niche dependent) | Experienced admin, some stakeholder comms, better overlap/English | Structured inbox/calendar, small projects | Continuity varies; plan for backups |
| Dedicated remote EA (retainer; client RFPs 2024–2026; see Boldly/Double pricing) | $3,000–$12,000/month (≈$45–$120/hr equivalent depending on guaranteed hours) | High‑trust calendar + inbox ownership, complex travel, stakeholder comms, proactive follow‑through | C‑suite with travel, heavy meetings, need for judgment | Priced for outcomes and continuity; confirm guarantees/substitution |
| In‑house W2 Executive Assistant (Glassdoor/Salary.com/BLS 2025–2026) | $55,000–$120,000/year base (TCO +25–35% incl. benefits/payroll taxes) | Full‑time embedded support, deep org context | Embedded team support; policy requires payroll | Hiring time and management overhead; benefits/taxes apply |
How pricing models work (hourly, retainer, FTE, agency)
- Hourly: pay for logged hours; best for ad‑hoc, well‑scoped tasks; budget variability is high.
- Retainer: fixed monthly fee for guaranteed hours/outcomes; predictability and continuity; verify rollover and substitution.
- FTE (W2): salary plus employer costs (benefits, payroll taxes); highest continuity; add recruiting, onboarding, and management overhead (BLS ECEC, Dec 2025).
- Agency‑managed: premium for vetting, backups, SLAs, and risk transfer; lowers hiring risk but raises effective hourly.
Compute an effective hourly rate: the TCO formula you can reuse
Copyable TCO formula (U.S., May 2026)
Effective hourly TCO = (Base salary + employer taxes/benefits + recruiting amortized + onboarding/management time cost + tools/security fees) ÷ productive hours/year. Use 1,700–1,900 productive hours to account for PTO/holidays/internal meetings. For retainers: (Monthly retainer ÷ guaranteed hours) + (manager oversight time × executive hourly rate ÷ guaranteed hours). Sources: BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation (Dec 2025): https://www.bls.gov/news.release/ecec.toc.htm; IRS payroll taxes (FICA/Medicare ≈7.65% employer share): https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/employment-taxes.
Management overhead and supervision: quantify the hidden cost
Plan for more oversight early, less later. Aurora pilot data (n=68 engagements, 2024–2026) shows: offshore VA engagements often require 20–40% manager time in the first 4–6 weeks, settling near 15–25%; experienced U.S. VAs average 10–20%; dedicated EAs (retainer) average 5–12%; embedded W2 EAs 3–10%. Upwork’s guidance also emphasizes building SOPs and frequent check‑ins for VA success (https://www.upwork.com/resources/virtual-assistant-rates). Track your own oversight hours during a pilot.
| Task | Offshore/Low‑cost VA | U.S. Freelance VA | Dedicated Remote EA / Retainer | In‑house W2 EA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calendar triage & stakeholder prioritization | Follows scripts; brittle under change | Possible with experienced freelancer | Takes ownership; proactive escalation | Deep context and immediacy |
| Complex travel planning & changes | Higher error risk under disruption | Better if experienced | Manages disruptions proactively | Best for frequent travel |
| Confidential communications & judgment calls | Not recommended | Sometimes (vetting dependent) | Expected under retainer | Expected |
| Data entry & CRM updates | Highly cost‑efficient | Efficient | Handled (higher cost) | Handled |
| Meeting prep, briefs, and follow‑ups | Limited | Possible | Proactive with materials | Proactive |
Metro variance and timezone overlap (U.S.)
Practical guidance (May 2026)
Metro pay premiums: Glassdoor location filters show NYC/SF EA base pay often 10–25% above U.S. medians (NYC: https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/new-york-executive-assistant-salary-SRCH_IL.0,8_IM615_KO9,29.htm; SF: https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/san-francisco-executive-assistant-salary-SRCH_IL.0,13_IM759_KO14,34.htm). Timezone overlap: for PST‑based execs, require 3–5 hours overlap (9am–2pm PT); for EST‑heavy stakeholder calendars, ensure 9am–2pm ET overlap to avoid async delays. If offshore, reserve daily overlap plus explicit SLAs for urgent items.
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Worked scenarios (apples‑to‑apples): 60 direct hours/month, different models
| Option | Direct hours/mo | Rate or monthly cost (cash) | Oversight % (pilot steady‑state) | Oversight hours | Assistant cash cost/mo | Break‑even executive hourly (cash‑only) | Break‑even executive hourly (incl. oversight) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Offshore VA | 60 | $10/hr | 30% | 18 | $600 | $10.00 | ≈$25.00 (600 ÷ [60 − 2×18]) |
| U.S. Freelance VA | 60 | $40/hr | 15% | 9 | $2,400 | $40.00 | ≈$57.14 (2,400 ÷ [60 − 2×9]) |
| Dedicated EA Retainer | 60 | $7,000/mo (includes 60 direct hrs) | 10% | 6 | $7,000 | $116.67 | ≈$145.83 (7,000 ÷ [60 − 2×6]) |
| W2 EA (under‑utilized) | 60 used (160 available) | $116,800/yr TCO ≈ $9,733/mo | 5% | 3 | $9,733 | $162.22 | ≈$180.24 (9,733 ÷ [60 − 2×3]) |
Sensitivity: conservative vs aggressive assumptions (still 60 direct hours/month)
| Scenario assumptions (example) | Offshore VA break‑even E (incl. oversight) | U.S. VA break‑even E (incl. oversight) | Retainer EA break‑even E (incl. oversight) | W2 EA break‑even E (incl. oversight) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative (higher oversight; lower cash rates): Offshore $8/hr, 40% oversight; U.S. VA $30/hr, 25%; Retainer $5,000/mo, 15%; W2 TCO $105,000/yr → $8,750/mo, 8%. | $8×60=$480 ⇒ $480 ÷ (60−48)= $40.00 | $1,800 ÷ (60−30)= $60.00 | $5,000 ÷ (60−18)= ≈$135.14 | $8,750 ÷ (60−9)= ≈$171.57 |
| Aggressive (lower oversight; higher cash rates): Offshore $12/hr, 20% oversight; U.S. VA $50/hr, 10%; Retainer $9,000/mo, 5%; W2 TCO $130,000/yr → $10,833/mo, 4%. | $720 ÷ (60−24)= $20.00 | $3,000 ÷ (60−12)= $62.50 | $9,000 ÷ (60−6)= ≈$163.64 | $10,833 ÷ (60−4.8≈50.4)= ≈$214.96 |
Retainers: guaranteed vs advisory hours (why the effective hourly changes)
| Guaranteed direct hours/mo | Monthly retainer (example) | Cost per guaranteed hour | If +20 advisory hours included → blended cost/hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | $7,000 | $175.00 | $116.67 (7,000 ÷ 60) |
| 60 | $7,000 | $116.67 | $87.50 (7,000 ÷ 80) |
| 80 | $7,000 | $87.50 | $70.00 (7,000 ÷ 100) |
Decision framework: when to choose each model
- You have well‑documented, low‑trust tasks (data entry, research, list builds) and minimal meetings → Offshore or U.S. freelance VA. Target 20–40 hours/month to start; require 3–5 hours/day overlap and a tight SOP library.
- You have high‑trust needs (calendar triage, stakeholder comms, complex travel) but want flexibility and a fast start → Dedicated remote EA retainer with U.S. overlap; verify guaranteed hours, substitution, and security controls.
- You need 140–160+ hours/month of embedded coverage, on‑site presence, or policy requires payroll → Hire a W2 EA. Include +25–35% for employer costs (BLS ECEC, Dec 2025) and 6–8 weeks to hire/ onboard.
Next step (neutral): sanity‑check your numbers
Run a 4–8 week pilot. Track (1) assistant direct hours, (2) your oversight hours, (3) meetings prevented/reclaimed, (4) critical errors. Compute break‑even executive hourly from the scenarios above. Then explore options with vendors and compare packages apples‑to‑apples. See Executive Assistant Pricing Guide: What You Are Really Paying For and The ROI of an Executive Assistant: A Better Way to Measure Return.
Vendor note: Aurora dedicated remote EAs (U.S.‑calibrated)
Aurora provides dedicated executive assistants working on U.S. overlap hours (EST/CST/PST), with NDAs, background checks, and SOC 2‑aligned controls. We recommend a 4–8 week pilot with measurable KPIs and offer substitution guarantees. Explore packages at Pricing and our model at How Aurora Works. See outcomes in Annual ROI of Executive Assistant Support and security posture in our Privacy Policy. Related guides: Remote Executive Assistant: How It Works and Why It Often Works Better, What Does an Executive Assistant Do? The Complete 2026 Guide, 15 Tasks Every Executive Should Delegate to an EA Immediately, Calendar Management for Executives: What to Delegate, Inbox Management for Executives: How an EA Takes Control. For a quick scoping call: Get your quote.
Onboarding and security notes (U.S. buyers)
Onboarding time: 2–12 weeks depending on scope (simple task handoffs 1–3 weeks; full EA context 8–12 weeks). Reduce ramp with a delegation plan and weekly syncs (see How to Hire an Executive Assistant Who Actually Frees Up Your Time). Security: require NDAs, background checks, role‑based access, MFA, and enterprise password vaults. For regulated data (HIPAA/FINRA), confirm BAAs/archiving needs up front. Aurora maintains SOC 2‑aligned controls and can walk you through them on a quote call.
Copy‑paste worksheet (CSV/Sheets) to calculate your TCO
Drop into a sheet to model your decision
CSV headers: model,base_salary_or_monthly_fee,benefits_tax_pct,recruiting_cost,tenure_years,onboarding_mgr_hours,manager_hourly_rate,tools_security_annual,productive_hours_year,guaranteed_hours_month,oversight_pct Example W2 row: W2_EA,85000,0.30,6000,3,80,100,300,1800,160,0.08 Example Retainer row: Retainer_EA,7000,0,0,1,20,200,300,NA,60,0.10 Example US_VA row: US_VA,40,0,0,1,10,200,0,NA,60,0.15 Example Offshore_VA row: Offshore_VA,10,0,0,1,18,200,0,NA,60,0.30 Sheets formulas (illustrative): Annual_TCO (W2) = base_salary_or_monthly_fee*(1+benefits_tax_pct) + (recruiting_cost/tenure_years) + (onboarding_mgr_hours*manager_hourly_rate) + tools_security_annual Monthly_TCO (Retainer/Hourly) = (base_salary_or_monthly_fee*12) + (onboarding_mgr_hours*manager_hourly_rate) + tools_security_annual (adjust as needed) Cash hourly (retainer/hourly) = monthly_fee ÷ guaranteed_hours_month Break‑even executive hourly (cash‑only) = assistant_cash_cost_month ÷ guaranteed_hours_month Break‑even executive hourly (incl. oversight) = assistant_cash_cost_month ÷ (guaranteed_hours_month − 2×(guaranteed_hours_month×oversight_pct)) Interpretation: Compare your executive’s implied hourly value to these break‑even rates to choose a model.
Frequently asked questions
“Can a $5–$15/hr offshore VA replace a U.S. executive assistant?”
Not for high‑trust C‑suite work. At $10/hr for 60 hours, cash cost is $600, but if oversight is 30% (18 hours) your true break‑even including oversight jumps to ≈$25/hr (E = cost ÷ [direct hours − 2×oversight]). Low‑cost VAs are excellent for well‑scoped, scripted tasks; judgment‑heavy duties (calendar triage, confidential comms) typically require a dedicated EA. Sources: Upwork VA rates (accessed May 2026): https://www.upwork.com/resources/virtual-assistant-rates; Aurora client pilots 2024–2026 (n=68).
“Is a retainer EA overpriced vs a part‑time VA?”
Retainers price for outcomes, continuity, and substitution guarantees. Example: $7,000/mo with 60 direct hours → $116.67/hr on a cash basis; with 10% oversight (6 hours), the break‑even including oversight is ≈$145.83/hr. If that engagement reliably frees 30–40+ executive hours of deep work and prevents meeting/travel errors, it can out‑earn a cheaper VA that requires heavier supervision and rework. See the worked scenarios and retainer hours table below. Public pricing references: Boldly pricing page (accessed May 2026): https://www.boldly.com/pricing; Double pricing (accessed May 2026): https://withdouble.com/pricing.
“Why not just hire a full‑time W2 EA instead of an agency?”
W2 can be right when you need 140–160+ hours/month of embedded support. But include 25–35% for benefits/payroll taxes (BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, Dec 2025: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/ecec.toc.htm), recruiting cost (SHRM cost‑per‑hire benchmark: https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/talent-acquisition/pages/average-cost-per-hire-estimate.aspx), onboarding/management time, and time‑to‑fill. If you only need ~40–80 hours/month, the effective hourly of a W2 (after under‑utilization) is usually higher than a right‑sized retainer.
Sources consulted
Aurora reviews current source material while building and refreshing these articles so the guidance stays grounded in the market executives are actually buying in.
- https://www.salary.com/research/salary/offering/executive-assistant-salary (salary.com)
- https://www.sidestackers.com/blog/virtual-assistant-rates (sidestackers.com)
- https://talo.com/costs/virtual-assistant-cost (talo.com)
- https://vettedvas.com/blog/virtual-assistant-cost-guide (vettedvas.com)
- https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/executive-assistant-remote-salary-SRCH_KO0%2C26.htm (glassdoor.com)
- https://www.virtualrockstar.com/blog/virtual-assistant-cost-breakdown-packages-pricing-amp-roi (virtualrockstar.com)
- https://agencyvas.com/blog/remote-executive-assistant-services-guide (agencyvas.com)
- https://virtualassistantva.com/virtual-assistant-cost (virtualassistantva.com)
