How much does a virtual assistant cost, and when is it worth it?
Virtual assistant rates typically run from roughly $8-15 per hour for offshore general admin, $15-35 for specialised offshore or managed-agency support, and $35-75+ for onshore executive or expert assistants. The rate is the smaller half of the decision: onboarding, documentation and management time usually add 20-40% in the first month. Worth it is decided by comparing the fully loaded cost against your own effective hourly value and the revenue work you are not doing.
The three pricing models
- Direct freelance hire — lowest rate, highest management load, you own recruiting and cover
- Managed agency / marketplace — higher rate, includes vetting, backup and replacement
- Fractional executive assistant — highest rate, lowest management load, expects documented context
The costs that are not in the quote
Budget for the first 20-30 hours of onboarding, the time you spend documenting processes, tool seats and access, and a quality dip in weeks one and two. A VA at $12 per hour who needs three hours of your time a week is not a $12 per hour VA.
The calculation that decides it
Take your effective hourly value: annual profit you personally influence divided by hours worked. Multiply by the hours you would hand over. Compare with hourly rate multiplied by hours plus management time multiplied by your rate. If the first number is not clearly larger, either the task is wrong or the process is not documented enough.
When the answer is no
If your work is unpredictable week to week, if nothing is written down, and if you cannot name one outcome you want owned, a hire will disappoint. Fix the diagnosis first: decide what should be kept, delegated, automated or eliminated, then hire against a defined outcome.
Common follow-up questions
Is a cheaper VA a false economy?
Not automatically — but a low rate only pays off when your processes are documented. Low rate plus no documentation equals maximum founder management time.
Hourly or monthly retainer?
Retainers work better once the work is stable and defined. Start hourly while you are still learning which tasks actually leave your plate.