Virtual Assistant Cost in 2026: Real Prices, Hidden Costs and What a Good Hire is Worth

A virtual assistant costs between about $6 and $75 an hour in 2026. Hired full-time through a staffing company, that works out to roughly $1,000 to $3,600 a month, against about $5,900 a month for an in-house US-based administrative assistant once benefits are counted.

This guide is for founders and small business owners who know they need help but have never priced it! Most virtual assistant pricing pages are built to get you on a sales call. This one shows the numbers: what seven providers charge in 2026, what an in-house hire really costs, and the line items nobody prints on the pricing card.

Virtual assistant cost at a glance

A virtual assistant's price depends less on the person than on how you hire them. The same 160 hours of work can cost $1,000 or $12,000 a month depending on the route.

How you hire	What it costs in 2026	Full-time equivalent (160 hours a month)	Who recruits, pays and replaces the assistant
Freelance marketplace (Upwork)	$10 to $20 an hour median, plus a client fee of up to 7.99%	About $1,700 to $3,500 a month with fees	You
Staffing company with global talent	$999 to $3,600 a month for a full-time plan	About $6 to $22 an hour	The provider
US-based virtual assistant service	Approximately $30 to $75 an hour depending on seniority and specializations	About $4,800 to $12,000 a month	The provider
In-house US administrative assistant	$48,310 median salary (BLS), about $70,500 with benefits	About $5,900 a month	You or your company's payroll and HR

Full-time equivalents assume 160 working hours a month. The staffing range runs from Wing's $999 plan to Prialto's $3,600 full-time plan, broken down below.

What's different about virtual assistant cost in 2026

Hiring at home got more expensive again. US private-industry compensation costs rose 3.3% in the year to June 2026, and benefits rose faster than pay: up 3.8%, against 3.1% for wages. For a full-time US worker, benefits now make up 31.5% of what the employer spends.

AI also took over the routine half of the job. The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects US secretary and administrative assistant jobs to shrink 2% between 2025 and 2035, partly because AI and digital tools now let people prepare their own documents.

In 2026 you are not paying an assistant to type. You are paying for judgment, follow-through and someone who owns a process end to end, which is why the gap between a task-taker and an experienced operator now matters more than the hourly rate.

How virtual assistant pricing works: the four models

What are the main ways virtual assistants charge?

Virtual assistants are priced four ways: by the hour, in prepaid blocks of hours, at a flat monthly rate for a dedicated full-time assistant, or at the individual hire's own rate plus benefits or a service fee. Hourly and block pricing suit light, irregular work. Monthly plans suit a steady, full-time workload.

Pricing model	How it works	2026 example	Best for	Watch for
Hourly rate	You pay for each hour logged	Upwork freelancers, $10 to $20 an hour median	One-off projects and short trials	Platform fees, plus your own time spent managing
Prepaid hour blocks	You buy a set number of hours each month	Time etc, 10 to 60 hours for $390 to $2,160 a month	Under 15 hours a week	$36 to $39 an hour, and rules on unused hours vary
Flat monthly plan	One price for a dedicated, full-time assistant	Wing, $999 for 160 hours; Athena, $3,000 a month	Steady, full-time admin work	Same price whoever you get, so experience levels vary
Rate-based monthly plan	The price follows the individual hire's own rate, plus benefits or a fee	Assistantly, most full-time roles $2,500 to $3,000+ a month	Senior or specialized roles	Price differs by candidate, so ask to see it before you interview

A simple rule: if the work is irregular and under 15 hours a week, buy hours. If it fills most of a working week, buy a dedicated person.

What virtual assistant companies charge in 2026

Published prices for a full-time virtual assistant run from $999 to $3,600 a month, more than a 3x spread, and US-based services sit above all of them. Most providers now print a price; Belay still quotes on a call.

Provider	Published price	Hours included	Hourly equivalent	Commitment
Wing Assistant	$999 a month full-time; $699 part-time	80 or 160 a month	About $6.25; $8.75	No long-term contract
Magic	$360 a week (Virtual Assistant) or $540 a week (Executive Assistant), billed every four weeks	40 a week	$9.00; $13.50	No contracts, cancel anytime
Time etc	$390 to $2,160 a month	10 to 60 a month	$36 to $39	Month to month
Assistantly	Most full-time roles $2,500 to $3,000 a month; senior and specialized roles can run higher	40 a week	About $16 to $19 at 160 hours	Three months, once you choose a hire
Athena	$3,000 a month	40 a week	Not listed	Monthly after a 90-day initial commitment
Prialto	$1,500 per 55-hour unit; full-time from $3,600 a month	55 or 165+ a month	$27; $22 (Prialto's figures)	Three months, then month to month
Belay	Not published; Belay's FAQ puts US-based assistants at $30 to $75 an hour	Varies	$30 to $75	Quoted on a call

Hourly equivalents divide the monthly price by the hours included. A flat rate makes shopping easier, but it tells you nothing about who you get, how experienced they are or how long you are locked in.

Virtual assistant vs in-house employee: the true cost

Is a virtual assistant cheaper than hiring an employee?

Yes, usually by 40% to 80%. A US administrative assistant earns a median $48,310 a year, and benefits lift the employer's cost to about $70,500, or $5,900 a month. A full-time virtual assistant through a staffing company costs about $1,000 to $3,600 a month, with payroll handled by the provider.

But benefits, payroll taxes, recruiting and equipment are the numbers that actually hit your account.

Cost line	In-house administrative assistant (US)	In-house executive assistant (US)	Full-time virtual assistant via a staffing company
Median pay	$48,310 a year	$76,590 a year	Included in the plan
Benefits and payroll taxes	About $22,200 a year	About $35,200 a year	Handled by the provider; what's included varies
Total a year	About $70,500	About $111,800	About $12,000 to $43,200
Total a month	About $5,900	About $9,300	About $1,000 to $3,600
Not counted above	Recruiting, equipment, desk space, your management time	Same	Your management time and any minimum term

How these totals were built: median pay is the May 2025 figure from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook. Benefits apply the June 2026 share for full-time private-industry workers, 31.5% of total employer cost. Treat as estimates, not quotes.

The hidden costs that never show up on a pricing page

The rate on a pricing card is rarely the number on your invoice, and it is never the full cost of the hire. Six costs catch first-time buyers most often.

Your own hours. On a freelance marketplace you source, interview, test, onboard and replace the assistant yourself. Every hour spent screening candidates is an hour taken from sales, product or clients.
Platform fees. Upwork adds a client marketplace fee of up to 7.99% on every payment, or 3% if a US client pays from a bank account.
Unused and extra hours. Hour-block plans set rules for hours you don't use and hours you go over. Check those rules, and how holiday work is billed, before you compare prices.
Minimum terms. Athena starts with a 90-day commitment and Prialto with three months, as does Assistantly once you choose a hire. Budget for the full minimum term, not just the first month.
The wrong hire. A replacement guarantee pays for the next assistant, not for the months lost to the wrong one. The real cost of a wrong hire is the time before anyone admits it isn't working.
Tools and security. Someone pays for software seats, a password manager and, for sensitive work, a secured device. Ask whether the plan includes them or whether they land on your card.

What makes a virtual assistant cost more or less

Why do some virtual assistants cost more than others?

Five things move the price: experience, hours, specialization, the assistant's location and cost of living, and how much support comes with the hire. On Upwork, experienced North American admin freelancers charge $12 to $20+ an hour, while executive and advanced assistants charge $38 to $50+.

Experience. Upwork's own data shows experienced freelancers charging $12 to $20+ an hour for admin and data entry, $20 to $35+ for marketing, support or accounting work, and $38 to $50+ for executive and advanced work (Upwork).
Hours. More hours usually means a lower hourly rate. Time etc falls from $39 to $36 an hour as the block grows, and Prialto from $27 to $22 at full-time.
Specialization. Bookkeeping, marketing and legal intake cost more than inbox and calendar work, because fewer people can do them well.
Location. Rates follow local cost of living, which is why US-based services charge the most. Time-zone overlap matters too, since an assistant who works your hours saves you hand-off delays.
Support and employment. A freelancer's rate covers the work and nothing else. A staffing plan can also cover recruiting, supervision, payroll, benefits and replacement, which is where most of the price gap between providers comes from.

How to budget the cost to hire a virtual assistant

Here are four steps get you to a real number before your first sales call.

Count the work. For two weeks, write down every task you want off your plate and how long it takes. Most founders find more hours than they expected.
Pick part-time or full-time. Under 15 hours a week of irregular work suits hour blocks or a freelancer. A steady 30 to 40 hours a week suits a dedicated full-time assistant.
Price the full term. Multiply the monthly price by the minimum commitment, then add platform fees and the hours you'll spend managing.
Compare like for like. Line up hours included, experience level, commitment and what happens if the hire doesn't work out.

Here is a worked example. Say you need 30 hours a week of inbox, calendar and CRM work, about 130 hours a month. At a $15 freelance rate that's about $1,950 a month plus up to 7.99% in fees, before your own management time. A $999 flat plan covers up to 160 hours with a general assistant. A rate-based plan at $2,500 to $3,000 buys an experienced operator with benefits and a 90-day plan.

Questions to ask before you sign

What exactly does the monthly price include?
How many hours are included, and what happens to unused or extra hours?
What is the minimum commitment, and how much notice does cancelling take?
Who employs the assistant, and are benefits included?
If the hire isn't working, how early will we know, and what happens next?
Can I see a candidate's actual work before I commit?

Where Assistantly fits on price

Assistantly is not the cheapest option in this guide, and it isn't built to be. Most full-time roles at Assistantly land between $2,500 and $3,000 a month, and senior or specialized roles can run higher (Assistantly pricing).

Assistantly's price has two parts. Each candidate names their own hourly rate, Assistantly adds benefits, and you see the total on every finalist's profile before you interview. Assistants who set their own rate tend to stay, and 98% of Assistantly hires are still in the role at six months.

Every Assistantly hire includes:

A real simulation of the role for every candidate, with your top three finalists in under 72 hours
Mid-to-senior talent only, drawn from a global pool in more than 38 countries
Contracts, payroll and compliance handled in your hire's country
Health coverage, paid time off, tools and training for your hire
A success team and a 90-day plan with five checkpoints, starting with a Fresh Eyes™ review at two weeks
A quality guarantee for as long as you work with Assistantly

There is no commitment until you choose who to hire; placements then start with a three-month commitment. More than 1,000 companies have hired through Assistantly.

Choose a $999 flat plan if the lowest monthly price matters most. Choose an hour block if you need under 15 hours a week. Choose Assistantly if you want an experienced operator who can own part of your business, proven on the real work before you meet them. Get a price for your role.

Key takeaways

A virtual assistant costs about $6 to $75 an hour in 2026, and a full-time staffing plan runs about $1,000 to $3,600 a month.
An in-house US administrative assistant costs about $5,900 a month with benefits, so a full-time virtual assistant usually saves 40% to 80%.
Buy hours for irregular work under 15 hours a week; hire a dedicated person for a full working week.
The real cost to hire a virtual assistant is the monthly price times the minimum term, plus fees and your own management time.
A cheap hire who leaves in three months costs more than a pricier one who stays, so judge the fit before the rate.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a part-time virtual assistant cost?

A part-time virtual assistant costs about $400 to $2,200 a month in 2026, depending on hours and pricing model. Wing charges $699 for 80 hours a month, Prialto $1,500 for about 55 hours, and Time etc costs $390 to $2,160 for 10 to 60 hours. On Upwork, 20 hours a week at the $10 to $20 median rate comes to about $870 to $1,730 a month, before fees.

Do you pay taxes and benefits for a virtual assistant?

Who pays taxes and benefits follows who employs the assistant. A freelancer you hire directly is paid their rate plus any platform fee, and Upwork itself advises checking worker classification with an HR partner or advisor. When a staffing company employs the assistant, payroll, taxes and any benefits sit inside the monthly price. Assistantly, for example, handles contracts, payroll and compliance in the hire's country and includes health coverage and paid time off.

How long do you have to commit when you hire a virtual assistant?

Virtual assistant commitments run from none to three months. Magic says no contracts and cancel anytime, and Wing says no long-term contract. Athena starts with a 90-day commitment and Prialto with three months. Assistantly asks for no commitment until you choose a hire, then three months. Whichever you pick, budget for the full minimum term, not just the first month.