How Much Does a Virtual Executive Assistant Cost in 2026?

How much does a virtual executive assistant cost in 2026?

Most buyers should budget by model, not by one universal hourly number. In the U.S.-focused provider prices reviewed for this article, published examples ranged from $36 to $39 per hour at Time etc, while Prialto lists a $1,500 monthly unit for 55 hours of support. BELAY gives a wider general U.S. range of $30 to $75 per hour. These are provider offers and market guidance, not a single industry average.

The employee benchmark is different. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a May 2024 median wage of $74,260 for executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants. That is the worker's wage, not the employer's fully loaded cost. Employer payroll taxes, benefits, paid leave, recruiting, equipment, supervision, and unused capacity sit outside that figure.

Table of contents

• TL;DR
• Methodology
• Limitations
• Key statistics
• Key takeaways
• Cost comparison
• How to compare the models
• Hourly and freelance support
• Monthly retainers and managed services
• Direct employment
• What changes the price
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Related research

TL;DR

• Hourly support is easiest to start and easiest to miscompare. Ask whether the rate includes matching, quality review, backup coverage, software, and minimum commitments.
• A retainer makes sense when work recurs every week. Time etc lists $390 for 10 hours, $760 for 20, $1,480 for 40, and $2,160 for 60 hours per month, or $39 to $36 per hour.
• A managed service can cost more than an individual contractor while removing payroll, recruiting, process documentation, and continuity work. Prialto lists $1,500 per month for a 55-hour unit and $3,600 per month for 165 or more hours.
• Direct employment gives the most control and often the deepest integration. BLS wage data and BLS employer-cost data are useful benchmarks, but neither is an exact quote for one executive assistant hire.
• The right question is: what does a reliable hour of executive capacity cost under this model, including the work that the buyer must manage?

Methodology

We reviewed public pricing and guidance available on August 1, 2026, and used the latest relevant public labor data available at research time. Provider sources were treated as quoted prices or self-described market guidance. BLS sources were treated as labor statistics. IRS sources were used for worker-classification and payroll-tax context.

The comparison uses U.S. dollars and a U.S.-focused buyer perspective. Provider samples are not surveys of the whole market. They differ in assistant geography, service scope, minimum term, productive-hour definition, and the amount of management included. BLS data cover occupations or the private-industry workforce, not virtual assistants as a distinct category.

Limitations

No authoritative dataset publishes one 2026 average price for virtual executive assistants. Many providers quote after a consultation, and freelance marketplaces mix general administrative work with executive support. Provider prices can also change without a historical archive.

The BLS wage observation is from May 2024, while the BLS employer-cost observation is from December 2025. They are the latest useful benchmarks located for this review, but they do not describe a specific 2026 hire. The BLS employer-cost figure is an all-occupation private-industry average, not an executive-assistant rate.

Key statistics

• The BLS May 2024 median annual wage for executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants was $74,260. The BLS definition covers high-level administrative support and is a useful occupation benchmark, not a virtual-service price.
• The BLS May 2024 median for all secretaries and administrative assistants was $47,460. The executive-assistant occupation median is higher, which is one reason general VA rates should not be presented as executive-support rates.
• In December 2025, BLS reported average private-industry employer costs of $32.36 per hour for wages and salaries, $13.79 for benefits, and $46.15 total compensation per hour worked across the private industry workforce.
• Time etc lists $36 to $39 per hour in monthly plans for 10 to 60 hours. Its page says those plans include a dedicated U.S. assistant, matching, additional assistants, and a satisfaction guarantee.
• Prialto lists $1,500 per month for a 55-hour unit, which is about $27.27 per scheduled support hour, and a full-time offering starting at $3,600 per month for 165 or more hours, about $21.82 per hour before considering the service's included management and backup coverage.
• BELAY says U.S.-based virtual assistants typically charge $30 to $75 per hour, or about $1,200 to $3,000 per month for part-time support. It describes the figures as typical guidance, not a rate card.
• IRS guidance says worker classification depends on the full relationship, including behavioral control, financial control, and the relationship of the parties. Calling a worker a contractor in a contract does not settle the classification question.

Key takeaways

The cheapest visible rate is not always the cheapest operating choice. A contractor who needs daily instruction, has no backup, and bills for coordination may cost more in executive attention than a managed service with a higher invoice.

The employee benchmark needs a loaded-cost calculation. Start with wage, then add employer FICA, benefits, paid leave, recruiting, equipment, payroll administration, management time, and the cost of gaps during hiring or absence. The exact load depends on the employer and the benefits package.

The monthly model usually fits recurring work such as calendar management, inbox triage, travel coordination, and follow-up. It fits less well when the need is a one-off project or a few unpredictable tasks each quarter.

Cost comparison

Model	Published 2026 example or benchmark	What the figure measures	Usually included	Main comparison warning
Individual hourly or freelance support	Often quoted by provider or marketplace; BELAY's U.S. guidance is $30 to $75/hour	Price for a service hour	Task execution, sometimes only	Geography, skill, taxes, tools, and availability vary widely
Monthly retainer	Time etc: $390 to $2,160/month for 10 to 60 hours, or $36 to $39/hour	Reserved monthly service hours	Dedicated U.S. assistant and service features listed by provider	Rollover, unused hours, overages, and cancellation terms matter
Managed fractional service	Prialto: $1,500/month for 55 hours	A service unit, not only an individual's labor	Assistant, engagement management, training, backup coverage, no overage fees according to provider	A unit's coverage and productive-hour rules differ from a freelancer
Direct employee	BLS: $74,260 median annual wage in May 2024, about $35.70/hour at 2,080 hours	Employee wage	Depends on employer; wage alone excludes benefits and overhead	Do not compare wage to an invoice without loading employment costs

How to compare the models

Use the same workload for every quote. Write down the recurring responsibilities, expected response window, executive systems the assistant must access, weekly hours, peak periods, and what requires executive approval. Then ask each option to price that exact brief.

Track five quantities during the first month: invoice amount, productive support hours, executive time spent managing the relationship, uncovered work, and rework. The last three often explain why two apparently similar rates produce different outcomes.

Also ask who owns the process when the assistant is sick, leaves, or is unavailable. A provider's backup team can be part of the fee. An individual contractor may require the buyer to create that coverage. Neither is automatically better, but the difference belongs in the comparison.

Hourly and freelance support

Hourly support is a reasonable starting point when the workload is uncertain or the buyer wants to test delegation. It can work well for calendar cleanup, research, travel changes, or a defined administrative project.

The price needs context. A low rate may exclude paid discovery, onboarding, taxes, software, minimum billing increments, or work outside the stated task. A high rate may include executive-level judgment, industry experience, confidentiality controls, or a provider's quality layer. Ask for the billable unit, minimum commitment, response hours, and replacement policy.

If the business controls when, where, and how the person works, it should review IRS worker-classification guidance before treating the arrangement as independent contracting. This is a tax and employment question, not a pricing preference.

Monthly retainers and managed services

Retainers trade some flexibility for continuity. They are usually easiest to justify when the assistant owns recurring workflows and learns the executive's preferences over time. A monthly fee also makes budgeting simpler than a fluctuating invoice.

Time etc's published plans give a transparent example. Ten hours costs $390 per month. Twenty costs $760. Forty costs $1,480. Sixty costs $2,160. The listed effective hourly rate declines from $39 to $36 as the plan grows. The page says unused hours roll over and plans can be changed or cancelled, but buyers should confirm current terms before signing.

Prialto uses a different product structure. Its 55-hour unit costs $1,500 per month and includes an engagement manager, training, and backup coverage. Its full-time service starts at $3,600 per month for 165 or more hours. That price is not directly comparable with an unmanaged freelancer because the service includes continuity and operational support.

Direct employment

Direct employment is most defensible when the executive needs a stable, highly integrated partner with defined working hours, broad access, and long-term responsibility. It also gives the employer more control over methods and priorities, subject to employment law and company policy.

The BLS median wage of $74,260 is about $6,188 per month in base pay, or about $35.70 per hour if divided by 2,080 hours. This arithmetic is a planning conversion, not a BLS hourly wage observation. The actual cost rises when the employer adds benefits and paid nonworking time.

For context, BLS reported that benefits averaged 29.9 percent of private-industry employer compensation in December 2025. That does not mean every employer adds 29.9 percent to this occupation's wage. It does show why a wage-only comparison understates the cost of employment. IRS 2026 guidance also lists a 6.2 percent employer Social Security rate and a 1.45 percent employer Medicare rate, before other payroll taxes and benefits.

What changes the price

Experience matters, but scope matters just as much. A scheduling-only role is different from an assistant who prepares board materials, handles sensitive correspondence, coordinates travel across time zones, and makes judgment calls about what reaches the executive.

Geography affects both wages and availability. So does time-zone overlap. A buyer should specify whether the assistant must work synchronously during U.S. business hours or can complete tasks asynchronously.

Security and continuity add cost. Background checks, named accounts, least-privilege access, secure document exchange, backup coverage, and documented processes are useful buying criteria. They should not be treated as invisible extras when comparing a solo contractor with a managed provider.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average cost of a virtual executive assistant in 2026?

There is no authoritative single average. Public U.S.-focused examples reviewed on August 1, 2026 included $36 to $39 per hour at Time etc, $1,500 per month for 55 hours at Prialto, and BELAY guidance of $30 to $75 per hour. The right comparison depends on scope, geography, hours, management, and continuity.

Is a virtual executive assistant cheaper than an employee?

Often, for part-time or variable demand, because the buyer can avoid recruiting, payroll administration, benefits, and unused capacity. The comparison changes for a full-time, deeply integrated role. Use the BLS wage benchmark, then add employment costs and the value of management time before deciding.

What does a 20-hour-per-month virtual assistant cost?

One published example is Time etc at $760 per month, or $38 per hour. Other providers and independent assistants may quote differently. Confirm whether the plan includes rollover, a dedicated person, backup coverage, onboarding, and overage rules.

What is the difference between a retainer and a managed virtual assistant service?

A retainer normally reserves a defined number of service hours each month. A managed service may add process design, account management, assistant training, quality review, and backup coverage. The invoice should be read alongside the included operating support.

Can a virtual executive assistant be an independent contractor?

Sometimes, but the label is not decisive. The IRS says classification depends on the complete relationship, including behavioral control, financial control, and the relationship of the parties. Get qualified tax or employment advice for a specific arrangement.

How many hours should I budget at first?

Start with the recurring work that can be documented and reviewed. A small monthly plan can test the workflow. If the assistant will own a daily calendar and inbox, a higher recurring allocation may be more realistic than scattered hourly requests. Measure actual demand after the first month and adjust.

Related research

• Virtual executive assistant vs. in-house
• The ROI of a remote executive assistant
• Remote executive assistant services

Sources

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, May 2024 wage data, published/retrieved 2026-08-01. Definition: U.S. occupation medians; denominator: employed workers in the occupation.
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants, May 2024 OEWS, retrieved 2026-08-01. Definition: SOC 43-6011 occupation; geography: United States.
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, December 2025, published 2026-03-20 and retrieved 2026-08-01. Definition: average employer cost per employee hour worked; sample: civilian and private-industry workers.
• BLS ECEC presentation and methodology, retrieved 2026-08-01. Definition: wages, salaries, and benefits per employee hour worked.
• Time etc plans and pricing, retrieved 2026-08-01. Definition: provider's published monthly customer plans; geography: dedicated U.S. assistants.
• Prialto pricing and plans, retrieved 2026-08-01. Definition: provider's monthly units and hours; includes the service features listed on the page.
• Prialto FAQ, retrieved 2026-08-01. Definition: provider explanation of fractional and full-time service units.
• BELAY FAQ on U.S. virtual assistant costs, retrieved 2026-08-01. Definition: provider's market guidance; geography: United States.
• IRS Topic 762, Independent contractor vs. employee, reviewed 2025-09-05 and retrieved 2026-08-01. Definition: federal tax worker-classification factors.
• IRS Publication 15 for 2026, retrieved 2026-08-01. Definition: federal employer tax guidance; geography: United States.
• IRS Topic 751, Social Security and Medicare withholding rates, reviewed 2026-01-20 and retrieved 2026-08-01. Definition: employer and employee FICA rates.
• IRS 2026 standard mileage rates, reviewed 2026-07-27 and retrieved 2026-08-01. Definition: business mileage guidance, included here as a reminder that employee expense policies can add cost.