How much does it cost to hire a virtual assistant?

When employers ask how much it costs to hire a virtual assistant, the answer can range from about $3 to $75+ per hour depending on location, experience, specialization, working hours, and hiring model. For Filipino virtual assistants, HeyVA's current published hiring benchmarks are around $3–$20+ per hour, with general administrative support at the lower end and specialized technical work at the higher end.

The better question is not simply, ‘What does a VA cost?’ It is:

What type of support do I need, how many hours do I need it for, and what should I realistically budget?

This guide breaks down hourly and monthly costs, Filipino VA rates, part-time vs full-time costs, and the extra expenses employers should consider before hiring.

Key takeaways

• Virtual assistant costs vary by location, experience, specialization, hours, and hiring model.
• Filipino virtual assistants on HeyVA generally range from about $3–$20+ per hour across current published role benchmarks.
• Monthly cost depends on rate and hours. A $5/hour VA working 20 hours per week costs about $433 per month in labor.
• The cheapest hourly rate is not always the lowest total cost. Experience, management time, hiring fees, software, and onboarding can all affect your actual hiring cost.

Virtual assistant cost at a glance

These are broad hiring benchmarks, not fixed rates. Actual costs depend on the person you hire, the work involved, and how the role is structured.

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What determines the cost of hiring a virtual assistant?

The six biggest factors on the cost of hiring a va are the following;:

1. Location

2. Experience

3. Specialization

4. Weekly hours

5. Working schedule and timezone overlap

6. Hiring model

Location

Virtual assistant rates vary widely by country and market.

A U.S.-based VA service can cost significantly more than hiring offshore talent. Filipino virtual assistants, for example, often have lower hourly expectations than U.S.-based professionals because of differences in local labor markets and cost structures.

That does not mean every offshore VA is automatically a better deal. Experience, communication, reliability, and role fit still matter.

Experience

A more experienced VA will usually charge more, especially if they are expected to work independently.

There is a meaningful difference between someone who follows detailed instructions and someone who can take ownership of recurring processes, communicate with clients, and make routine decisions without constant supervision.

If the role requires closer executive support, more independent decision-making, or greater ownership, you may actually need an Executive Assistant rather than a general VA. See our virtual assistant vs executive assistant comparison to understand the difference.

Specialization

General admin support is usually less expensive than specialist work.

Higher rates are common for areas such as:

• Bookkeeping

• Executive support

• SEO

• Paid advertising

• Graphic design

• Video editing

• E-commerce management

• Automation

• Development

• Technical support

The more specialized the work, the more important it becomes to compare candidates on capability rather than price alone.

Weekly hours

The monthly cost depends heavily on how much support you actually need.

A VA working 10 hours a week may be enough for a founder who needs help with scheduling, research, and inbox management. A business needing daily customer support or operational help may require a full-time hire.

Working hours and timezone overlap

If you need your VA available during specific U.S., UK, Canadian, or Australian business hours, make that clear early.

Some candidates may charge more for unusual schedules or overnight shifts, while others may already prefer those hours.

Hiring model

The amount you pay can also change depending on how you hire.

A direct freelancer, freelance marketplace, hiring platform, and managed VA agency can all have very different pricing structures.

How much does a virtual assistant cost per month?

Monthly VA cost is easy to estimate once you know the hourly rate and weekly hours.

Monthly VA cost = hourly rate × weekly hours × 4.33

For example:

These figures estimate labor only. Platform fees, software, equipment, benefits, payment fees, or other costs may also apply.

What is the average cost of a virtual assistant?

There is no single reliable global average because virtual assistant pricing varies too much by geography, skill level, hours, and hiring model.

A marketplace freelancer, a Filipino VA, a U.S.-based assistant, and a managed agency service may all have very different rates.

A more useful benchmark is the cost of the specific role you need.

For example:

• General admin support usually costs less than specialized work

• Part-time support costs less per month than full-time support

• Offshore talent often costs less than local hiring

• Managed services usually include additional fees beyond the VA's compensation

How much does a virtual assistant cost in the Philippines?

A Filipino virtual assistant can typically cost around $3–$20+ per hour based on HeyVA's current published role benchmarks.

General administrative support sits toward the lower end, while specialist or technical work is usually higher.

Prefer a quick breakdown? Watch this video to learn what Filipino virtual assistants typically cost and what can affect the rate you pay.

Filipino virtual assistant rates by role

This wide range reflects an important point: ‘Virtual Assistant’ can describe very different roles.

Someone handling data entry and scheduling should not be priced the same way as someone managing automations, technical workflows, or higher-level executive support.

What current HeyVA candidate rates show

Current visible HeyVA profiles also show how much individual VA rates can vary.

Examples include:

These are examples from currently visible HeyVA profiles, not platform-wide averages. Rates and availability can change.

The takeaway is simple:

Filipino VA rates should reflect the work, experience, and level of ownership you need.

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Part-time vs full-time virtual assistant cost

A part-time VA can be more cost-effective if your workload does not justify a full-time hire.

When does a part-time VA make sense?

Part-time support may be enough when you need help with:

• Inbox organization

• Data entry

• CRM updates

• Research

• Scheduling

• Reporting

• Social media coordination

If you only have 10 or 20 hours of real work each week, hiring full-time may not make sense.

When does a full-time VA make sense?

Full-time support is more appropriate when the work is ongoing and requires daily availability.

That may include:

• Customer support

• Executive assistance

• E-commerce operations

• Sales administration

• Client communication

• Bookkeeping support

• Operational coordination

A full-time VA also has more opportunity to learn your business deeply and take ownership of recurring processes.

Freelancer vs agency vs hiring platform: how costs differ

When comparing prices, make sure you are comparing the same hiring model.

If you're comparing agencies with other ways to hire Filipino remote talent, our guide to choosing a virtual assistant agency in the Philippines explains how traditional VA agencies, freelance marketplaces, and hiring platforms differ.

A direct hire may look cheaper because you handle more of the sourcing, screening, interviewing, and onboarding yourself.

An agency may cost more because the fee can include recruitment, management, payroll, replacement support, or other services.

A hiring platform like HeyVA can sit between the two by helping with parts of the recruitment process while allowing you to retain hiring control.

What other costs should you budget for?

The hourly rate is not always the total cost of hiring a virtual assistant.

You may also need to budget for:

Recruitment or platform fees

Job boards, agencies, recruiters, and hiring platforms all use different pricing models.

Software

Your VA may need access to tools such as:

• Google Workspace

• Microsoft 365

• Slack

• Notion

• Asana

• ClickUp

• CRM software

• Accounting tools

• Password managers

Equipment

Confirm whether the candidate already has suitable equipment or whether you will provide it.

Training and onboarding

Even an experienced VA needs time to learn your business, customers, tools, and processes.

Benefits and bonuses

These depend on the worker's location and the employment or contractor arrangement.

Payroll and payment costs

International payment platforms, payroll providers, and currency conversion may add fees.

Turnover

Repeated hiring and onboarding can be expensive.

A low hourly rate does not help much if the person requires constant replacement or heavy supervision.

A better way to think about total cost is:

VA compensation + hiring costs + tools + onboarding + ongoing operating costs

Virtual assistant vs in-house employee: which costs less?

A virtual assistant can cost less than an in-house employee when the work can be performed remotely or part-time, but the actual savings depend on compensation, benefits, equipment, recruitment, software, and employment structure.

One of the biggest advantages of a VA is flexibility.

If you only need 15 hours of support each week, you can hire a virtual assistant closer to the amount of capacity you actually need rather than creating a full-time local position.

Cost flexibility is only one advantage. If you're weighing whether remote support makes sense for your business, explore the benefits of a virtual assistant, including increased capacity, access to specialized skills, and more time for higher-value work.

How to calculate your virtual assistant budget

Start with the work, not the hourly rate.

1. List what you want to delegate

Write down the recurring work taking up your time.

For example:

• Inbox management

• Scheduling

• Customer emails

• CRM updates

• Research

• Reporting

• Bookkeeping

• Social media

• E-commerce operations

2. Estimate weekly hours

Ask how much time the work actually requires.

Is it closer to:

• 10 hours a week?

• 20 hours?

• 30 hours?

• 40 hours?

3. Determine the skill level

Does the person need to follow a process, or do you expect them to make decisions and take ownership?

Higher responsibility usually requires more experience.

4. Choose your hiring market

Local and offshore markets have different compensation expectations.

If you are considering Filipino talent, use Philippines-specific benchmarks rather than comparing candidates with U.S. salary expectations.

5. Add non-wage costs

Include:

• Hiring or platform fees

• Software

• Equipment

• Payment costs

• Benefits where applicable

• Training and onboarding

That gives you a more realistic budget.

Virtual assistant budget examples

10-hour-per-week administrative VA

At $5/hour for 10 hours per week, estimated monthly labor is:

About $217/month

This may suit a founder who needs recurring administrative help but does not need daily support.

20-hour-per-week experienced VA

At $8/hour for 20 hours per week, estimated monthly labor is:

About $693/month

This could fit a role covering CRM management, scheduling, reporting, client follow-ups, and operational coordination.

Full-time specialized VA

At $15/hour for 40 hours per week, estimated monthly labor is:

About $2,598/month

This may be more appropriate for a specialist role requiring technical skills or greater ownership.

Is a more expensive virtual assistant worth it?

A higher-priced VA can be worth the additional cost if they can:

• Work more independently

• Handle specialized responsibilities

• Make better routine decisions

• Require less training

• Communicate effectively with customers or stakeholders

• Reduce rework

• Take ownership of recurring processes

The lowest hourly rate is not always the lowest business cost.

The bigger question is whether delegating the work will free up enough time and capacity to justify the investment. Our guide to the best reasons to hire a virtual assistant can help you decide whether you've reached that point.

A $5/hour VA who needs several hours of correction and supervision each week may cost you more in management time than an $8/hour VA who can run the process reliably.

Hire for fit, capability, and ownership, not price alone.

How to hire a virtual assistant without overpaying

You do not need to choose the cheapest candidate to control costs.

Instead:

1. Define the role clearly. Know what you are paying someone to do.

2. Hire for the right skill level. Do not pay specialist rates for simple admin work, or expect specialist work at entry-level rates.

3. Estimate realistic hours. Part-time may be enough.

4. Compare what is included. Agency, marketplace, and platform pricing can represent very different services.

5. Evaluate candidates beyond rate. Communication, reliability, experience, and ownership matter.

6. Plan onboarding properly. Clear expectations reduce wasted time.

If you are still working out the hiring process, see our guide on how to hire a virtual assistant.

How HeyVA pricing works

HeyVA separates the cost of using the hiring platform from the compensation you agree with the person you hire.

That distinction matters.

The VA's rate is their compensation. HeyVA's subscription is the cost of accessing the platform and hiring support.

HeyVA currently offers Basic, Recruiter, and Enterprise options for employers.

Alexandra, HeyVA's AI hiring manager, can help with:

• Role definition

• Candidate screening

• Follow-ups

• Interview coordination

You still decide:

• What you are looking for

• Which candidates you interview

• Who you hire

For current platform pricing and plan inclusions, see the HeyVA pricing page.

Find the right virtual assistant for your budget

Virtual assistant pricing varies because the roles themselves vary. The right budget depends on the work you need delegated, the hours required, the skills involved, and how much ownership you expect the person to take.

Rather than choosing the lowest hourly rate, look for the best match between cost, capability, experience, and role fit. A VA who can handle the work reliably and with less supervision may ultimately provide better value than a cheaper candidate who requires more of your time.

If you're ready to hire Filipino remote talent, HeyVA helps you find and screen candidates while Alexandra, our AI hiring manager, handles much of the repetitive hiring work. You review the strongest matches, interview the candidates you want to meet, and make the final hiring decision.