--- title: "Virtual Assistant Cost: U.S. Prices and Plans (2026)" description: "What U.S.-based virtual assistants cost in October 2026: published prices, minimums, cost drivers, hidden costs and how to choose your monthly hours." url: https://peachtreeva.multisites.ai/virtual-assistant-cost publisher: Peachtree VA book: https://peachtreeva.multisites.ai/contact --- # How much does a virtual assistant cost? Published U.S. virtual assistant plans in October 2026 run from about $36 to $65 an hour. BELAY says most U.S. clients pay $1,200 to $3,000 a month. Freelancers and offshore teams cost less. Peachtree VA gives a custom quote after a free call, with packages from 25 hours a month. [Book a free strategy call](https://peachtreeva.multisites.ai/contact) ![Maryellen Stockton, Vice President of Talent and Client Relations](https://peachtreeva.multisites.ai/_astro/maryellen-stockton.BFUPqaRP_1sgdHQ.webp) **Maryellen Stockton**Vice President of Talent and Client Relations Peachtree minimum 25 hours a month Peachtree terms Month-to-month, 30 days notice Peachtree pricing Custom quote after a free call Typical U.S. range (BELAY) $1,200 to $3,000 a month Prices checked October 29, 2026 ## Hours set the price Every company prices by the hour or by a block of hours. A smaller block means a smaller bill and a smaller commitment. ## Terms matter as much as rates Minimums, contract length, rollover rules and who employs the assistant change what you really pay. ## In-house costs more than wages Payroll taxes, benefits, paid leave and hiring time sit on top of a salary. ## Your hour sets the value Compare the cost of support with what your own hour is worth. The calculator below does the math. Published prices and terms of U.S.-based virtual assistant companies, October 2026 Company Published price Minimum and commitment Staff model Peachtree VA Custom quote after a free call; packages start at 25 hours a month, month-to-month 25 hours a month; month-to-month, 30 days notice; hours do not roll over U.S.-based, 1099 independent contractors [Boldly](https://boldly.com/pricing-plans/) $2,600 for 40 hours, $3,900 for 60 hours; specialist tasks $79 an hour 40 hours a month per assistant; upgrade, downgrade or cancel at any time U.S. staff are Boldly employees [Time Etc](https://www.timeetc.com/pricing) $390 for 10 hours up to $2,160 for 60 hours ($36 to $39 an hour) No setup fee; cancel any time; unused hours roll over on plans of 20 hours or more Dedicated U.S. assistant [Athena](https://www.athena.com/pricing) $3,000 a month for one full-time executive assistant 90-day initial commitment, then monthly Employed by Athena [BELAY](https://resources.belaysolutions.com/belay-faq-how-much-does-it-cost-to-hire-a-virtual-assistant-in-the-us) No price list; states $1,200 to $3,000 a month as typical Not published U.S.-based Published prices and terms as of October 2026. Peachtree VA does not publish a rate because the cost depends on your hours and the support you need. Check each company's site before you decide. ## How much does a virtual assistant cost? U.S.-based virtual assistant companies publish prices from about $36 to $65 an hour in October 2026. BELAY says most U.S. clients pay $1,200 to $3,000 a month. Freelancers on Upwork average $18 to $35 an hour. Your cost depends on how many hours you buy, the skills you need, and who employs the assistant. The table at the top of this page lists each company’s published price and terms. We opened every pricing page on October 29, 2026. The Boldly hourly figure is our math: $2,600 divided by 40 hours is $65. Time Etc prints its own hourly figures, $36 to $39. Peachtree VA does not publish a rate. We give a custom quote after a free discovery call. This page shows what the market charges so you can judge any quote, ours included. ## How much does a U.S.-based virtual assistant cost per month? On published plans, a U.S.-based virtual assistant costs $390 to $3,900 a month, depending on hours. BELAY says most clients pay $1,200 to $3,000. The table below shows two companies that publish plans by the hour block, so you can compare the same number of hours side by side. Hours a month Time Etc Boldly 10 $390 Not offered (40-hour minimum) 20 $760 Not offered (40-hour minimum) 40 $1,480 $2,600 60 $2,160 $3,900 _Published prices as of October 2026. Check each site for current terms._ A 25-hour month falls between the 20-hour and 40-hour rows. Boldly’s smallest plan is 40 hours. Our packages start at 25 hours a month, so you can start smaller than most plans on this list. Athena sells one model: a full-time executive assistant for $3,000 a month after a 90-day initial commitment. That fits a leader who needs a full workweek of support. It is a different product from a small block of hours. ## What drives the cost of a virtual assistant? Six things drive the cost: hours, skill level, location, agency or freelancer, contractor or employee status, and contract terms. Each one moves the price up or down. Look at all six before you compare two quotes, because the lowest rate rarely shows the lowest total. 1. **Hours.** More hours cost more in total but usually less per hour. Time Etc drops from $39 an hour at 10 hours to $36 at 60 hours. 2. **Skill level.** Routine admin costs less than specialist work. Boldly bills specialist tasks outside executive assistance at $79 an hour. 3. **Location.** Offshore assistants usually charge less. U.S.-based assistants work in your time zone. 4. **Agency or freelancer.** Freelancers on Upwork average $18 to $35 an hour. You then find, screen and manage them yourself. An agency charges more and does that work for you. 5. **Contractor or employee.** Some companies employ their assistants on W-2 payroll. Peachtree VA assistants are U.S.-based 1099 independent contractors. Read [1099 vs. W-2](https://peachtreeva.multisites.ai/glossary/1099-vs-w-2) before you compare. 6. **Terms.** Athena requires a 90-day initial commitment. Time Etc has no setup fee and no notice period. Ours is month-to-month with 30 days notice. ## Why do offshore virtual assistants cost less? Offshore virtual assistants cost less because pay scales and living costs are lower in many countries. That is a real saving, and for simple, well-defined tasks it can be the right choice. The trade-off is time zone, communication and legal protection, not talent. Be fair to both sides. A [U.S.-based virtual assistant](https://peachtreeva.multisites.ai/glossary/us-based-virtual-assistant) works your business hours and falls under U.S. law. Our assistants work Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., in your time zone. An offshore assistant may work overnight to match you, or you may wait a day for answers. Choose by task. If you need overnight data entry, offshore may fit. If you need calls, client email and real-time judgment, a U.S.-based assistant is easier to manage. ## What does a virtual assistant cost compared with an employee? An employee costs more than the wage. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that benefits averaged $14.07 an hour, or 30.0 percent of private employer compensation costs, in June 2026. The average wage was $32.82 an hour. By our math, $100 in wages costs about $143 once benefits are counted. Apply that to an example. Time Etc cites an average salary of $60,500 for an experienced executive assistant in 2026. At the same 43 percent load, the true cost is roughly $86,000 a year. That is an estimate from national averages for all private-industry jobs, not a quote for any one assistant. Athena’s full-time executive assistant at $3,000 a month comes to $36,000 a year. Your own numbers will differ by city and role. ### What are the hidden costs of hiring in-house? In-house hiring adds costs that never appear in a salary line. The IRS says an employer must pay the matching share of Social Security and Medicare taxes and unemployment tax on wages. Add the items below and the bill grows. - Payroll taxes and benefits. - Paid leave: the BLS puts employer cost for paid leave at $4.40 per hour worked for full-time private workers. - Recruiting, interviews and background checks. - Training and your management time. - Equipment, software seats and a replacement search if the person leaves. - No coverage when the person is out sick or on vacation. ## Is a 1099 contractor VA cheaper than a W-2 employee? A contractor can cost less because the client does not pay payroll taxes or benefits on contractor payments. The IRS says you generally do not have to withhold or pay taxes on payments to independent contractors. Classification depends on control and independence, so confirm your case with a CPA or attorney. Our assistants are 1099 independent contractors to Peachtree VA. We handle the contract and compliance side. This is general information, not tax or legal advice. The IRS looks at behavioral control, financial control and the type of relationship, and no single factor decides it. Ask your CPA or attorney how it applies to you. ## Are there hidden costs in VA pricing? Yes, a few. A low hourly rate can hide fees, commitments and add-ons. Ask every company the same five questions before you sign, including us: is there a setup fee, how long is the commitment, do unused hours roll over, what do specialist tasks cost, and what does paying by card add? Examples from published pages: - Boldly adds a processing fee on credit card payments and bills specialist tasks at $79 an hour. - Athena requires a 90-day initial commitment. - Time Etc charges no setup fee and rolls unused hours over on plans of 20 hours or more. - Our hours do not roll over, and we take card and ACH payments. Bookkeeping is priced separately. Bookkeeping packages start as little as $240 per month and depend on transaction volume and complexity. See [bookkeeping](https://peachtreeva.multisites.ai/bookkeeping). ## How many hours should I buy? Buy the hours your admin work actually takes, then start with a bit less. Run a two-week time audit, add up the inbox, scheduling and follow-up hours, and compare the total with a package size. Our packages start at 25 hours a month, about six hours a week. 1. Track every task for two weeks in 30-minute blocks. 2. Mark the tasks only you can do. Keep those. 3. Add up the rest. That is your delegable time. 4. Start with a package that covers about half of it. 5. Add hours once the first month shows what you hand off. Our Director of Business Development helps you size the hours on the discovery call. You can add hours later. Our clients report reclaiming 15 or more hours a week once admin moves to a dedicated assistant. Not sure what to hand off first? See [what to delegate to a virtual assistant](https://peachtreeva.multisites.ai/guides/what-to-delegate-to-a-virtual-assistant). ## What is my own hour worth? Your effective hourly rate is what you pay yourself divided by the hours you really work. Compare it with the cost of support. If your hour is worth more than the support you buy, handing off admin work pays for itself. The calculator on this page runs your numbers. Here is the calculator’s default example. You pay yourself $180,000 a year, work 55 hours a week for 48 weeks, and spend 15 of those hours on admin. That is 2,640 hours and an effective rate of about $68 an hour. The 720 admin hours cost $49,091 at your rate. Paying $40 an hour for the same work costs $28,800. The difference is $20,291 a year. The $40 is a sample input, not a quote. If your support rate is higher than your effective rate, the calculator shows an extra cost instead. Learn the idea in [effective hourly rate](https://peachtreeva.multisites.ai/glossary/effective-hourly-rate), or use the [hourly rate calculator](https://peachtreeva.multisites.ai/tools-and-resources/hourly-rate-calculator) on its own page. ## Do unused hours roll over? It depends on the company. Time Etc says the hours you do not use roll over into your next month. Our hours do not roll over and must be used within the month. The fix is simple: keep a long-term “evergreen” project in the background. When a month runs light, your VA shifts to that project. Good evergreen projects include building SOPs, cleaning up files, or organizing your CRM. Read about [standard operating procedures](https://peachtreeva.multisites.ai/glossary/standard-operating-procedure) for ideas. If you need more hours in a busy month, you can add them. ## Next step Get a custom quote on a free call with our team: [book a free strategy call](https://peachtreeva.multisites.ai/contact). You can also see how packages work on the [virtual assistant services](https://peachtreeva.multisites.ai/va-services) page. ## Frequently asked questions ### How much does a virtual assistant cost? It depends on hours, skill and who employs the assistant. Published U.S. plans in October 2026 run from about $36 to $65 an hour, and freelancers on Upwork average $18 to $35 an hour. Peachtree VA gives a custom quote after a free call, with packages from 25 hours a month. ### How much does a U.S.-based virtual assistant cost per month? BELAY states that most U.S.-based virtual assistants cost between $1,200 and $3,000 a month. Published plans range from $390 for 10 hours at Time Etc to $3,900 for 60 hours at Boldly. Your total is the hours you need times the rate for your type of work. ### Why do U.S.-based virtual assistants cost more than offshore ones? Pay scales and living costs differ by country, so offshore rates are usually lower. A U.S.-based assistant works in your time zone and business hours and under U.S. law. If price is your only filter, offshore can win. If hours, contracts and communication matter, U.S.-based can be worth the difference. ### Isn't it cheaper to hire a virtual assistant directly? A direct hire adds payroll taxes, benefits, paid leave, equipment and your time to recruit and train. BLS puts benefits at 30 percent of private employer compensation costs. A virtual assistant company handles recruiting and matching, and you pay for the hours you use. ### What happens if I do not use all my hours? It depends on the company. Time Etc rolls unused hours over on plans of 20 hours or more. Peachtree VA hours do not roll over, so we suggest keeping a long-term project in the background. Your VA can shift to it in slow weeks and every hour stays productive. ### How much does Peachtree VA cost? We give a custom quote after a free discovery call because the price depends on your hours. Packages start at 25 hours a month on a month-to-month agreement with 30 days notice. You can add hours later. We do not publish an hourly rate, so the call is the fastest way to get a number. ## Sources 1. [Boldly: Plans & pricing (minimum hours)](https://boldly.com/pricing-plans/) 2. [Boldly: Plans & pricing (40 hour plan)](https://boldly.com/pricing-plans/) 3. [Boldly: Plans & pricing (60 hour plan)](https://boldly.com/pricing-plans/) 4. [Boldly: Plans & pricing (specialist rate)](https://boldly.com/pricing-plans/) 5. [Boldly: Plans & pricing (card fee)](https://boldly.com/pricing-plans/) 6. [Time Etc: Virtual assistant pricing (40 hours)](https://www.timeetc.com/pricing) 7. [Time Etc: Virtual assistant pricing (10 hours)](https://www.timeetc.com/pricing) 8. [Time Etc: Virtual assistant pricing (60 hours)](https://www.timeetc.com/pricing) 9. [Time Etc: Virtual assistant pricing (rollover)](https://www.timeetc.com/pricing) 10. [Time Etc: Virtual assistant pricing (executive assistant salary)](https://www.timeetc.com/pricing) 11. [Athena: Pricing (monthly price)](https://www.athena.com/pricing) 12. [Athena: Pricing (commitment)](https://www.athena.com/pricing) 13. [BELAY: How much does it cost to hire a virtual assistant in the U.S.?](https://resources.belaysolutions.com/belay-faq-how-much-does-it-cost-to-hire-a-virtual-assistant-in-the-us) 14. [Upwork: Virtual assistant cost](https://www.upwork.com/hire/virtual-assistants/cost/) 15. [U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, June 2026](https://www.bls.gov/news.release/ecec.nr0.htm) 16. [U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, June 2026 (wages)](https://www.bls.gov/news.release/ecec.nr0.htm) 17. [IRS: Independent contractor (self-employed) or employee?](https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/independent-contractor-self-employed-or-employee) Third-party prices and terms as published on the date shown. Check each company's site before you decide. ## In our clients' words - > I did a time audit and realized I was spending 20+ hours a week in admin, swimming through emails, reaching out to prospects, reminding people of appointments, rescheduling, etc. When I think about the value of time and put my hourly rate against what I'm paying Peachtree to do those tasks, there was already a huge return on investment. I love my VA. Once they understood how I like to communicate with clients and prospects and how I like my schedule, they were able to replicate that mindset. It's just been amazing. **Beth Carr**Founder, Fortified Branding ## Related - [### What is a fractional executive assistant? A fractional executive assistant gives you part of an executive assistant's time instead of a full-time hire. You buy a set number of hours a month and hand off the inbox, calendar, travel and follow-up. Peachtree VA starts at 25 hours a month on a month-to-month agreement. Fractional EA](https://peachtreeva.multisites.ai/fractional-executive-assistant) - [### Effective Hourly Rate Calculator Work out your real hourly rate as a business owner, what your admin work costs you a year, and what you get back by delegating it. Free, no sign-up. Open the tool](https://peachtreeva.multisites.ai/tools-and-resources/hourly-rate-calculator) - [### U.S. virtual assistant companies compared U.S. virtual assistant companies differ most in minimum hours, published price and employment model. In October 2026, Boldly starts at 40 hours, Time Etc at 10, Athena sells one full-time assistant, and BELAY publishes no price list. Peachtree VA starts at 25 hours a month, month-to-month, with 1099 contractors. VA company comparison](https://peachtreeva.multisites.ai/compare/virtual-assistant-companies) - [### U.S.-based virtual assistants for small business A U.S.-based virtual assistant is a vetted remote professional who works from the United States on your calendar, inbox, projects and admin for a set number of hours each month. Peachtree VA matches most clients in as little as 10 business days, from 25 hours a month, with a free rematch if the fit is wrong. VA services](https://peachtreeva.multisites.ai/va-services) ## Get your week back. Book a free, no-obligation strategy call. We will map out what to hand off first, and you leave with a plan whether or not you become a client. [Book a free strategy call](https://peachtreeva.multisites.ai/contact)[or email info@peachtreeva.com](mailto:info@peachtreeva.com) ![Sarah Harlan, Client Experience & Operations Manager](https://peachtreeva.multisites.ai/_astro/sarah-harlan.DtVquYwL_2b0Qn7.webp) ![Darleen Priday, Vice President of Business Development](https://peachtreeva.multisites.ai/_astro/darleen-priday.jiyh6aPr_1PLR4H.webp) ![November Lee, Marketing Manager](https://peachtreeva.multisites.ai/_astro/november-lee.Cro_USs7_Z1Yhdwg.webp)