How Much Does a Virtual Assistant Cost in 2026?

Hourly versus retainer

Hourly billing suits unpredictable, low-volume work. Retainers suit everything else, and they produce better results: a VA with reserved hours learns your business, builds documentation and works proactively rather than waiting for requests. That is why most agencies, including us, prefer retainers.

Typical price bands

• Essential admin support — from $1,000/month, up to about 40 hours: inbox, calendar, scheduling, research, data entry, documents.
• Growth support — from $2,000/month, up to about 90 hours: adds project coordination, customer support, CRM management, SOPs and email marketing.
• Executive support — from $3,000/month, up to about 140 hours: a dedicated senior executive assistant, operations and project management, automation and account management.

What drives the price up

• Seniority: executive assistant and operations experience carries a premium.
• Specialisation: CRM architecture, automation and AI workflow design cost more than general admin.
• Time zone constraints: narrow coverage windows reduce the candidate pool.
• Regulated or high-trust environments requiring extra compliance.
• Volume of client-facing communication versus back-office work.

Fees to check before signing

• Setup or onboarding fees (ours are zero).
• Overage rates when you exceed contracted hours.
• Rollover policy for unused hours.
• Minimum term and notice period.
• Whether tool licences are billed to you separately.

Working out your break-even

Take your realistic revenue per productive hour. Multiply by the hours a VA gives back each month. Compare that against the retainer. A founder billing $150 an hour who recovers 20 hours a month is creating $3,000 of capacity against a $1,000 retainer — and that ignores the compounding effect of faster follow-up and fewer dropped leads.

The wrong question is 'can I afford a VA?' The right question is 'what is it costing me to keep doing this work myself?'

Cheap is expensive

Rock-bottom hourly rates usually mean no vetting, no management, no documentation and no cover. The rework, the errors and the time you spend supervising typically cost more than the difference. Pay for the management layer; it is the part that makes the hours productive.