How Much Does a Virtual Assistant Cost in 2026? Hourly vs Monthly Packages

I’ve worked as a remote assistant for 13+ years, and I now lead a small admin support team. That means I see pricing from both sides: what assistants charge, and what business owners end up paying once everything is counted.

The figures below come from rate guides published in 2026, which are linked at the end. The guides don’t all agree, so treat each number as a range, not a fixed price.

What a virtual assistant costs per hour

Why the ranges are so wide

Three things move the price more than anything else.

• Experience. A beginner doing data entry sits at the bottom of the range. Someone who has supported executives for years sits at the top.
• The kind of work. General admin costs less than specialist work such as bookkeeping, paid ads or video editing.
• Who manages the work. When you hire directly, you are the manager. When you hire through a team or agency, part of what you pay covers someone else checking the work and stepping in when your assistant is away.

What that means per month

Most small businesses don’t need a full-time assistant. Here is what part-time help costs at three example rates.

Hourly rate or monthly package?

Paying by the hour suits work that changes from week to week. You pay only for the time used, but your bill is harder to predict, and you need to keep an eye on the hours.

A monthly package suits steady, repeating work such as your inbox, your calendar or your social media posting. You know the cost in advance and your assistant can plan their week around you. The trade-off is that unused hours usually don’t carry over.

The costs that don’t show in the hourly rate

The cheapest hourly rate is often not the cheapest option overall. These are the costs people forget.

• Your time to hire. Writing the job post, reading applications, interviewing and running a test task can take many hours.
• Training. Every new assistant needs to learn how you like things done. Expect the first two to four weeks to be slower.
• Checking the work. Someone has to review what’s done, at least at the start. If that someone is you, it comes out of the time you were trying to save.
• Replacing someone. If a direct hire leaves, you start again from the hiring step.
• Tools. Your assistant will need access to your email, calendar and business software. I use Tekmatix every day to keep client follow-ups and bookings in one place, and whatever you use, budget for an extra user seat where one is needed.
• Payment fees. Paying someone overseas usually involves a transfer or platform fee.

Where my own team sits

My FBL Admin Support Team charges $15 an hour, sold as monthly packages of 20, 40 or 80 hours ($300, $600 or $1,200).

A team member does the work, and I check every task before it reaches you. You don’t recruit, test or replace anyone. There is no setup fee and no long contract. The rate covers the work and my review of it, so the price you see is the price you pay.

How to choose

• You have time to manage and clear written instructions: hire directly.
• You want steady help without managing anyone: use a small managed team or agency.
• You need someone in your own time zone for live calls: a US-based assistant is worth the higher rate.

The bottom line

A virtual assistant in 2026 can cost anywhere from a few dollars an hour to several thousand dollars a month. The right question isn’t “what’s the lowest rate?” but “what will this cost me in money and in my own time?” Work that out first, and the right option is usually clear.

Sources

• Stealth Agents: Cost of Hiring a Virtual Assistant in the Philippines 2026
• VA Masters: Philippines Virtual Assistant Cost 2026
• FindTalent.ph: Virtual Assistant Agency vs Marketplace vs Freelancer
• Ad Snipper: How Much Does a Virtual Assistant Cost in 2026?
• Marblism: How Much Does a Virtual Assistant Cost in 2026?

Disclosure: the Tekmatix link in this post is my referral link. If you sign up through it, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.