How Much Does a Virtual Assistant Cost in 2026?

Virtual assistant pricing is confusing on purpose. Hourly rates, retainers, subscriptions, placement fees. Here is a plain English breakdown of what VAs cost in 2026 and, more importantly, what you are actually paying for at each level.

The three ways to hire a VA

1. Freelance platforms

On marketplaces like Upwork or OnlineJobs.ph, rates commonly run from around $5 to $20 per hour depending on skill and experience. It is the cheapest sticker price, but you do all the sourcing, vetting, training, payments, and management yourself. When it works, it works. When it does not, you start over from zero, and your time is the hidden cost.

2. US based virtual assistants

US based VAs and executive assistant services typically run from around $25 to $60 or more per hour. You are paying a premium for a domestic hire, which some companies want. But for remote work, ask yourself what the premium is buying. In most cases the deliverables are identical. We wrote a whole piece on this: if you're hiring remote, does location even matter?

3. Managed VA services

A managed firm recruits, vets, and employs the VA, then handles HR, payroll, performance management, and replacement if things do not work out. Monthly subscriptions for a full time managed Filipino VA generally land between roughly $1,200 and $2,500 depending on the role's seniority and technical depth. That is often less than half the fully loaded cost of a comparable US hire, with the management layer included.

What actually drives the price

Four things move VA pricing more than anything else: skill specialization (a network engineer or bookkeeper costs more than general admin), experience level, hours and time zone coverage, and how much management is included. A low hourly rate with no vetting or support can easily become the most expensive option once you count your own hours spent hiring, training, and rehiring.

The question to ask before comparing prices

Do you want to buy hours, or do you want an outcome? If you have time to manage a freelancer, a marketplace may serve you well. If you want a vetted professional who shows up managed, supported, and backed by a rematch guarantee, a subscription model gives you a predictable monthly number and no surprises. At Opus Spark there are no security deposits and no long term contracts, and every placement is backed by a 30 day rematch guarantee.