Most VA pricing pages quote an hourly rate and stop. The rate is the least useful number, because two people at the same rate can produce wildly different amounts of finished work. Here is how pricing actually breaks down, and what to check before you compare two quotes.
Rate ranges you will actually see in 2026
- US and UK based generalist VA: 25 to 55 USD per hour
- US and UK based specialist (sales, bookkeeping, executive): 45 to 90 USD per hour
- Offshore generalist VA through a marketplace: 6 to 12 USD per hour
- Offshore experienced specialist working direct: 12 to 30 USD per hour
- Agency-managed VA: marketplace rate plus a 40 to 100 percent management margin
The three engagement models, and who each suits
Hourly suits unpredictable, low-volume work. Retainer suits anything recurring, because the person builds context that compounds. Project suits a defined one-off like a CRM cleanup or a document migration. The mistake I see most often is buying hourly for recurring work; you pay for the same context to be rebuilt every week.
What actually moves the price
- Decision authority: executing a checklist costs less than owning an outcome
- Time-zone overlap: live overlap with your working hours carries a premium
- Tool depth: HubSpot, Xero or an ATS commands more than inbox and calendar work
- Client-facing exposure: anything a customer sees needs judgment, and judgment is priced
- Compliance sensitivity: payroll, medical or legal admin carries higher rates for good reason
The four hidden costs nobody quotes
- Ramp: the first two to three weeks are partly training, whatever the rate says
- Rework: an underqualified hire produces work you have to check, and checking is your time at your rate
- Turnover: marketplace churn means paying ramp again, often twice a year
- Management overhead: if you are assigning every task daily, you bought a task-doer, not relief
A simple way to compare two quotes
Ask both candidates the same question: what will be finished at the end of week two, without me asking? A cheap quote with a vague answer is usually the expensive option. A higher quote with a specific answer, tied to a deliverable you can check, is usually the cheaper one over six months.
What I charge and why
I work on monthly retainers rather than hourly, because the work I do (pipeline, HR admin, payroll coordination, executive follow-through) only pays off when someone holds continuity. Retainer means you are buying an owned outcome and a weekly report, not tracked minutes.