Buying guide
How Much Does a Virtual Assistant Cost in 2026?
There is no single market price for a virtual assistant, and any article that gives you one number is guessing. What we can do is show you the variables that move the price, the questions that expose hidden cost, and our own published plans so you have at least one fixed reference point to compare against.
By The Peak Hire editorial team · Last reviewed August 2026
Start with the only number we can verify: ours
We will not publish a market average, because we cannot check every provider's real invoices. Instead, here is exactly what The Peak Hire charges. Every plan is one dedicated assistant, month-to-month, with a 14-day match guarantee.
| Plan | Hours a week | Hours a month | Monthly price | Effective rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essential | 10 | 40 | $600 | $15.00 / hour |
| Growth | 20 | 80 | $1,100 | $13.75 / hour |
| Dedicated (most popular) | 40 | 160 | $1,600 | $10.00 / hour |
| AI Receptionist add-on | - | 500 minutes | $247 | $0.15 / extra minute |
Notice that the effective hourly rate falls as hours rise. That pattern is common across the industry, so if you are comparing quotes, always compare at the same number of hours.
The six variables that actually set the price
When two quotes are far apart, one of these is almost always the reason. Work through them before you decide anything is expensive or cheap.
- Step 01
Hours committed
More hours per month almost always means a lower rate per hour. A handful of hours is the most expensive way to buy support.
- Step 02
Where the assistant is based
Cost of living drives pay expectations. A domestic assistant in a high-cost country and a skilled remote assistant elsewhere can differ several times over for comparable admin work.
- Step 03
Seniority and specialism
Inbox and calendar work is priced differently from CRM administration, recruiting coordination, or bookkeeping support that touches your financial records.
- Step 04
Employment model
Providers who employ their assistants carry payroll, benefits, and cover costs, and those costs appear in your rate. Marketplaces that simply introduce contractors do not.
- Step 05
What management is included
Screening, onboarding help, a named point of contact, backup cover, and replacement all cost money to run. If a quote is unusually low, check which of these you are giving up.
- Step 06
Commitment length
Annual contracts often carry a discount. Month-to-month costs a little more per hour and buys you the option to stop. Decide which you actually value.
How to work out what the hours are worth to you
The honest way to judge cost is against your own numbers, not against an industry average you cannot verify. Here is a simple calculation you can do in five minutes.
Take the tasks you would delegate and estimate the hours they consume in a normal week. Multiply by four to get a monthly figure. Then decide what an hour of your own attention is worth, either as your effective hourly earnings or as the value of the work you would do instead. Multiply the hours by that figure and compare the result to the plan price.
Do the same exercise for revenue-linked work. If an assistant follows up on leads that currently go cold, estimate how many extra conversations a month that produces and what one closed deal is worth to you. We are not promising a result here, only giving you the arithmetic, because the answer depends entirely on your business.
- Hours you currently spend on delegable admin each week
- The value of one hour of your own focused time
- Software seats your assistant will need, billed by your own vendors
- Your own time cost for onboarding and weekly check-ins
- Work you would take on instead of the admin you hand over
- The cost of the tasks that never get done today
Costs people forget to budget for
The plan price is rarely the only line item. None of these are large, but they are easier to plan for than to discover.
- Software licences and seats for your tools
- Password manager or shared access setup
- Your own time writing a short process document
- A regular check-in slot in your calendar
- Phone or call-handling costs if you need front-desk coverage
- Any hardware or stipend you choose to provide
Cheap, affordable and good value are three different things
Cheap means the lowest number. Affordable means the price fits your budget and the value is clear. Good value means the work gets done at a price you would pay again next month.
The cheapest option becomes expensive when you spend your own evenings correcting work, or when you rehire twice in a quarter. We would rather you compared total cost, including your own management time, than chased the lowest hourly rate.
Questions to ask before you sign anything
- What exactly is included at this price, and what is billed extra?
- Is the assistant dedicated to me or shared across clients?
- Who covers holiday, sickness, or a sudden departure?
- How does replacement work, and how long does it take?
- Is there a setup fee, a minimum term, or a notice period?
- Do unused hours roll over, and can I change plan mid-term?
Frequently asked questions
What does a virtual assistant cost at The Peak Hire?
Our published plans are $600 a month for 10 hours a week (40 hours a month, $15.00 an hour), $1,100 a month for 20 hours a week (80 hours a month, $13.75 an hour), and $1,600 a month for 40 hours a week (160 hours a month, $10.00 an hour). The AI receptionist add-on is $247 a month with 500 included minutes and $0.15 for each additional minute.
Why do quoted rates vary so much between providers?
Rates depend on where the assistant is based, how senior they are, whether the provider employs them or subcontracts, whether management and cover are included, and whether you commit to a term. Two quotes can differ by several times per hour and still both be honest. Always compare what is included, not just the hourly figure.
Is it cheaper to pay hourly or take a monthly plan?
Hourly is more flexible for genuinely irregular work. A monthly plan usually gives you a lower effective hourly rate and a person who keeps context week to week. If your workload is steady, the monthly plan is usually the simpler decision.
Are there setup fees or hidden costs?
Our plans are month-to-month with no setup fee, and the price you see on the pricing page is the price you pay. Budget separately for any software seats you want your assistant to have, because those are billed by your own vendors.
What happens if the assistant is not the right fit?
Our 14-day match guarantee covers a free rematch with a different assistant, and plans stay month-to-month so you are never locked in.
Keep reading
Want a number for your own situation?
Tell us the tasks and the hours on a free discovery call, and we will tell you which plan fits and what it would cost. No obligation, and we will say so if a plan is more than you need.