Virtual assistant cost per task is the time a task takes multiplied by your hourly rate. At $5.62 an hour a 15-minute task costs $1.40 and a one-hour task costs $5.62. Pay-as-you-go is $12 an hour. Time your own tasks, then pick the plan that gives the lowest price per hour.
Virtual assistant cost per task is simple to work out: the time a task takes, multiplied by your hourly rate. There is no hidden fee per task. This guide shows the formula, a price table by plan, and worked examples. All prices are in US dollars and come from our published plans.
The virtual assistant cost per task formula
Use this formula: cost per task = minutes ÷ 60 × price per hour. For example, a 30-minute task at $5.62 an hour is 0.5 × $5.62 = $2.81. The rate depends on the plan you pick, so the same task can cost less on a larger plan.
Cost per task by plan and minutes
| Plan | Price per hour | 15 min | 30 min | 60 min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full-time, 160 hrs for $899 a month | $5.62 | $1.40 | $2.81 | $5.62 |
| Part-time, 80 hrs for $500 a month | $6.25 | $1.56 | $3.13 | $6.25 |
| Quarterly, 90 hrs for $630 | $7.00 | $1.75 | $3.50 | $7.00 |
| Block, 60 hrs for $510 a month | $8.50 | $2.13 | $4.25 | $8.50 |
| Block, 3 hrs for $33 a month | $11.00 | $2.75 | $5.50 | $11.00 |
| Pay-as-you-go | $12.00 | $3.00 | $6.00 | $12.00 |
Worked examples of cost per task
The minutes below are example assumptions, not promises. Time your own tasks for a week and replace them with your real numbers.
| Task | Assumed time | At $5.62 an hour | At $12 an hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sort one day of email and flag urgent items | 30 min | $2.81 | $6.00 |
| Book five meetings across time zones | 30 min | $2.81 | $6.00 |
| Enter a batch of invoices into your books | 60 min | $5.62 | $12.00 |
| Publish a blog post with images in WordPress | 60 min | $5.62 | $12.00 |
| Research and list ten sales leads | 90 min | $8.43 | $18.00 |
How to lower your cost per task
- Pick the plan that matches your real monthly hours. Use the cost calculator to find it.
- Write a clear brief for each task. Clear briefs cut back-and-forth, and time is what you pay for. See the task brief templates.
- Batch small tasks into one request, so setup time is paid once.
- Repeat the same task the same way. A saved checklist makes the second run faster.
- Keep hours rolling: unused hours carry over while your account is active.
The cheapest virtual assistant plan is not always the best plan
A low hourly rate only helps if you use the hours. If you need five hours a month, a large plan wastes money, while pay-as-you-go at $12 an hour never expires. If you need 100 hours or more, the full-time plan at $5.62 an hour gives the lowest cost per task. Compare against hiring staff with the VA vs employee calculator.
What a task price does not include
Virtual assistant hourly rate or pay as you go virtual assistant?
Your virtual assistant hourly rate falls as the plan grows: $11.00 an hour on a 3-hour block, $8.50 on a 60-hour block and $5.62 on the full-time plan. A pay as you go virtual assistant costs $12 an hour, but you can use one hour or fifty, and the hours never expire. Pay as you go suits a first month, a seasonal rush or work that comes in bursts.
To keep your virtual assistant cost per task low, start small, track the minutes for two weeks, then move up to the plan that fits. If a plan turns out too large, unused hours roll over while your account is active, so nothing is lost. Always compare the virtual assistant cost per task on the plan you would use, not on the highest price you see.
Not sure which plan to use? See the affordable virtual assistant monthly plans compared side by side.
The price covers the assistant's time and a team lead review of each task. It does not cover software you ask us to use, ad spend, or tax and legal advice. Bookkeeping tasks are record keeping, not accounting advice.
Helpful next steps
- See every plan and price
- Work out your monthly hours
- How much does a virtual assistant cost?
- Cheap virtual assistant services: what to check
- Bookkeeping help
Frequently asked questions
How do I work out a virtual assistant cost per task?
Multiply the minutes a task takes by the hourly rate, then divide by 60. A 30-minute task at $5.62 an hour costs $2.81. At $12 an hour the same task costs $6.00.
Does MyRemoteVA charge a flat fee per task?
No. You pay for the time a task takes, taken from your plan hours. This keeps the price clear: a short task uses a short slice of an hour.
What is the cheapest virtual assistant plan?
The full-time plan is the lowest rate at $5.62 an hour (160 hours for $899 a month). Part-time is 80 hours for $500, or $6.25 an hour. Smaller blocks cost $8.50 to $11.00 an hour.
Do unused hours roll over?
Yes. Unused hours roll over while your account is active. Pay-as-you-go hours never expire. Prices are in US dollars.
What is doing this yourself costing you?
Doing it yourself: $2,165 a month of your time.
The same hours at our $12/hr pay-as-you-go rate: $520. Dedicated plans start at $5.62/hr.
Simple maths from the numbers you enter. It assumes a VA can take on those hours.
Start for $1Written by the MyRemoteVA team. Search-trend figures come from Google Trends. Prices shown are our current plans. Last updated October 18, 2026. Questions or corrections? Contact us.