A full-time in-house hire looks simple on a job posting, but the fully-loaded cost is rarely what founders expect. Here's the comparison we walk clients through.
Illustrative annual figures based on MyRemoteVA plan pricing vs. a typical fully-loaded US admin salary. Your real numbers depend on scope and hours.
The in-house math
Salary is only the starting point. Add payroll tax, benefits, equipment, software seats, office overhead and recruiting cost, and a $45,000 admin hire often lands closer to $60,000–$65,000 fully loaded — before ramp-up time.
The hourly VA math
A virtual assistant is billed only for hours worked, with no benefits, equipment or office overhead. Most founders start at 10–20 hours a week and scale as workload proves out — meaning cost tracks actual need, not a fixed headcount commitment. See current hourly rates by service for the exact numbers.
Where in-house still wins
For roles requiring constant real-time physical presence, deep company-specific context built over years, or direct reports, in-house hiring remains the right call. It's rarely the right first move for administrative, content or support-style work.
The flexibility factor
Hourly engagements scale down as easily as they scale up. Seasonal spikes, launches, or a slow quarter can adjust hours without a layoff conversation.
Curious what this looks like for your specific workload? Book a free scoping call, or explore all VA service areas to see hourly starting rates.
Bookkeeping & Data Entry
Invoicing, reconciliation, expense tracking and clean spreadsheets — so your books are never the thing you're scrambling to fix at tax time.
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