Virtual assistant vs. in-house hire: as an example, a $45,000 admin salary comes to roughly $62,500 a year once tax, benefits and overhead are added (assuming about 40% on top). A full-time dedicated VA costs $10,788 a year at $899 a month, and can start the same day.
Virtual assistant vs. in-house hire is the comparison every founder eventually runs. A full-time in-house hire looks simple on a job posting. The fully-loaded cost rarely is. Here's the exact 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.
Virtual assistant vs. in-house hire: the in-house math
Salary is only the starting point. Add payroll tax, benefits, equipment, software seats, office overhead and recruiting cost. In our example, a $45,000 salary lands closer to $62,500 fully loaded, assuming about 40% on top and before ramp-up time. Swap in your own numbers to compare a job offer with an hourly VA rate.
The hourly VA math
A virtual assistant is billed only for hours worked, with no benefits, equipment or office overhead. You can start at 10–20 hours a week and scale as workload proves out. Virtual assistant cost tracks actual need, not a fixed headcount commitment. See current hourly rates by service for the exact numbers.
Outsourcing vs. hiring: which actually saves more?
Outsourcing vs. hiring isn't just a cost question — it's a speed question too. An in-house hire takes weeks to recruit, interview and onboard. A VA can start the same day. Virtual assistant savings show up twice: once in the lower hourly cost, and again in the weeks you don't spend recruiting.
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? Talk to us, or explore all VA service areas to see hourly starting rates.
Frequently asked questions
Is a virtual assistant cheaper than an employee?
Usually, yes. A VA has no payroll tax, benefits, equipment or office cost. A full-time dedicated VA at MyRemoteVA is $899 a month, far below a fully loaded in-house salary.
When should I hire in-house instead of a VA?
Hire in-house when the role needs physical presence, manages direct reports, or depends on years of company-specific knowledge.
Can I switch from a VA to an in-house hire later?
Yes. Monthly and pay-as-you-go plans have no long-term contract, so you can scale down or stop when you are ready to hire.
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 September 25, 2026. Questions or corrections? Contact us.
Bookkeeping & Data Entry
A bookkeeping virtual assistant for 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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