A virtual PA is a remote personal assistant who manages your inbox, diary, calls and admin online. It works like an in-house PA without the desk, salary and benefits. Choose a virtual PA by the tasks you need, the hours you want and how the work is reviewed.
A virtual PA gives you the help of a personal assistant without the desk, the salary or the office costs. They work online, on your hours, and take over the small jobs that fill your day. This guide explains what a virtual PA does, how it differs from a virtual assistant and how to find a good one.
What a virtual PA does
- Diary management. Book and move meetings, and protect your focus time.
- Inbox management. Sort email, reply to simple messages and flag what needs you.
- Calls and messages. Answer, take details and pass them on.
- Travel and bookings. Flights, hotels, tables and events.
- Admin. Documents, expenses, research and reports.
Virtual PA vs virtual assistant
The two roles overlap a lot. A virtual PA is usually closer to one person: your diary, your inbox, your travel. A virtual assistant can also cover wider business tasks such as data entry, customer support or bookkeeping support. For a simple rule, pick a PA when you need support for you, and a virtual assistant when you need support for the business. Our guide to remote executive assistant vs virtual assistant goes further.
How to find a PA who fits
- Write down the ten tasks you want to hand off.
- Ask how the work is checked before it reaches you.
- Ask what happens when your PA is away.
- Confirm the hours, including your time zone.
- Start with a small test before you add hours.
What a virtual PA costs
Pricing depends on hours and plan. At MyRemoteVA, pay-as-you-go is $12 an hour, and dedicated plans start from $5.62 an hour. Compare every option on the pricing page. A local PA also adds salary, leave and office costs, so compare full monthly cost, not the hourly number alone.
UK and other time zones
A virtual PA can work UK, US or Australian hours. Tell us your hours at sign-up and we match the shift. See our page for a virtual assistant in London for how that works. A team lead reviews the work, and AI helps with first drafts while a person checks the result.
Ready to try a virtual PA? See the executive assistant service or start for $1.
Frequently asked questions
What is a virtual PA?
A virtual PA is a personal assistant who works remotely, handling your inbox, diary, calls, bookings and admin over email, chat and shared tools.
Is a virtual PA the same as a virtual assistant?
The work overlaps. The term PA usually means closer support to one person, such as diary, inbox and travel. A virtual assistant can also cover wider business tasks.
How do I find a good virtual PA?
List the tasks you need, ask how the work is reviewed and what happens when your PA is away, and start with a small test.
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 30, 2026. Questions or corrections? Contact us.
Executive & Administrative Support
A remote executive assistant for inbox triage, calendar management, travel booking and the recurring admin that keeps founders and execs focused on decisions only they can make.
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