Virtual assistant vs employee: cost comparison calculator
Quick answer: a VA service charges for hours worked only — no employer taxes, no benefits, no office costs. Enter your numbers below to see the monthly difference for your situation.
Employee cost
Enter the numbers for your location. All fields are optional except hours and rate.
VA cost (MyRemoteVA, USD)
Hours carry over from the employee side. Choose the plan below or use the auto-select.
Side-by-side breakdown
| Cost item | Employee | VA (MyRemoteVA) |
|---|
This is an estimate based on numbers you enter. Actual costs depend on your country, tax rules and employment terms. Check with your accountant or HR adviser.
What an employee costs beyond the hourly rate
When you hire a local employee you pay more than the hourly rate. The extra items vary by country but typically include some of these:
| Cost item | Who pays it | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Employer payroll taxes / National Insurance / superannuation | Employer | Varies by country; often 10–30% of salary |
| Health insurance or private medical | Employer (partial or full) | Common in US; varies elsewhere |
| Paid holiday and sick leave | Employer | Statutory minimum varies; typically 4–5 weeks per year |
| Equipment and software licences | Employer | Laptop, phone, subscriptions |
| Office space and utilities | Employer | Even a shared hot desk has a cost |
| Recruitment and onboarding | Employer | One-off but real cost |
| Training and management time | Employer | Ongoing cost, often untracked |
With a managed VA service, none of these apply. You pay the service rate for hours used. All plans include a team lead review on every task before it reaches you, so you are not managing quality yourself either.
All VA plan options (USD)
| Plan | Hours | Price | Per hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pay as you go | Any, never expire | $12 / hr | $12.00 |
| Hourly block | 3 / 6 / 12 / 36 / 60 | $33 / $63 / $120 / $324 / $510 | $11.00 down to $8.50 |
| Quarterly pack | 15 / 45 / 90 (3-month total) | $135 / $360 / $630 | $9.00 down to $7.00 |
| Dedicated part-time | 80 / month | $500 / month | $6.25 |
| Dedicated full-time | 160 / month | $899 / month | $5.62 |
Quick questions about VA vs employee cost
What costs does a VA avoid compared to an employee?
When you hire through a managed VA service you do not pay employer payroll taxes, benefits, holiday pay, sick pay, equipment, office space or recruitment fees. You pay only the service rate for the hours you use.
Is this calculator accurate?
It uses numbers you enter, so the result is only as accurate as your inputs. Actual employee costs vary by country, state and employer. Use it as a starting estimate and check with your accountant or HR adviser for exact figures.
What is the cheapest way to get virtual assistant help?
For steady work of 80 hours a month or more, a dedicated plan has the lowest hourly rate at MyRemoteVA: $500 for 80 hours ($6.25 an hour) or $899 for 160 hours ($5.62 an hour). For smaller or irregular needs, pay-as-you-go at $12 an hour or hourly blocks starting at $33 for 3 hours give more flexibility.
Can I scale VA hours up or down?
Yes. You can move between plans or add blocks as needed. There is no long-term contract on hourly or block plans. Unused hours roll over on all plans as long as your account is active.
Want to see cost by hours? Try the cost calculator. Not sure how many hours you need? Use the hand-off planner.
How many hours would you hand off?
Tick your tasks to see a weekly timeline, the hours you win back and a plan that fits. Takes about a minute.