Budget $3,500 to $8,000 per month for a full-time premium remote executive assistant at a Series C or larger company. Dedicated US-based agency EAs run $5,500 to $8,000 per month. Offshore premium EAs run $2,500 to $4,500 per month. A managed operations team covering EA work runs about $1,500 per month. The total cost also includes onboarding, tools, and 1 to 2 hours per week of your own management time.
The number that matters isn't the hourly rate or the monthly retainer. It's total cost of ownership — what you pay plus what it costs you in time, management overhead, re-hiring, and lost productivity when things break. A $15/hr VA who needs 5 hours a week of your management time at $200/hr isn't a $2,400/month assistant. It's a $6,400/month assistant.
Total Cost of Ownership
Don’t just look at the invoice. Add your management time, re-hiring, training ramp, and lost productivity when your assistant is offline. That’s your real monthly cost.
Quick Budget Check
Multiply your annual revenue by 3–5%. If your current assistant spend is below that but you’re still doing 10+ hours of admin a week, you’re under-invested and leaving money on the table.
Related reading
- How Much Does an Executive Assistant Cost in 2026?
- Agency vs Freelance Virtual Assistant: Which Is Right for Your Business?
- Best AI Tools for Executive Assistants in 2026
