Updated May 25, 2026
Key Takeaways
- Dedicated full-time offshore VA pricing ranges from $10 to $18/hr depending on agency and skill level-well below domestic rates.
- The critical distinction is dedicated vs. shared support: dedicated VAs work exclusively for one client; shared assistants split time across multiple accounts.
- Agencies differ significantly: Stealth Agents starts at $10/hr offshore; Time Etc charges $29–$49/hr for US-based part-time VAs; Belay runs $1,400–$2,400/month for executive-level domestic support.
- The right cost comparison is VA rate vs. in-house employee at $60,000–$70,000/year total cost, not VA rate vs. VA rate.
- Geography is the primary driver of offshore pricing-skilled professionals in lower-cost labor markets deliver equivalent output at lower rates.
Dedicated full-time offshore virtual assistants are priced between $10 and $18/hr depending on agency and skill level-substantially below US domestic rates. The key distinction is dedicated versus shared support: a dedicated VA works exclusively for one client, while shared assistants divide their time across multiple accounts. Agencies such as Stealth Agents, Time Etc, and Belay each structure their pricing and staffing models differently. Here is what genuinely affordable VA pricing looks like and how to evaluate it.
What Makes VA Pricing Genuinely Affordable
Affordable pricing is not just a low number - it is a low number relative to what you get.
A $15/hr shared VA who delivers 8 hours of actual work per week is not affordable - it is $480/month for scattered output. A $10/hr dedicated full-time VA delivering 40 hours per week of focused work is $1,600/month for a full-time employee. The second number is higher in absolute terms and dramatically better in value.
The most affordable model in the VA market is dedicated offshore full-time placement. Stealth Agents, for example, starts at $10/hr for fully managed dedicated VA placement. That rate reflects the real economics of matching skilled professionals in lower-cost labor markets with businesses that need ongoing support.
Comparing VA Agency Pricing Models
The dedicated VA market includes several well-established agencies with different pricing structures and geographic models:
Stealth Agents offers fully managed dedicated offshore VAs starting at $10/hr, including a Campaign Manager, onboarding support, and a replacement guarantee. The model is primarily Philippines-based talent with strong English proficiency and experience across administrative, customer service, and research roles.
Time Etc pairs clients with experienced US-based and UK-based part-time VAs at $29–$49/hr, sold in monthly hour packages (10–60 hours/month). Pros: domestic talent, flexible commitment, strong client matching. Cons: significantly higher per-hour rate and part-time only-no full-time dedicated option.
Belay focuses on US-based executive assistants and bookkeepers, typically priced at $1,400–$2,400/month for part-time engagements. They specialize in executive-level support with a rigorous vetting process. Pros: premium domestic placement, strong cultural fit. Cons: higher cost positions this as a premium option; limited to part-time hours.
Wishup offers offshore VAs (primarily India-based) at $999–$1,799/month for full-time and part-time plans, with specialized skills in tools like QuickBooks, Asana, and HubSpot. Comparable positioning to other offshore dedicated models.
The right choice depends on role requirements: domestic agencies make sense when timezone alignment, US legal continuity, or native-English fluency are non-negotiable. Offshore agencies deliver a larger cost advantage for administrative, research, and customer service functions where timezone overlap can be managed.
Why Offshore VAs Cost Less Without Delivering Less
The most common objection to offshore VA pricing is the assumption that lower cost means lower quality. That assumption is not accurate - and it is worth understanding why.
The cost of a professional worker in the Philippines, for example, is determined by local wages, cost of living, and local market rates - not their skill level relative to a US worker. A Philippines-based VA with five years of executive support experience has done the same work - calendar management, travel booking, inbox triage, project coordination - as a US-based assistant. They have likely used the same tools: Google Workspace, Asana, Slack, Salesforce, HubSpot. The difference is not in what they can do - it is in what the market pays for their labor.
According to Forbes, the global market for virtual assistant services has grown sharply precisely because businesses have validated that offshore talent delivers real professional output - not a lesser substitute.
Strong offshore VA agencies vet for English proficiency, communication skills, and role-specific competencies before placement. A thorough screening process is the reason affordability in placement does not translate to settling for under-qualified help.
What Cheap Models Miss
There are genuinely cheap VA options that are cheap because they deliver low value:
Shared VA plans. An assistant divided across 5-10 clients is not a dedicated resource. They may technically be "available," but their attention is never fully on your account. Context is shallow, response times are slow, and the relationship never develops the kind of institutional knowledge that makes a VA genuinely useful.
Task-based or credit platforms. Some platforms sell "VA credits" you spend on individual tasks. The rate appears low, but each task gets handed to whoever is available, with no continuity between assignments. There is no learning curve benefit, no workflow familiarity, no relationship.
Very low-rate freelancers. Not all low-rate freelancers on platforms like Fiverr or Upwork are poor quality. But structural limitations affect both platforms. Upwork charges a service fee of up to 20% on freelancer earnings (Upwork Service Fee schedule), which affects net pay and can contribute to higher churn at lower price tiers. Fiverr operates on a gig-based model where each task is a discrete transaction with no built-in continuity or account familiarity between orders (How Fiverr Works). At the lowest price tiers, the burden of vetting, testing, and replacing falls entirely on the client.
The affordable model that actually works is dedicated full-time placement at a legitimate agency that vets its talent. That is not the cheapest option in dollar terms, but it is the most cost-effective over any period longer than 30 days.
The True Cost Comparison
The right way to evaluate affordable VA pricing is against what you are comparing it to.
Compared to a US-based in-house admin hire:
| Cost Component | In-House US Employee | Stealth Agents VA ($10/hr) |
|---|---|---|
| Annual compensation | $45,000 | $16,000 |
| Benefits & payroll taxes | $13,500 | $0 |
| Equipment & office space | $3,500 | $0 |
| Recruiting cost | $2,000 | $0 |
| Total annual cost | $64,000+ | $16,000 |
The savings are not marginal - they are $45,000+ per year. For a small business, that is the difference between a tight operating budget and meaningful reinvestment capacity.
Compared to a part-time US-based contractor at $25/hr, 20 hours/week:
$25/hr x 20 hrs x 52 weeks = $26,000/year. A full-time dedicated VA at $10/hr for 40 hours/week costs $16,000/year and delivers twice the hours. You get more done, pay less, and have a VA who knows your systems deeply rather than a contractor who picks up work on a fragmented schedule.
What You Get at Stealth Agents Pricing
Stealth Agents VAs start at $10/hr and cover a wide range of support functions:
- Administrative support (email, calendar, scheduling, travel)
- Customer service and live chat management
- CRM updates and lead management
- Research and competitive analysis
- Social media scheduling and monitoring
- Data entry and reporting
- Basic bookkeeping support
Each placement comes with onboarding support, a dedicated Campaign Manager, backup coverage, and a replacement guarantee. The rate is affordable - but the service model is not scaled-down or minimal.
Avoiding Affordable Pricing Mistakes
A few common ways businesses chase affordability and get it wrong:
Hiring without vetting. The cheapest freelancer on a platform is cheap because clients have not yet found out what they lack. Invest in vetting or use an agency that does it for you.
Under-committing on hours. A VA working 10 hours per month cannot build any real familiarity with your business. If you want compound efficiency gains - tasks getting faster and better as the VA learns your preferences - you need enough hours to build that context.
Skipping account management. Some budget VA services charge low rates but offer no support when things go wrong. Cheap becomes expensive fast when you need to replace a VA from scratch and absorb the hours cost yourself.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the most affordable rate for a dedicated full-time virtual assistant?
A: Dedicated full-time offshore VAs typically range from $10 to $18/hr depending on the agency, skill level, and geographic talent pool. At 160 hours/month, that works out to $1,600–$2,880/month all-in-well below the cost of a comparable in-house or US-based contractor hire. Agencies like Stealth Agents sit at the lower end of that range for fully managed offshore placements.
Q: Is an offshore VA really professional quality?
A: Rate reflects local labor market conditions, not skill level. A Philippines-based or India-based VA from a vetted agency is often experienced in the same tools and workflows as domestic hires-because they have spent years doing the same support work. The key variable is how well the agency screens before placement; that is where quality differences actually emerge.
Q: What tasks are included at the affordable pricing tier?
A: General administrative work, customer support, CRM management, research, social media, and data entry are all covered at base rates across most dedicated VA agencies. Specialized skills (paid advertising, legal support, medical billing) may come with adjusted pricing depending on the role requirements.
Genuinely affordable virtual assistant pricing means getting a dedicated, full-time professional at offshore rates - not a cheap platform workaround that half-handles your tasks. Dedicated offshore placement through a vetted agency delivers both real professional support and a cost structure that makes full-time help accessible to businesses that could not otherwise justify the expense.