Published May 12, 2026
Key Takeaways
- A US-based executive assistant costs $50,000-80,000/yr in salary alone -- over $90,000 with benefits and overhead.
- Offshore executive VAs with genuine C-suite support experience start at $0-5/hr through Stealth Agents.
- Executive VA roles require vetting for communication skills, discretion, and executive workflow familiarity -- not just task execution.
- Dedicated full-time executive VAs outperform shared or part-time arrangements for senior-level support needs.
- The annual savings from offshore executive VA vs. in-house executive assistant often exceeds $80,000.
Hiring an executive assistant is not the same as hiring general admin support. The role demands someone who can operate close to a principal -- handling sensitive communications, managing complex schedules, anticipating needs before they are stated, and exercising genuine judgment about priorities. That combination of skills is scarce and, in the US market, it is expensive.
The range is wide: a US-based in-house executive assistant earns $50,000-80,000/year in base salary before a single dollar of benefits. An offshore executive VA through Stealth Agents starts at $0-5/hr -- and the gap between those two numbers does not reflect a proportional difference in the quality of work produced.
What a US-Based Executive Assistant Actually Costs
Salary ranges for executive assistants in the US vary by industry and seniority, but the core range for an experienced EA supporting a C-suite executive runs $55,000-80,000/year in base compensation.
That is not the total cost.
Add employer-side payroll taxes (7.65%), health insurance ($6,000-12,000/year per employee), retirement match, PTO, professional development, equipment, and office space, and the true annual cost of a full-time in-house executive assistant typically lands at $80,000-100,000/year.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports median annual wages for executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants above $65,000 in the United States -- and that is the median, meaning half earn more. In coastal metro areas, experienced EA compensation regularly exceeds $90,000 in total compensation.
For a small or mid-size business, that is a significant portion of discretionary operating budget assigned to a single support role.
What Offshore Executive VAs Cost
Offshore executive VAs -- assistants with experience specifically in senior-level executive support, not just general admin -- run $8-20/hr from specialist agencies. For VAs with deep C-suite experience, strong written English, and demonstrated discretion, rates from reputable agencies typically fall in the $10-18/hr range.
Stealth Agents executive VAs start at $0-5/hr. That rate reflects the Philippines labor market, not a reduction in the seniority or professionalism of the assistant. Stealth Agents vets specifically for the communication skills, judgment, and executive workflow experience that make an EA effective at the senior level.
At $5/hr for 160 hours per month, a full-time offshore executive VA costs approximately $10,400/year. Against a $90,000 all-in US-based hire, that is roughly $80,000 in annual savings -- for the same categories of work.
What an Executive VA Actually Does
The scope of a strong executive VA role goes well beyond scheduling and email:
Calendar and schedule management. Priority ranking of meetings, time blocking, conflict resolution, and proactive scheduling of preparation time around key events. At the executive level, this requires genuine understanding of the principal's priorities -- not just filling calendar slots.
Communications management. Inbox triage, draft responses on behalf of the executive, follow-up tracking, and flagging anything that needs immediate attention. Discretion and communication quality are non-negotiable here.
Travel and logistics. Complex multi-leg travel arrangements, ground transportation coordination, hotel selection, and itinerary management. Experienced executive VAs handle this independently with minimal briefing.
Meeting preparation and follow-through. Pre-meeting research and briefing notes, agenda preparation, post-meeting action item tracking, and ensuring commitments are followed up.
Project coordination. Liaising with internal teams and external stakeholders on behalf of the executive, tracking progress on cross-functional initiatives, and surfacing issues before they become problems.
Confidential document handling. Board materials, financial summaries, personnel matters -- executive VAs operate with access to sensitive information and need to demonstrate consistent discretion.
A strong offshore executive VA handles all of these functions. The tools are the same -- Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Zoom, project management platforms. The language of business is the same. The only difference is geography.
Dedicated vs. Shared: Why It Matters More at the Executive Level
For general admin support, a shared VA model is inconvenient. For executive support, it is simply unworkable.
An executive assistant needs to know the principal's preferences, communication style, priorities, and context intimately. That knowledge only develops over time through a dedicated relationship. A shared model -- where an assistant splits time across multiple clients -- cannot build that context. Every interaction starts from scratch, every brief needs to be re-explained, and the EA never develops the institutional knowledge that makes them genuinely useful at the executive level.
Stealth Agents places dedicated full-time VAs only. For executive support, this is not optional -- it is how the role actually works.
The Right Way to Evaluate the Cost Comparison
The common mistake is comparing the offshore rate to the US rate and treating the gap as pure savings. It is -- but the more important comparison is against what you are currently doing instead.
Most executives and business owners operating without an EA are absorbing 15-25 hours per week of administrative, logistical, and communication work themselves. At a realistic $150-300/hour value for an executive's time, that is $117,000-390,000 per year of senior-level time spent on tasks a well-trained VA could handle.
An offshore executive VA at $10,400/year does not just cost less than a US-based hire -- it potentially unlocks $100,000+ in value by redirecting the executive's time toward revenue-generating decisions, relationship management, and strategy.
What to Look for When Hiring an Executive VA
Communication quality. Executive support is a communication-intensive role. Before placement, look for clear written samples and verify verbal fluency if phone communication is part of the role.
Experience with executive workflows. A general admin VA and an executive VA are different roles. Ask for specific examples of calendar management for senior leaders, complex travel coordination, and confidential document handling.
Discretion signals. NDAs and confidentiality protocols are standard. Ask the agency what they require of VAs handling sensitive materials.
Timezone coverage. Many executives need real-time support during their working hours. Confirm the VA's working hours and whether they can adapt to your schedule.
Dedicated placement with support. The agency should assign a named account manager -- Stealth Agents uses Campaign Managers -- who monitors performance and handles issues proactively.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can an offshore executive VA really replace an in-house EA?
A: For most of the day-to-day functions of an executive assistant -- calendar, communications, travel, meeting prep, project coordination -- yes. The offshore model works well for everything that does not require physical presence. If the role requires in-person attendance, running errands, or local knowledge, that subset of duties may need a local solution. But most executive support work is remote-compatible.
Q: What is the typical hourly rate for an executive virtual assistant?
A: US-based executive VAs billing as contractors run $40-65/hr. Offshore executive VAs with genuine C-suite experience run $8-18/hr from specialized agencies. Stealth Agents executive VAs start at $0-5/hr for dedicated full-time placements with verified executive support experience.
Q: How long does it take an executive VA to get up to speed?
A: For a dedicated full-time placement, most executives report that an experienced EA is operating at full effectiveness within 4-6 weeks. The ramp is faster for structured roles with clear processes, slower for highly dynamic roles where priorities shift rapidly. The key is dedicated hours -- a part-time or shared arrangement takes much longer to build the context needed for real executive support.
Q: Is the quality difference between a $5/hr VA and a $50/hr US-based EA significant?
A: For most executive support functions -- which are communication and coordination tasks, not jurisdiction-specific professional work -- the quality difference is smaller than the rate difference. Vetting matters more than rate. A well-vetted, experienced offshore executive VA at $5/hr outperforms a hastily hired US-based EA at $30/hr.
Q: Does Stealth Agents offer executive-level VA placement specifically?
A: Yes. Stealth Agents matches clients with VAs who have specific experience in executive support roles, not just general admin placement. The Campaign Manager works with you during onboarding to define the scope and ensure the match is appropriate for senior-level work.
Executive-level virtual assistant support is one of the highest-ROI investments a growing business can make -- and the offshore dedicated model makes it accessible at a price point most executives never expected. Stealth Agents' $0-5/hr starting rate for dedicated full-time executive VAs puts the same quality of support within reach for businesses that would never justify a $90,000/year in-house hire.