Updated May 14, 2026
Key Takeaways
- A full-time employee costs 25-40% more than their salary when you add benefits and overhead
- A full-time VA from Stealth Agents starts at $10/hr with no benefits or tax overhead
- The annual savings from choosing a VA over a local hire is often $40,000 to $70,000
- VAs are dedicated full-time to your business -- not part-time or shared
- The math favors a VA for most admin, support, and operational roles
When businesses decide they need more help, the default assumption is to hire an employee. Post a job, interview candidates, make an offer, and onboard. It feels like the normal thing to do.
But when you look at the real cost of a full-time employee versus a dedicated virtual assistant, the difference is significant enough to change the decision entirely for most businesses.
This post breaks down the actual numbers so you can make an informed choice.
The True Cost of a Full-Time Employee
Most business owners think about employee cost in terms of salary. But salary is only part of the story.
When you hire a full-time employee in the United States, here is what you actually pay:
Base salary -- Let us use $45,000 as an example for a general admin or support role.
Employer payroll taxes -- Social Security (6.2%), Medicare (1.45%), Federal Unemployment (0.6%), and State Unemployment (varies, typically 1% to 5%). Combined, this adds roughly 8% to 10% to the employee's cost, or $3,600 to $4,500 per year.
Health insurance -- The average employer contribution to employee health insurance is $7,034 per year for single coverage, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Paid time off -- At three weeks of PTO, that is 120 hours of pay for time not worked. At $45,000 salary, that is roughly $2,600 per year in PTO cost.
Equipment and software -- Laptop, monitor, office supplies, and software licenses typically run $2,000 to $4,000 per year.
Recruiting and onboarding -- Job postings, recruiter fees (if used), and the time your team spends interviewing and training. A conservative estimate is $3,000 to $7,000 for a single hire.
Add it all up:
- Salary: $45,000
- Payroll taxes: $4,000
- Health insurance: $7,000
- PTO: $2,600
- Equipment and software: $3,000
- Recruiting (amortized year 1): $5,000
- Total year-one cost: $66,600
For a $45,000 salary, you are actually spending over $66,000 -- 48% more than the base salary.
The Cost of a Full-Time Virtual Assistant
Now compare that to a dedicated virtual assistant.
Stealth Agents places full-time dedicated VAs at $10 per hour. At 40 hours per week and 52 weeks per year, that is:
- $10 x 40 hours x 52 weeks = $20,800 per year
No payroll taxes. No benefits. No equipment to buy. No recruiting fees. No PTO costs. You pay the VA rate, and Stealth Agents handles everything else.
That is a $45,800 savings per year compared to the $45,000 salary example above.
If you hired a slightly higher-level employee at $65,000 in salary, the true annual cost rises to roughly $90,000 to $100,000. The savings compared to a $10/hr full-time VA grow to $70,000 or more per year.
What You Get With a Dedicated VA
A fair comparison has to look at what you are actually getting -- not just the price.
With a full-time employee, you get:
- Physical presence (if needed)
- Full legal employment relationship
- Deep integration into your team culture over time
With a full-time dedicated VA from Stealth Agents, you get:
- 40 hours per week of work exclusively for your business
- A VA who learns your systems, preferences, and workflows over time
- No management overhead -- Stealth Agents handles HR, payroll, and performance support
- A Campaign Manager included in your engagement to support onboarding and performance
- The ability to scale up to additional VAs without a full hiring process
Stealth Agents only places full-time, dedicated VAs. There are no part-time or shared arrangements. Your VA works exclusively for you during their working hours, just like an employee would -- without the overhead.
When a VA Makes Sense and When an Employee Does
A VA is the better financial choice for most administrative, support, operations, sales, and marketing roles that can be done remotely. If the role requires physical presence -- like managing a warehouse, driving to client sites, or handling equipment -- then a local hire makes sense.
For remote-capable work, the VA advantage is clear:
| Role | In-house cost/year | VA cost/year | Annual savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Admin assistant | $55,000 to $70,000 | $20,800 | $34,000 to $49,000 |
| Customer support rep | $45,000 to $60,000 | $20,800 | $24,000 to $39,000 |
| Sales development rep | $65,000 to $90,000 | $20,800 | $44,000 to $69,000 |
| Executive assistant | $75,000 to $100,000 | $20,800 | $54,000 to $79,000 |
These numbers assume the roles have roughly equivalent output. In many cases, businesses report that their dedicated VAs outperform what they got from local hires because the VA has more focused time and fewer office distractions.
What to Do With the Savings
The $40,000 to $70,000 you save by choosing a VA over a local hire is not money you pocket -- it is money you can put back into the business.
Common ways businesses reinvest VA savings:
- Hire a second VA to cover an additional function
- Invest in paid advertising to grow lead flow
- Develop a new product or service without taking on investor debt
- Improve margins in a business that is running lean
The leverage is significant. One decision to hire a VA instead of an employee can fund an entire marketing campaign, a software upgrade, or another full-time VA.
Book a free consultation with Stealth Agents to see how a dedicated full-time VA at $10/hr compares to your current hiring plans.
FAQ
Q: Is a $10/hr VA as skilled as a $45,000 salary employee?
A: For many roles, yes. Stealth Agents sources VAs from the Philippines, where skilled professionals with 5 to 10+ years of experience in admin, sales support, marketing, and customer service are available at rates that reflect local living costs -- not US salaries. Many clients report their VAs are more skilled than previous in-house hires.
Q: What happens if I am not satisfied with my VA?
A: Stealth Agents includes a replacement guarantee. If your VA is not a good fit, we will work to resolve the issue or replace the VA. Your Campaign Manager is the first point of contact for any performance concerns.
Q: Do I need to handle taxes for my VA?
A: No. Your VA is employed through Stealth Agents, not by you directly. You pay Stealth Agents the hourly rate and they handle all employment taxes, benefits, and compliance on their end. No 1099s or W-2s for you to manage.
Q: Can I hire more than one VA as my business grows?
A: Yes. Many Stealth Agents clients start with one VA and grow to a team of three, five, or more -- each dedicated full-time to a specific function. Scaling up is faster and easier than going through a full hiring process for each new role.