A dedicated virtual assistant in the US costs $250 to $1,499 per month in 2026 depending on the service lane and scope. Easy Virtual Assistants starts at $299 for admin, $349 for customer support, $399 for content, $449 for web and tech, and $499 for digital marketing. Marketplace freelancers list at $5 to $15 an hour, but the real cost lands at 2 to 4 times that once briefing and rework are included.
Key takeaways
- In 2026, dedicated VA pricing in the US runs $250 to $1,400 per month based on hours.
- Marketplace pricing looks cheap at $5 to $15 an hour but real cost lands at 2 to 4 times that.
- Specialist VAs (paid media, technical SEO, Shopify devs) cost $25 to $60 per hour and are worth it for one off work.
- Use monthly pricing for recurring work, hourly only for genuinely one-off tasks.
- Easy Virtual Assistants plans start at $299 a month with the same dedicated VA every week.
Virtual assistant pricing in 2026 is confusing because the units are different. Some agencies charge per hour. Some charge per task. Some charge per month. Here is what to actually expect, what each price hides, and how to compare a dedicated virtual assistant with a marketplace freelancer fairly.
Marketplace per hour (cheap on paper)
$5 to $15 an hour is common on global marketplaces. The honest cost is two to four times that once you add briefing time, rework, and turnover loss. A $10 an hour freelancer can land at $35 to $40 real cost per useful hour for an owner.
Dedicated VA monthly pricing (predictable)
Most dedicated VA services price by scope or hour bucket. Typical US 2026 ranges land between $250 and $1,400 per month depending on the lane and seniority of the person.
Our own Easy Virtual Assistants pricing starts at $299 for admin, $349 for customer support, $399 for content, $449 for web and tech, and $499 for digital marketing. Premium tiers run up to $1,499 and custom packages above that on request. Every package is scoped by deliverables, not hours, because each service produces a different output per hour. Same person every week. Month to month, no long contract. Available across New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, and 15 more US cities.
Specialist VA (skill premium)
Performance media buyers, technical SEO, conversion copywriters, and Shopify or WordPress developers price higher because the skill compresses time. Expect $25 to $60 an hour for true specialists in 2026.
The hidden costs marketplace pricing hides
- Onboarding loss. If your VA leaves, you pay it twice.
- Quality review. Hours of your time fixing rough drafts.
- Tool sprawl. Paying for tools you only need because the VA prefers them.
- Context tax. Re-explaining your business to a new person each week.
- Risk cost. No NDA, no real protection on customer data.
How to compare honestly
Track time saved per week, not dollars per hour. A $549 plan that saves you 12 hours a week is cheaper than a $200 plan that saves you four hours and costs three hours of review.
The right question is not “what does a VA cost”. It is “what is one hour of my time worth this week”.
Hidden value: forecasting
A monthly plan gives you a predictable line item in your P and L. A marketplace gives you a spiky one. That predictability is worth a real premium when you are running a small business in 2026.
When per-hour beats monthly
If your work is genuinely one-off, per-hour is honest. Specialized audits, one-time list cleanups, one-off design pieces.
When monthly beats per-hour
Anything recurring. Inbox, support, CRM, content, social, reporting, web edits. The compounding outweighs the marginal rate inside 30 days.
Want a clear quote for your stack? Tell us the work and we will reply with a plan within one business day.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a virtual assistant cost per month in the US in 2026?
Dedicated US virtual assistant pricing in 2026 typically ranges from $250 to $1,499 per month depending on the service lane and scope. Easy Virtual Assistants starts at $299 for admin, $349 for customer support, $399 for content, $449 for web and tech, $499 for digital marketing, with premium tiers up to $1,499 and custom packages above on request.
Why are marketplace virtual assistants so cheap?
Marketplace VAs list at $5 to $15 an hour because no NDA, no agency overhead, no backup VA, and no quality review is included. Owners then absorb the cost of briefing, rework, and turnover, which usually brings the real per-useful-hour cost to 2 to 4 times the listed rate.
Is a $299 virtual assistant plan enough for a small business?
For most small businesses, the Starter admin plan at $299 a month is enough to own inbox, calendar, and 2 to 3 recurring admin tasks. If you have customer support tickets all day or you run paid ads weekly, a service-specific plan (support from $349, marketing from $499) or the Growth admin tier at $549 is the better starting point.
Are there any setup fees or long contracts?
No. Easy Virtual Assistants plans are month to month with no setup fee and no long contract. You can upgrade, downgrade, or pause with notice.
