A dedicated virtual assistant in the US starts from $299 a month. Full pricing details are shared on a discovery call.
Key takeaways
- In 2026, dedicated VA pricing in the US runs $250 to $1,400 per month based on hours.
- Marketplace pricing looks cheap per task but the real cost is two to four times the listed rate once briefing and rework are counted.
- Specialist VAs (paid media, technical SEO, Shopify devs) command a premium and are worth it for one-off work, not recurring weekly tasks.
- 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)
Marketplace VA services typically appear very low-cost per task. The honest total cost is two to four times the listed rate once you add briefing time, rework, and turnover loss. What looks like a bargain often becomes significantly more expensive once an owner’s review and re-briefing time are counted.
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 from $299 a month. Every plan 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 command a premium because the skill compresses time. True specialists are suited for one-off projects, not the recurring weekly operational work where a monthly plan pays off faster.
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 dedicated plan that saves you 12 hours a week is cheaper than a lower-cost 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 starts from $299 a month. Full tier pricing is shared on a quick discovery call.
Why are marketplace virtual assistants so cheap?
Marketplace VAs appear low-cost 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-output cost to two to four times the listed rate.
Is a $299 virtual assistant plan enough for a small business?
For most small businesses, a Starter Virtual Assistance plan is enough to own inbox, calendar, and 2 to 3 recurring admin tasks. If you also need customer support or digital marketing coverage, a higher-scope plan is the better starting point. Exact plan details are shared on a discovery call.
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.
