A virtual assistant in the United States earns an average of $50,749 a year in 2026, or $24.40 an hour, and the top 10% earn more than $65,500. That $24.40 rate is the highest of three published averages. The other two major salary sites put the rate at $22.91 and $19.71 an hour, so depending on which number a business budgets from, the yearly cost of one full-time assistant can swing by as much as $9,755.
We pulled every published 2026 figure from the federal wage program and the major salary trackers. We then opened each source page to confirm the number and the date printed beside it. The sections below start with the national average and work down to what one seat costs an employer once benefits are factored in.
Key Takeaways
- Virtual assistants average $50,749 a year nationally, and the middle of the market falls between $42,500 and $57,000.
- Published hourly averages span $19.70 to $24.40 across three trackers, so one quoted average moves a full-time budget by $9,776.
- Skill level moves the rate further than geography: an advanced assistant bills $38 to $50 an hour, while administrative work ranges from $12 to $20.
- Benefits add 42.9% on top of wages, which turns a $50,749 salary into a $72,520 annual salary.
National Virtual Assistant Pay in 2026
One job title covers an inbox at a two-person agency and a calendar at a venture fund, so the national average hides a wide pay range. Our data indicates the published 2026 benchmarks below.
| Pay benchmark | Figure |
|---|---|
| Average annual pay | $50,749 |
| Average hourly pay | $24.40 |
| Average hourly pay from job posting data | $22.91 |
| Average hourly base rate, self-reported | $19.70 |
| 25th percentile annual pay | $42,500 |
| 75th percentile annual pay | $57,000 |
| Top 10% annual pay | $65,500 |
| Spread across the three hourly averages (calculated) | $4.70 an hour |
Key Insights:
- Three trackers price the same role between $19.70 and $24.40 an hour, so the source behind an average moves a 2,080-hour budget by $9,776.
- A $23,000 gap separates the 25th percentile from the top 10%, wide enough to fund a second seat.
Virtual Assistant Pay by Experience and Skill Level
Skill level determines the rate before anyone names a city, and marketplace data prices four tiers of the same title. In our analysis below, the bands range from administrative work up to executive support.
| Experience and skill tier | Published hourly rate |
|---|---|
| Marketplace median, all assistants | $10 to $20 |
| Administrative and data entry | $12 to $20 |
| Marketing, customer service and accounting support | $20 to $35 |
| Advanced, consulting and executive support | $38 to $50 |
| 10th percentile base rate | $12.71 |
| 90th percentile base rate | $29.89 |
Key Insights:
- An advanced assistant costs about three times the administrative rate, so the work you assign decides the invoice more than the person you hire.
- The $10 to $20 marketplace median undercuts every tracker average, so freelance pricing and employer pricing describe two different markets.
Virtual Assistant Salary by Location
A remote title still prices against a local labor market, because employers benchmark an offer against the market that posts the job. The table below sets metro rates against the $22.91 national hourly average.
| Market | Average hourly pay | Difference from the national average (calculated) |
|---|---|---|
| New York, NY | $30.10 | 31.4% higher |
| Los Angeles, CA | $26.06 | 13.7% higher |
| Houston, TX | $23.98 | 4.7% higher |
| Chicago, IL | $23.20 | 1.3% higher |
| Phoenix, AZ | $21.50 | 6.2% lower |
| Florida, statewide | $21.18 | 7.5% lower |
Key Insights:
- New York pays $8.60 an hour over Phoenix for the same title, $17,888 across a full-time year.
- Four of these six markets sit within 7% of the national average, so geography changes the rate less than skill tier does.
Virtual Assistant Pay Against the In-House Administrative Seat
Employers weigh a virtual assistant salary against the office assistant already on payroll, and federal wage data prices that comparison. The federal figures for the in-office role appear below, next to the virtual assistant average.
| Benchmark | Figure |
|---|---|
| Median annual wage, secretaries and administrative assistants | $48,310 |
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $35,360 |
| Highest 10% earn more than | $77,720 |
| Median annual wage, executive administrative assistants | $76,590 |
| Employment in the role, 2025 | 3,515,600 |
| Projected change, 2025 to 2035 | 2% decline, 75,300 fewer jobs |
| Virtual assistant average against that median (calculated) | $2,439 higher |
Key Insights:
- The remote title averages $2,439 above the federal median for the in-office assistant, so the remote seat now costs more than the in-office one.
- Federal projections show 75,300 fewer administrative jobs by 2035 while virtual assistant pay climbs, moving that work toward remote seats.
What One Virtual Assistant Seat Costs an Employer
A salary figure understates the seat, because employers spend $14.07 on benefits for every $32.82 in wages. Our data indicates the full annual cost at three pay levels below, with a DocVA assistant at $10.95 an hour for reference.
| Pay level | Annual wage | Benefits at 42.9% (calculated) | Total annual cost (calculated) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25th percentile | $42,500 | $18,233 | $60,733 |
| National average | $50,749 | $21,771 | $72,520 |
| Top 10% | $65,500 | $28,100 | $93,600 |
| DocVA dedicated assistant, 2,080 hours | $22,776 | Your business pays none | $22,776 |
Key Insights:
- Benefits add $21,771 to an average virtual assistant salary, so a wage-only budget misses the real cost by 42.9%.
- A DocVA assistant costs $22,776 for 2,080 hours, which is $49,744 under the full cost of one average seat.
Further Reading
About This Report
This report was created for DocVA.
