How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Virtual Assistant in 2021?

In today’s business world, working remotely is not just a popular option. It is the way that many businesses keep moving forward. COVID-19 made it necessary for business leaders to think outside of the box to remain competitive. Remote workers were already a significant part of many tech business models, but the pandemic broadened its application to other industries as well. As remote work has become more normalized, it is often a first-choice option for filling many newly open positions. If you are currently considering hiring a virtual assistant, you likely have several questions about the process. One of the main questions may be, “how much does a virtual assistant cost?” When considering the cost of hiring a virtual assistant, a business must take into account several factors that make up the real costs and the potential savings for the company.

Unlike many positions, there is no standard hourly rate for virtual assistants. The hourly rate can range from $1 an hour to over $100, depending on the job and the applicant. The key factors that determine the cost of a virtual assistant include:

• The type of work the virtual assistant is capable of doing
• The amount of experience the virtual assistant has
• The parameters of your project
• Where the virtual assistant is based

Hiring the right virtual assistant can save your business significant amounts of time and money. The key is to hire the right virtual assistant to match the needs of your company without sacrificing the quality of work you would expect from an in-house hire. One of the considerations when hiring a virtual personal assistant is whether to limit your candidate search to the US or to explore options in other countries. Hiring a virtual assistant from outside of the United States can offer significant cost savings for your business. It is important to compare the costs as well as the pros and cons of hiring from various countries before making that decision. The following questions can help you decide which option is best for the needs of your company.

How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Virtual Assistant in the US?

Hiring a virtual assistant (VA) in the United States will have an average cost of between $10-$40 an hour. The virtual assistant cost will depend on the type of work you expect the VA to be able to perform. Hiring a VA to handle low-level administrative tasks or miscellaneous services such as research, marketing, and SEO work will average $10-20 per hour or more. Executive-level VA services can average $30-40 an hour and higher.

The benefits of hiring a virtual assistant in the US, as opposed to a permanent employee, include the cost savings from only paying an employee when you need them and not having related auxiliary costs such as insurance and benefits. Virtual assistants are a great option for startup companies that need help to succeed but cannot handle the cost of a full-time employee. Hiring virtual assistants from inside the US can provide a part-time solution with a high rate of success, and they can be in your home time zone.

Hiring a virtual assistant from the US takes only 3-4 weeks, as opposed to a full-time employee who can take anywhere from 1-4 months. Recruiting full-time employees can also involve significant recruitment fees.

Virtual assistants provide the same level of flexibility as hiring a freelancer. Unlike freelancers, VAs tend to provide the same level of accountability, loyalty, and top-level professionalism that you can expect from an in-house staff member.

Virtual assistants from within the United States provide the benefit of being easily understood by customers. This allows customers to have their service-related needs met easier and faster. Choosing a VA from within the US also provides you with an assistant that understands the cultural norms unique to the country.

How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Virtual Assistant in Europe?

Hiring a European virtual assistant will be much more expensive than choosing a VA from other countries outside the United States. The exception is virtual assistants from Eastern Europe and the Baltic states. Additionally, many companies also levy an additional tax of over 20% on the cost of virtual assistants. While the cost of virtual assistants from Eastern Europe can average $7 an hour, the cost of VAs from the UK or Western Europe will be three times as much or higher.

Choosing a European VA offers some benefits that a virtual assistant from other non-U.S. companies cannot. The cultures of both Europeans and Americans are fairly similar, so you can avoid misunderstandings that can occur due to cultural differences. Most Europeans are fairly fluent in the English language, which can make communication easier for both virtual employee to employer relationships as well as customer relationships.

How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Virtual Assistant in Asia?

Hiring a virtual assistant from Asia can offer greater cost savings than choosing a VA from the United States or Europe. VAs in countries such as India or the Philippines can cost as little as $3-5 an hour. However, the hourly rate may not be enough to make them the best option. Some of the drawbacks to using a virtual assistant from Asia include:

• Language barriers. Many VAs from Asia use English as their second language, but there may still be frequent communication barriers that result in instructions being misunderstood or questions not being answered properly. This can lead to loss of efficiency and no real-time savings that you need from your virtual assistant.
• Technology issues. Internet and phone connections are often not as reliable in some Asian countries as they are in many other places. This can make it difficult to complete tasks on time. It also can make it challenging to communicate with your virtual assistant when you need them.
• Security Issues. Working with a virtual assistant in Asia can subject you to exposure to data breaches and privacy issues. You may also need to be cautious about avoiding scam operations. Laws surrounding intellectual property and other privacy issues will vary between countries, and litigation overseas can be extremely challenging.
• Time zone differences. Working with a virtual assistant in a different time zone can present several challenges. If you need a project completed by noon, and the VA is in a different time zone that is 12 hours ahead, it can cause confusion as to project timing.
• Cultural differences. There are many distinct cultural differences between countries in Asia and those in the western hemisphere. These differences can result in confusion and misunderstanding between an employer and the VA.

In the instance of hiring a virtual assistant from Asia, the lower hourly rate may not be a true saving.

How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Virtual Assistant in Latin America?

Hiring a virtual assistant based out of Latin American countries such as Mexico, Argentina, Peru, and others can be cost-effective and provide the best answer to your staffing needs. The cost of a virtual assistant from Latin America starts at $5 an hour. The rates will vary depending on the level of expertise you require for your project.
Choosing to hire a virtual assistant from Latin America offers several benefits:

• Virtual Assistants from Latin America are in the same time zones as companies based in the US. Being in the same time zone makes it easier to communicate with your VA since they are typically working the same hours as you. There is also less miscommunication around project timelines.
• VAs based in Latin America are fully bilingual. Hiring a virtual assistant who is fluent in English and Spanish can provide enormous benefits for your company. This is especially true in areas that have a large population in which Spanish is the primary language.
• Latin America has a vibrant and growing higher education community. A virtual assistant from Latin America is likely to have acquired more secondary-level education experience than VAs from other countries outside the US. Latin American countries such as Argentina are becoming well known for their IT expertise, and Latin America is developing a reputation as a prominent destination for outsourcing.

How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Virtual Assistant on Your Own vs. From a Virtual Assistant Agency?

Once you have decided that a virtual assistant is the right option for your business, you will need to decide how to go about finding the VA that will be the ideal fit for your project’s needs. There are several options for searching for a virtual administrative assistant, but on a basic level, it comes down to researching potential hires on your own or hiring an agency to do it for you. Both choices come with benefits and costs. Consider the following when deciding which path is the best for you:

Pros of Freelance Virtual Assistants:

• Hiring a freelance virtual assistant provides you with greater control over the hiring process. You are getting the virtual assistant that you deem is the best fit for your project, rather than the one the agency has available or that they feel is best for your needs.
• Using a freelance virtual assistant can often be less expensive than dealing with the fees that agencies or freelance platforms may add.

Cons of Freelance Virtual Assistants:

• Hiring a freelance virtual assistant for each individual project will require a great deal of research and time. You will need to use platforms such as Upwork, Fiverr, Freelancer.com, and others to post a job description, search through tons of applications, interview the best of the lot, and make an offer. This can be time-consuming and counterproductive considering you are hiring a VA to free up your time.
• Another downside of hiring a freelance VA is that you have no recourse if the work is not what you expected.

Pros of Virtual Assistant Agencies:

• Using a virtual assistant agency gives you access to a wide variety of professionals with specialized skillsets ready to help with all of your project needs. There is usually a monthly fee that gives you access to a pool of professionals that match your needs.
• Agencies usually provide better recourse and oversight in the case of employees who do not meet your expectations. They can also provide substitutes and backups, which are not an option if you choose the freelance route.

Cons of Agency Virtual Assistants:

• The cost of hiring a virtual assistant through an agency can be much higher than a freelance virtual assistant.
• For some agencies, you pay a monthly fee for access to company VAs, even when you don’t need them.

The decision between searching for a freelance virtual assistant through various platforms or working with an agency will depend on your desired level of control over the process, your budget constraints, and the importance of having a convenient source of vetted professionals at your disposal.

Why Is Virtual Latinos the Best Cost-Effective Option to Hire Virtual Assistants?

Virtual Latinos offers the best solution for hiring virtual assistants. Hiring a virtual assistant through Virtual Latinos will cost you 40-75% less than hiring a VA within the United States. Choosing Virtual Latinos Agency will also provide you with experienced virtual assistants, the recruitment team will handpick the perfect match for your project needs. Both options will provide you with a Spanish-and-English bilingual virtual assistant that can provide the reliable and professional level of virtual assistance you need for your company.

When you hire a virtual executive assistant through Virtual Latinos, you have access to affordable, top-quality candidates from all over Latin America. You can be confident that the VAs you employ are committed to a long-term relationship with your company and will provide the same loyalty as an in-house team member. Over 90% of Virtual Latinos VAs have earned a 4-year college degree, and top VA applicants normally have training and certification in areas such as digital marketing.

Your VA will be working from the same time zone as you, providing ease of real-time communication. Virtual assistants that you hire through Virtual Latinos will have the technology and reliable high-speed internet service to ensure that they can complete task assignments on time and without technology-related issues. They are also more familiar with the cultural norms of America and can help to expand your business to relatively underserved markets.

Reach out to Virtual Latinos to find out more about our virtual assistant hiring process and how we can help you achieve your hiring goals.

Why Hire a Virtual Assistant From Virtual Latinos?

The true cost of hiring a virtual assistant is much more than just a dollar amount. Although the hourly rate of VAs from Asia may be lower than many other options, they do not provide the same level of reliability, professionalism, and ease of interaction and communication that you can receive from someone within your own time zone. A virtual assistant from Asia may also not have the reliable technology to make project completion efficient. Other concerns such as cultural understanding and language barriers can negate the benefit of a lower hourly rate.

Choosing a virtual assistant through Virtual Latinos offers business owners like you, the possibility of saving costs and time by allowing the experts to match you with the person best suited for your project. Both options will provide you with an affordable, high-quality VA. The cost savings of choosing Virtual Latinos for your virtual assistant extends to knowing that the company has already done the hiring legwork for you and the applicants are already vetted. Hiring a virtual assistant with the help of the Virtual Latinos agency will save you both time and money. Contact Virtual Latinos for quality talent at an affordable price. We can provide the best option for your virtual assistant needs.