Executive assistant cost: the quick answer
The numbers in 2025 break down cleanly by employment model. An in-house full-time executive assistant typically costs $50,000 to $100,000 or more per year once salary, benefits, and overhead are included. A part-time in-house EA lands in the $25,000 to $50,000 range. A virtual EA service charges $10 to $25 per hour, depending on the level and provider. The biggest cost driver is not the rate but the employment model.
In-house executive assistant: what you actually pay
Base salary by experience tier
Entry-level executive assistants with one to three years of experience typically earn $45,000 to $60,000 per year. Mid-level EAs (four to seven years of experience) earn $65,000 to $85,000. Senior or C-suite EAs with eight or more years, or those supporting a board, earn $90,000 to $120,000 or more. These figures align with the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics for executive secretaries and administrative assistants.
Total compensation beyond base salary
The base salary is only part of the real cost. Employer payroll taxes add roughly 7.65 percent of salary for Social Security and Medicare. Health insurance typically costs the employer $6,000 to $15,000 per year per employee depending on the plan. Add 401(k) match, paid time off, equipment, and office space, and the total cost of an in-house EA usually lands at 1.2 to 1.4 times the base salary.
Virtual executive assistant: what you actually pay
Hourly rate by experience tier
A general virtual assistant with some EA experience runs $10 to $15 per hour. A dedicated executive assistant with proven C-suite or VP-level experience runs $15 to $22 per hour. A senior or specialized EA with seven or more years of high-level support runs $22 to $30 per hour. Rates outside these bands usually signal either an experience mismatch or a non-standard model.
How hours add up in practice
Light support of 10 hours per week typically costs $500 to $800 per month. Moderate support at 20 hours per week runs $1,000 to $1,600. Full executive-level support at 40 hours per week lands at $1,800 to $3,500 per month. Comparable in-house costs would be roughly double once benefits and overhead are factored in.
What you do not pay with a virtual EA
The hidden cost line items disappear with a virtual model. No payroll taxes, no benefits, no equipment, no office space, no recruiting cost when you go through a staffing service. That is where most of the cost gap comes from, not the hourly rate itself.
What drives executive assistant cost up or down
Location matters: an EA based in New York or San Francisco earns 20 to 40 percent more than the national average. Executive seniority matters: a CEO or board-level EA commands a premium over a VP-level EA. Scope matters: an EA who also coordinates a team of three or four junior admins costs more than one who supports a single executive. The combination of these three factors explains most of the spread within any tier.
What lowers the cost is generally not negotiating the rate but choosing the right model for the actual scope of work. A part-time virtual EA at the right hourly rate is almost always more cost-effective than an over-leveled in-house hire.
Next steps for evaluating cost
For the practical hiring process, see our guide on how to hire an executive assistant. For more on the trade-offs of a virtual model specifically, our virtual executive assistant guide walks through the day-to-day working relationship and the setup before day one.