TL;DR: Businesses no longer need to spend $80,000+ per year to hire an experienced executive assistant. This guide compares the best executive assistant hiring models and reviews five leading providers—including Hire Overseas, our top recommendation for dedicated offshore executive assistants—helping founders and finance teams choose the right solution based on cost, support hours, and long-term value.
Hiring an executive assistant isn't just a productivity decision, it's a financial one. A full-time U.S.-based executive assistant can cost $80,000–$125,000 per year once salary, benefits, payroll taxes, equipment, and recruiting are factored in. Fortunately, that's no longer the only option. Today, businesses can hire a dedicated remote executive assistant or virtual executive assistant for under $3,000 a month through offshore staffing providers and managed executive assistant services.
In this guide, we compare the most cost-effective ways to hire an executive assistant, explain the trade-offs between different hiring models, and review five leading providers based on pricing, vetting, flexibility, and overall value—helping founders, finance teams, and growing businesses make a smarter hiring decision.
When evaluating the cost of an executive assistant, most businesses compare salaries. That's only part of the picture.
A full-time U.S.-based executive assistant earns an average base salary of around $67,000 per year. Once you factor in employer payroll taxes (7–10%), health insurance ($7,000–$15,000), retirement contributions, paid time off, recruiting, equipment, software, and onboarding, the total cost typically rises to $80,000–$125,000 per year or approximately $6,667–$10,417 per month.
For startup founders protecting runway, finance teams managing overhead, and accounting firms preparing for growth, that fully loaded cost—not just salary—is the benchmark every alternative should be measured against.
That's why hiring an executive assistant for under $3,000 per month isn't necessarily a compromise. For many businesses, it's simply a more cost-efficient hiring model.
There are four common hiring models that fall below the $3,000 per month threshold. The right choice depends on how much support you need, whether you require real-time collaboration, and how involved you want to be in recruiting and managing the role.
The biggest driver of cost isn't talent but the hiring model. Geography, whether the assistant is dedicated or shared, and the level of management included all have a greater impact on pricing than the work itself. Dedicated offshore staffing, managed services, and fractional U.S.-based support each offer different trade-offs in cost, flexibility, and oversight, making it important to choose the model that best fits your business rather than simply the lowest monthly price.
Hiring an executive assistant for under $3,000 a month doesn't have to mean compromising on experience or reliability. The providers below represent a range of hiring models—from dedicated offshore staffing and managed executive assistant services to premium fractional support. To help you compare them objectively, we've evaluated each provider based on starting monthly price, estimated annual cost, monthly support hours, hiring model, and the type of business they're best suited for.
Best for: Startups, founders, finance teams, and accounting firms seeking a full-time dedicated executive assistant with predictable monthly costs.
Starting price: From $2,000/month
Why It Stands Out: Hire Overseas is an executive assistant staffing company that places dedicated offshore executive assistants from the Philippines, Latin America, and South Africa. Each client is matched with one full-time remote executive assistant rather than a shared support team, with recruitment, vetting, HR, payroll, and client success included in one predictable monthly fee.
For startup founders, finance teams, and accounting firms, the fixed-cost model makes budgeting straightforward. Starting at $2,000 per month (about $24,000 annually) for approximately 160 hours of dedicated support, businesses avoid the additional costs of payroll taxes, benefits, recruiting, and HR administration while gaining a full-time executive assistant.
Executive assistants are vetted for communication, business operations, and AI proficiency, supporting calendar and inbox management, travel coordination, CRM administration, reporting, and recurring operational tasks. For businesses looking to hire an executive assistant offshore, Hire Overseas delivers one of the strongest combinations of dedicated support, predictable pricing, and long-term value in this comparison.
Pros
Cons
Customer reviews: Hire Overseas holds a 5.0/5 rating on G2. Customers frequently praise the quality of candidates, responsive onboarding process, and the value of having a dedicated executive assistant who integrates into daily operations.
Best for: Businesses that want a fully managed executive assistant service with built-in backup coverage.
Starting price: From ~$1,500/month
Why It Stands Out: Prialto takes a managed-service approach to executive assistant staffing, pairing clients with a primary executive assistant supported by standardized workflows and a backup team. Executive assistants are sourced from the Philippines, Guatemala, and Kenya, helping ensure continuity during vacations or absences.
For finance teams and established businesses, the predictable monthly pricing and documented processes reduce operational risk. Entry-level plans include approximately 55 hours of support per month, making Prialto best suited for executives with moderate administrative workloads rather than businesses needing a full-time assistant.
Pros
Cons
Customer reviews: Prialto receives consistently high ratings on G2 and Capterra, with customers praising reliability, responsiveness, and well-documented processes.
Best for: Startups and small businesses looking for affordable executive assistant support with fast onboarding.
Starting price: From ~$1,299/month
Why It Stands Out: Wishup provides virtual executive assistants primarily from India, offering flexible part-time and full-time plans. Businesses can quickly hire a remote executive assistant to handle scheduling, inbox management, travel coordination, research, and recurring administrative work without a lengthy hiring process.
Its competitive pricing makes Wishup an attractive option for founders looking to reduce operating costs, although experience levels may vary depending on the role and specialization required.
Pros
Cons
Customer reviews: Customers frequently highlight Wishup's affordability, responsive support, and quick hiring process, particularly for growing startups.
Best for: Businesses hiring across multiple roles beyond executive support.
Starting price: From ~$4–8/hour
Why It Stands Out: BruntWork is an offshore staffing provider offering executive assistants alongside customer support, finance, marketing, and operations roles. Businesses can hire dedicated remote executive assistants or build larger offshore teams using a flexible hourly pricing model.
For companies planning multiple hires, BruntWork provides broad recruiting capabilities across the Philippines and other global talent markets. However, hourly pricing can make monthly costs less predictable than fixed-fee staffing providers.
Pros
Cons
Customer reviews: Customers commonly praise BruntWork's recruiting support, hiring flexibility, and candidate quality when building offshore teams.
Best for: Executives seeking experienced U.S.-based executive assistants on a fractional basis.
Starting price: From ~$2,600/month
Why It Stands Out: Boldly provides premium remote executive assistants with extensive corporate experience, focusing on fractional support for executives who prefer working during U.S. business hours. Rather than full-time offshore staffing, the company specializes in experienced professionals handling executive scheduling, communications, project coordination, and administrative support.
Although plans generally include 40–60 hours per month, Boldly is a strong option for businesses prioritizing senior-level expertise and native English communication over full-time coverage.
Pros
Cons
Customer reviews: Boldly earns consistently positive reviews for professionalism, communication, and the experience level of its executive assistants.
Hiring an executive assistant for under $3,000 a month is only the first step. The bigger opportunity is making sure every dollar translates into meaningful executive leverage rather than unused capacity.
Start by delegating recurring, high-impact work. Calendar management, inbox organization, travel planning, meeting preparation, CRM updates, and stakeholder follow-ups are the tasks that consume hours each week but rarely require the founder's direct involvement. Defining these responsibilities before you hire helps you choose the right level of support and shortens onboarding.
Choose a hiring model that matches your workload. A full-time dedicated executive assistant makes sense if you consistently need administrative support throughout the week. If your workload is lighter, a managed or fractional executive assistant may deliver a better return while keeping monthly costs below your budget. Paying for capacity you don't use reduces the financial advantage of hiring offshore.
Consider the total cost—not just the monthly fee. Businesses comparing providers should also account for onboarding time, software licenses, management overhead, and turnover risk. Providers that include recruitment, HR, payroll, and replacement guarantees often reduce long-term costs, even if their monthly pricing is slightly higher.
For finance teams and startup founders, the savings can be substantial.
At the higher end of U.S. employment costs, annual savings can exceed $100,000. That's capital that can be redirected toward product development, sales, hiring, or extending cash runway.
For businesses using Puzzle, these savings become easier to measure over time. Instead of treating payroll as a fixed expense, finance teams can track executive support costs alongside operating expenses, burn rate, and cash runway to understand how hiring decisions affect the company's financial health. Whether you're hiring your first executive assistant or expanding your leadership team, viewing administrative support through a financial lens helps ensure every hire delivers measurable value.
The right executive assistant doesn't just handle administrative work—they give founders and leadership teams more time to focus on the decisions that grow the business. If you're comparing providers, Hire Overseas is a strong place to start based on the factors that mattered most in this guide, from dedicated staffing and predictable pricing to long-term value. Book a free consultation with Hire Overseas to see how a dedicated executive assistant can support your business.
Once you've optimized your hiring costs, make sure you're measuring the financial impact. Puzzle gives startups real-time visibility into payroll, operating expenses, burn rate, and runway, helping you understand how smarter hiring decisions strengthen your business over time. Book a demo with Puzzle to see how we can help you make more informed financial decisions.
Pricing, features, and review data were sourced from publicly available company websites and independent review platforms (including G2, Trustpilot, and Capterra where applicable) and verified in July 2026.
It depends on your workload and budget. An in-house executive assistant offers in-person support but comes with significantly higher employment costs. A virtual executive assistant can handle most executive tasks remotely—including calendar management, inbox management, travel planning, reporting, and meeting coordination—at a fraction of the total cost.
The best executive assistant service depends on your business needs. For companies seeking a dedicated full-time executive assistant with predictable monthly pricing, Hire Overseas is our top recommendation, with plans starting at $2,000 per month. Businesses looking for a fully managed executive assistant service may prefer Prialto, while Boldly is a strong option for experienced U.S.-based fractional support.
A full-time U.S.-based executive assistant typically costs $80,000–$125,000 per year once salary, payroll taxes, benefits, equipment, and recruiting costs are included. Offshore executive assistants generally cost $2,000–$3,500 per month, providing a more cost-effective option for startups, finance teams, and growing businesses.
Most executive assistant staffing providers include candidate sourcing, recruitment, vetting, HR administration, payroll, and ongoing support. Providers like Hire Overseas also assign a dedicated full-time executive assistant, allowing businesses to avoid the complexity of hiring and managing international talent independently.
For many businesses, yes. An offshore executive assistant can handle calendar management, inbox organization, travel planning, reporting, CRM administration, and other recurring executive tasks at a significantly lower cost than hiring in-house. For companies focused on controlling operating expenses while maintaining executive support, offshore staffing often delivers the strongest long-term value.
The Philippines remains one of the most popular destinations for hiring executive assistants because of its strong English proficiency, business culture, and experience supporting U.S. companies. Latin America is often preferred by businesses needing greater time-zone overlap, while India offers competitive pricing for administrative and executive support roles.
