Executive Assistants
How does a remote assistant get paid?
Jun 2, 2025
2 min read
How a remote assistant gets paid comes down to one thing: whether you hire them directly or through a managed service. That single choice decides who handles the salary, the taxes, the benefits, and the time you spend managing any of it. Here is how each model actually works, what it costs in 2026, and how to pick the one that fits.
The two ways a remote assistant gets paid
1. Directly, as a freelancer or independent contractor. You find the person yourself or through a marketplace, agree on a rate, and pay them directly. That usually means an hourly rate or a per-project fee, invoiced to you weekly or monthly. In this model you are the employer in practice: you handle the invoicing, the oversight, the quality control, and in most cases you are responsible for the paperwork around paying someone in another country. It can be cheaper on paper and more flexible on hours, but the management time is real and it lands on you.
2. Through a managed service, where the provider employs them. Here the assistant is a full-time employee of the company you work with, not of you. You pay one flat fee to the provider, and the provider pays the assistant’s salary, benefits, equipment, and taxes. Viva’s executive assistants, for example, are employed directly by Viva. You get one predictable monthly invoice and none of the admin that comes with employing someone abroad. For most leaders, especially at a startup, that is the difference between delegating work and taking on a second job managing the person you hired to save you time.
What a remote assistant actually costs in 2026
The rate you see is rarely the real cost. What you pay depends on the model, the experience, and where the assistant is based. A rough map:
- Hourly marketplaces (Upwork and similar): anywhere from about $20 to $70 an hour, depending on skill and experience. Flexible, but you carry the vetting, the ramp-up, and the risk if it does not work out.
- Offshore freelancers: lower hourly rates, but the savings often get eaten by time-zone gaps, communication overhead, and the hours you spend managing the work.
- US in-house executive assistant: $120,000 or more per year all in, once you add salary, benefits, payroll taxes, and equipment.
- Managed service (Viva): a flat monthly fee that already includes onboarding, training, equipment, and benefits, at roughly half the fully loaded cost of a US in-house hire. One invoice, no surprises. You can see current pricing here.
If you want to compare the true cost across options rather than the sticker rate, the full breakdown of virtual assistant costs walks through what actually drives ROI.
Who pays for what: freelance vs agency vs managed
The real difference between the models is not the headline price. It is who absorbs the parts of employment that quietly cost you time and money.
| Freelancer | Staffing agency | Managed service (Viva) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who pays the assistant | You, directly | You pay the agency | You pay Viva; Viva employs the EA |
| Salary and benefits | Your responsibility | Varies | Handled by Viva |
| Taxes and payroll | You handle it | Sometimes | Handled by Viva |
| PTO and coverage | Your problem when they are out | Rarely covered | Backfilled by Viva |
| Vetting and training | You | Partial | Top 1%, pre-trained |
| Billing | Multiple invoices | Agency invoice | One flat monthly fee |
How PTO, taxes, and coverage work
This is where the models separate the most. With a freelancer, when they take time off or disappear for a week, the work stops and it falls back on you. Taxes and compliance for paying someone in another country are yours to figure out. With a managed service, the assistant is an employee of the provider, so PTO is planned, coverage is arranged when they are out, and payroll and compliance are handled for you. You are buying continuity, not just hours.
Which model fits you
If you have a small, well-defined task, a clear process, and time to manage it, a freelancer can be a good fit and a low commitment. If you are a leader trying to get hours back and you do not want the work of employing someone, a managed service is usually the cleaner answer. You delegate an outcome, one invoice covers everything, and you are not the one handling salary, PTO, or a replacement when something changes.
Frequently asked questions
How do you pay a remote assistant?
Either directly, if they are a freelancer, usually hourly or per project with you handling invoicing and taxes, or through a managed service that employs the assistant and bills you one flat monthly fee that covers salary, benefits, and equipment.
How much does a remote assistant cost per month?
Hourly freelancers run roughly $20 to $70 an hour, so monthly cost swings with hours used. A US in-house EA runs $120,000 or more a year all in. A managed full-time EA through Viva is a flat monthly fee at about half the loaded cost of a US hire, with onboarding, training, equipment, and benefits included.
Do I have to handle taxes for a remote assistant?
If you hire a freelancer directly, generally yes, along with invoicing and compliance. If you use a managed service, the provider employs the assistant and handles payroll, taxes, and benefits, so you do not.
Want a remote executive assistant without the admin of employing one? Book a call.
