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By Alex Diaz · How we calculate this
Personal and executive assistants typically earn $2,500 to $6,000 a month, with a wide hourly range underneath that depending on whether you hire part-time or full-time: expect roughly $20 to $40 an hour for a direct hire paid by the hour rather than a flat salary. Hire someone directly instead of through an agency, and you become a household employer in the eyes of the IRS, which means Schedule H and a real payroll obligation on top of whatever you're paying them.
These key factors affect personal assistant affordability
Base pay range
Where an assistant lands in that $2,500 to $6,000 range comes down to experience, hours, and whether the work is virtual or in-person. Expect roughly $20 to $40 an hour if you're paying hourly rather than a flat salary. A part-time virtual assistant handling your inbox and calendar costs a fraction of what a full-time in-person hire managing a household and running errands will run you.
Payroll taxes and benefits
Hire directly and you're a household employer, which the IRS treats seriously: Schedule H requires you to cover the employer's share of Social Security and Medicare, pay federal and state unemployment insurance, and typically issue a W-2 at year end rather than a 1099. Budget roughly 10 to 15 percent of pay on top of the base salary to cover it, or go through an agency and let them absorb that obligation for a markup instead.
Mileage, expenses, and tools
An assistant who runs errands or drives on your behalf should be reimbursed for mileage separately from salary, ideally at or near the IRS standard mileage rate rather than a flat stipend that may not match actual use. Add in whatever scheduling, expense-tracking, or communication software they need to do the job, since that's a small but recurring cost that's easy to forget when you're focused on the salary line.
How to use your results
- A low risk score means the assistant's full monthly cost, including taxes and extras, fits comfortably into your budget.
- A moderate score suggests it's affordable but worth reconsidering the hours or scope to lower the total.
- A high score means the cost would strain your budget, so consider part-time or virtual help instead of a full-time hire.
Ways to make a personal assistant more affordable
- Hire part-time or virtual instead of full-time in-person if your workload doesn't require daily physical presence.
- Use a virtual assistant service or agency for lighter administrative tasks instead of a dedicated in-house hire.
- Reimburse mileage at the standard IRS rate rather than a flat monthly stipend to keep that cost tied to actual use.
- Standardize on free or low-cost scheduling and communication tools instead of premium software suites.
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Peer comparison data
Bureau of Labor Statistics (median income by age), Experian (credit score by age)
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