Virtual assistance has the widest global price spread of any freelance field, but in the US/EU client market, professional VAs bill $25–$60/hour depending on specialisation. General admin sits at the lower end; specialised support — podcast production, executive inbox management, CRM operations — commands the upper end.
VAs typically achieve a high billable percentage (70–80%) since client work is scheduled in blocks, but the ceiling on hours is hard: your income grows by raising the rate or productising services, not by working more.
Your minimum hourly rate
$55/hour
Exact break-even: $52.31/hour — rounded up to the nearest $5.
How this breaks down
- Revenue you need to bill
- $75,333/yr
- — covers taxes (~25%)
- $18,333
- — covers expenses
- $2,000
- Billable hours per year
- 1,440h
Pricing tips for freelance virtual assistants
- Sell packages of hours (10/20/40 per month) paid up front — it stabilises cash flow and reduces no-shows.
- Specialise fast: 'VA for real-estate agents' out-earns 'VA for anyone' within months.
- Put a 24–48h response-time boundary in your contract to protect your evenings.
For the full method — including how to present higher rates to clients without losing the deal — see our guide to setting freelance rates. And when the work is done, invoice it properly.