Remote Executive Assistants

The cost question isn’t really “how much does an EA cost?” It’s “how much does an EA cost including everything that isn’t the salary line,” and that second number is where the real comparison lives. What a Full-Time Executive Assistant Actually Costs Base Salary  The US Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the mean annual wage for executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants at $73,680, covering roughly 483,570 jobs in that occupation category nationally. The broader secretaries and administrative assistants category, which includes non-executive roles, carries a lower median of $48,310 annually. The Real Multiplier: Benefits and Overhead A base salary is rarely the full cost. Once you add payroll tax, health insurance, paid time off, and equipment, a common industry rule of thumb puts total employer cost at roughly 1.4 times base salary. On a $73,680 base, that puts fully loaded cost in the neighborhood of $103,000 a year, before accounting for hiring costs. Hiring and...

Founders rarely decide to hire an EA on a single dramatic day. It’s usually a slow accumulation of small signals, ignored one at a time, until the cost of not delegating becomes obvious in hindsight. Here are seven concrete signs worth paying attention to now. 1. You’re Working 50-Plus Hours a Week, and It’s Not Slowing Down Research on small business time use found that around one in five small business owners work 50 or more hours a week, with the average landing near 52 hours and 20% working more than 60. If your week has settled into this range and shows no sign of shrinking, that’s a structural problem, not a temporary busy season. 2. Administrative Tasks Are Eating More Than a Third of Your Week Founder time-use research puts the average share of the work week spent on administrative tasks, scheduling, data entry, and logging expenses at around 36%, more than a full business day every week. That’s time not spent on the two or three things that actually move your business forward....

  A virtual personal assistant for personal life handles the tasks that pile up outside of work: scheduling appointments, planning family logistics, managing household admin, and organizing the small recurring errands that quietly eat up hours every week. Most people associate virtual assistants with business tasks, but a large and growing share of the work is entirely personal, with no company or client involved at all. This article looks at what a virtual personal assistant actually does in someone’s personal life, the specific situations where hiring one makes the most sense, and how to structure the relationship. Hence, it actually saves time instead of creating more coordination overhead. What “Personal Life” Support Actually Covers A virtual personal assistant books appointments: doctors, dentists, hairdressers, home repair technicians. A virtual personal assistant plans travel: family vacations, flights, hotels, rental cars, and day-by-day itineraries. A virtual personal ass...

  Hiring a virtual executive assistant starts long before the first job post goes live. The businesses that end up with a strong, lasting hire define the role clearly, screen for specific skills instead of general impressions, and set up the working relationship deliberately from day one. The businesses that end up re-hiring every few months usually skipped one of those steps. This guide walks through the full process: defining the role, sourcing candidates, running an effective interview, and onboarding the assistant so the relationship works from week one. Step One: Define the Role Before You Post It A vague job posting attracts vague candidates. Before writing a single line of the posting, list the specific tasks the assistant will own: calendar management, inbox triage, travel booking, meeting preparation, expense tracking, or project coordination. A virtual executive assistant supporting a founder juggling investor relationships needs different skills than one supporting an op...

  Virtual executive assistant companies connect businesses with remote support professionals who manage calendars, communication, and administrative workflows for senior leaders. The market includes staffing agencies, freelance marketplaces, and dedicated placement firms, and each model comes with a different balance of cost, vetting quality, and ongoing support. Choosing the wrong type of company for your situation leads to mismatched hires and wasted time. Choosing the right one leads to a long, productive working relationship. This guide breaks down the main types of virtual executive assistant companies, the criteria that actually predict a good placement, and the questions to ask before signing a contract. The Three Models of Virtual Executive Assistant Companies Staffing and recruitment agencies source, screen, and place candidates with a client, then step back once the placement is made. A staffing agency typically charges a one-time placement fee or a percentage of the assi...

Picture Rachel, an agency owner in San Diego. She hired a Filipino executive assistant with a handshake over Zoom and a friendly email. Six months later, the assistant built client templates that Rachel’s team used every day. Then the assistant left for a new job and asked who owned the templates. Rachel didn’t know. Neither did her lawyer. A one-page contract would have settled it on day one. Samuel Goldwyn is often quoted as saying, “A verbal contract isn’t worth the paper it’s written on.” This article covers the 10 clauses every contract with a Filipino executive assistant needs. Why Do You Need a Written Contract With a Filipino Executive Assistant? A contract sets the scope, pay, ownership, and exit terms before any problem starts. It protects both of you. Your assistant knows exactly what you expect and when they’ll get paid. You know you own the work and your data stays private. Most US and UK clients hire Filipino assistants as independent contractors. The contract is the main...

  Picture Rachel, an agency owner in San Diego. She hired a Filipino executive assistant with a handshake over Zoom and a friendly email. Six months later, the assistant built client templates that Rachel’s team used every day. Then the assistant left for a new job and asked who owned the templates. Rachel didn’t know. Neither did her lawyer. A one-page contract would have settled it on day one. Samuel Goldwyn is often quoted as saying, “A verbal contract isn’t worth the paper it’s written on.” This article covers the 10 clauses every contract with a Filipino executive assistant needs. Why Do You Need a Written Contract With a Filipino Executive Assistant? A contract sets the scope, pay, ownership, and exit terms before any problem starts. It protects both of you. Your assistant knows exactly what you expect and when they’ll get paid. You know you own the work and your data stays private. Most US and UK clients hire Filipino assistants as independent contractors. The contract is th...