Free Tool
VA vs Full-Time
Employee Cost
Compare the fully-loaded cost of a local employee against a dedicated remote virtual assistant.
Quick Answer
A local employee costs far more than salary once you add benefits, taxes, office, and equipment. A dedicated remote VA (from $6/hour) carries none of that overhead. Enter a local salary to see the all-in comparison.
Based on Zedtreeo's actual pricing. Dedicated remote staff from $1,056/month.
These figures are estimates for planning only. Your actual rate depends on role, scope, seniority, and engagement; market comparisons use representative benchmarks, not live quotes. Spotted a number that looks off, or have an idea to make this tool better? — we read every note and use it to improve these tools.
Methodology
How the VA vs Full-Time Employee Cost works
How the number is produced
- Loaded local cost = annual salary × (1 + overhead loading %).
- Remote VA annual cost = the hourly rate you pick × 176 hours × 12.
- Savings = loaded local cost − VA cost.
Assumptions built in
- Overhead loading (default 30%) stands in for payroll taxes, benefits, workspace and equipment; adjust it to your actual burden.
- Compares one full-time seat to one full-time seat.
Benchmarks & sources
- Zedtreeo Rate Index (2026)Used for: the offshore hourly rate per role used on the Zedtreeo side of every comparison — the same figures quoted on our service pages.
- Zedtreeo pricing engine (site-wide constants) (2026)Used for: 176 billable hours per full-time month; local-market multipliers of ~3.5× (US), ~3.0× (Europe avg.), ~3.2× (Australia), ~2.8× (Canada) applied to the offshore rate when you pick a comparison market.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 — Secretaries and Administrative Assistants (except legal/medical/executive) (SOC 43-6014) (2024)Used for: US median salary reference for the local-employee default.
Methodology and constants last reviewed against the Zedtreeo pricing engine and Rate Index. Estimates are for planning; your quote depends on role, scope and engagement.
VA vs Full-Time Employee Cost FAQs
Common questions about this tool and the roles behind it.
Zedtreeo's offshore rates start at $6/hour and are the same figures used across all our calculators. Local market comparisons use representative benchmarks for the US, EU, AU, and CA — not live quotes. Your actual rate depends on role, scope, and engagement.
A dedicated VA works set hours for you alone, in your tools, under NDA — functionally like an employee, without the employer overhead. The free 5-day trial lets you confirm the fit first.
Request a quote and we'll shortlist pre-vetted candidates matched to your needs within 48 hours, with a free 5-day trial so you can confirm fit before committing.
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Ready to Put This Into Action?
Zedtreeo places pre-vetted remote staff from $1,056/month with a free 5-day trial — replacement at no cost, no contracts.