Thrivelance Tools

Virtual Assistant Cost Calculator

Estimate your monthly VA budget across freelancer, marketplace, or agency hiring models. Adjust hours, rates, and fees to see the full cost picture instantly.

Workload

Cost base

Hiring model

Marketplace fees

Agency fees

Optional extras

How it works

Enter your weekly hours and hourly rate, then choose the hiring model. Marketplace and agency options add a percentage fee on top of the base labor cost. Optional tools and onboarding time update the monthly totals automatically.

The calculator highlights the effective hourly cost so you can compare hiring models on an apples-to-apples basis.

Hiring tips

  • Start with a small weekly commitment and scale as you hand off more processes.
  • Track tasks and outcomes so you can move from hourly to retainer-based pricing later.
  • Build a clear SOP or checklist for recurring tasks to reduce onboarding time.
  • Ask about overlap hours and communication cadence before committing.

FAQ

Quick answers to common VA hiring questions.

Are marketplace fees included in the hourly rate?

Some platforms bake fees into the rate, but many charge a percentage on top. Use the marketplace fee field to estimate the full cost.

What if I only need help for a short project?

Use the onboarding field to account for setup hours, then compare the first-month total against a short-term budget.

How accurate is the workload breakdown?

It is a quick heuristic to spark planning. Adjust based on your task list and the VA's strengths.