Key takeaways

• A virtual assistant is a human professional who works remotely on tasks you delegate. That separates a VA from an AI tool, which follows prompts, and from software, which follows rules.
• The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median pay of $23.23 per hour for secretaries and administrative assistants (May 2025). Nomad VAs estimates $9 to $11 per hour for a VA, with the final rate confirmed in writing.
• Our original model suggests a typical founder has about 19 hours a week of delegable admin work, of which about 13 hours is realistically handed off.
• At a founder time value of $60 per hour, a 20 hour a week VA at $720 to $880 a month pays for itself once about 12 to 15 hours a month are handed off.
• Keep strategy, licensed judgment and final decisions. A VA prepares and executes. You decide.

If you have ever lost a morning to your inbox, you know why virtual assistants exist. The term gets used loosely, though, and can mean a person, a service or a chatbot. This guide gives a plain definition, compares the options, puts numbers on cost and time, and says what not to hand over.

What is a virtual assistant?

A virtual assistant is a remote professional who supports a business or an individual with tasks that do not need a physical presence. Three things define the role.

• Remote. The VA works from their own location and uses email, chat, video calls and shared tools.
• Human. A person applies judgment, asks questions and learns your preferences. That is different from a voice assistant or a chatbot.
• Delegated. You hand over a defined task or responsibility, usually with written instructions, and the VA owns the result.

The label also covers specialists, such as an SEO VA who runs keyword research and reporting, or a social media VA who manages a content calendar. Nomad VAs places nine specialist role types, each with its own page, and you can compare the types of virtual assistants side by side on our services page.

What does a virtual assistant do?

A virtual assistant takes repeatable work off your plate: inbox and calendar management, data entry, research, customer support, content upkeep and bookkeeping preparation. The right scope depends on the role. Table 1 shows the common task groups and the Nomad VAs role behind each.

Table 1: Common task groups handed to virtual assistants and the matching role page

Nomad VAs analysis of typical delegation, 2 November 2026.

Browse the nine specialist roles, including paid ads specialists.

How does delegating to a virtual assistant work?

Delegation works best as a short, repeatable process: scope the work, write it down, trial it and review it.

1. Scope the work. List the tasks, the weekly hours and the tools involved. Our 30-minute discovery call does this with you.
2. Meet a shortlist. Nomad VAs says you receive a shortlist of vetted candidates within 72 hours and can start about a week after the call, as described on how hiring works.
3. Write the first procedures. A short checklist per task beats a long handbook. Our SOP generator helps.
4. Run a paid trial. A 20-hour trial shows how the VA handles real work before a longer commitment. The paid 20-hour trial is part of every plan.
5. Review weekly at first. Tighten instructions, then add tasks gradually.

If you are not sure the time has come, start with the signs it is time to hire your first VA. To make the first weeks smooth, read how to onboard a virtual assistant.

How is a virtual assistant different from an AI assistant, a freelancer and an employee?

A virtual assistant is a person who works remotely under your direction, usually through an agency or as a freelancer. An AI assistant is software. A freelancer sells you a service. An employee works inside your company. Table 2 compares the four on the points that matter when you choose.

Table 2: Four ways to get admin and specialist work done

Nomad VAs analysis of typical arrangements; legal classification varies by country and by contract.

These options are not rivals. Nomad VAs gives each specialist Claude, ChatGPT and Canva seats from day one, per our public pricing page, because a VA who uses AI well is faster than either alone. For who handles contracts, payroll and replacement in an agency model, see how hiring works.

Is a virtual assistant an employee?

It depends on the arrangement and on the law where you operate. A freelance VA is usually an independent contractor. With an agency, the agency typically handles the contract and payroll, and Nomad VAs lists contracts and payroll among the services it handles. The IRS looks at behavioral control, financial control and the type of relationship to decide, and the UK government sets out its own status categories. This is general information, not legal advice, so check your local rules.

How much does a virtual assistant cost?

Nomad VAs estimates $9 to $11 per hour depending on the role, which is about $720 to $880 a month for 20 hours a week and $1,440 to $1,760 for 40 hours. Final rates are confirmed in writing after a discovery call. Nomad VAs says onboarding and the first-two-weeks ramp are included and there is no setup fee, per our pricing page.

For a reference point, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median pay of $23.23 per hour for secretaries and administrative assistants in May 2025. Wages are only part of employer cost. The BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation release shows private employers spent $46.89 per hour worked in June 2026, of which 70.0% was wages and 30.0% was benefits, per the BLS release.

Table 3: Original calculation: monthly cost of a U.S. median administrative assistant versus the Nomad VAs estimated range

Sources: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook (May 2025), BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation (June 2026), Nomad VAs pricing page. Nomad VAs analysis, 2 November 2026.

Two caveats apply. A local employee brings legal presence and in-person work that a remote VA cannot, and price is not skill, so compare output, not only hourly rates. For a full breakdown, read our guide to how much a virtual assistant costs.

How many hours can you actually hand off to a virtual assistant?

A typical founder can hand off about 13 hours a week of admin work, which fills roughly two thirds of a 20 hour VA plan. That finding comes from our delegation-hours model, which turns seven common task categories into a realistic handoff figure.

Table 4: Original model: assumed weekly hours on delegable tasks and realistic handoff (assumptions, not survey results)

The result is not flattering to a bigger plan. A light week hands off under 5 hours, which does not justify a standing 20 hour plan. A typical week fills about two thirds of one, so most people start smaller or add a specialist task such as SEO or content. Only a heavy week fills a 20 hour plan.

The next question is whether the handoff pays for itself. Table 5 divides the monthly cost by what an hour of your own time is worth.

Table 5: Original calculation: hours per month you must hand off for a VA plan to cost no more than the value of your time

Nomad VAs analysis, 2 November 2026, using the pricing estimates above.

If your time is worth $60 an hour and you hand off the typical 57.6 hours a month from Table 4, a 20 hour plan clears its break-even more than three times over. If your honest handoff is closer to the light scenario, the maths is thinner and a smaller start is wiser. You can test your own figures with the Founder Time Calculator. For more on what delegation returns, read how much time a VA can save you and the founder's guide to delegation.

What should you not delegate to a virtual assistant?

You should not delegate decisions that carry your judgment, licensed work, or access that needs the strictest controls. A VA prepares and executes. You decide. Table 6 shows what to keep and what a VA can still do around it.

Table 6: What to keep, why, and what a virtual assistant can do instead

Nomad VAs analysis; this is general guidance, not legal, medical or financial advice.

A VA is also the wrong fit when the work is under about 5 hours a week and not recurring, you cannot yet describe the process, you need someone on site, or you need live presence on local business hours with no flexibility. A freelance project or a local hire may serve you better then. If unsure, start with the paid trial.

Frequently asked questions