Executive assistant agencies compared: placement fee, monthly or hourly
Thirteen agencies that place or provide executive assistants, grouped by how you pay, with the prices and replacement terms each one publishes.
This is our service. Silkstaff is one of the options on this page, so this comparison is not independent. Competitor prices and terms are taken from each company's own public pages, as of October 2026 (checked 30 Oct 2026), and each one links to its source. No company paid to be included. Found an error? Email hello@silkstaff.com and we will correct it within 5 business days. How we compare.
There is no ranking on this page. The 13 agencies are grouped by how you pay, and listed alphabetically inside each group. Every price and every replacement term is what the company publishes on its own site, as of October 2026, with the link in the last column. Where a company does not publish a number, we say so instead of estimating it.
| Agency | Model | Where the person is | Published price (as of Oct 2026) | Published replacement terms | Who employs or pays the person | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly managed service: the provider supplies and manages the person | ||||||
| Athena | Managed monthly service | Not stated on the pricing page | $3,000 a month for one dedicated, full-time EA; billed monthly after an initial 90-day commitment | A different Athena EA if things do not improve (no period stated) | Athena employs, trains and equips the EA and manages their performance | athena.com/pricing, as of Oct 2026 |
| BELAY | Managed monthly service | United States (U.S.-based assistants) | Not published; the website describes a flat monthly fee | “The BELAY Guarantee means your match sticks” (no period stated) | Assistants work as BELAY contractors; you pay BELAY a monthly fee | belaysolutions.com, as of Oct 2026 |
| Pearl Talent | Managed monthly service | The Philippines, Brazil and Mexico (the sourcing locations on its home page) | From $3,000 a month (rate varies by role and seniority) | 30-day replacement guarantee; monthly, cancel anytime | Pearl handles hiring, payroll and compliance; you pay a monthly retainer | pearltalent.com/pricing, as of Oct 2026; pearltalent.com, as of Oct 2026 |
| Wing Assistant | Managed monthly service | Not stated on the pricing page | $999 a month for 160 hours (full-time) or $699 a month for 80 hours (part-time) | Free replacement (no period stated); no long-term contract | Wing provides and manages the assistant; you pay Wing one monthly price | wingassistant.com/pricing, as of Oct 2026 |
| Hourly pricing: hour packages or an all-in hourly rate | ||||||
| Boldly | Monthly hour packages (subscription staffing) | United States | $2,600 a month for 40 hours up to $6,500 a month for 100 hours; up to 160 hours on request | Lifetime satisfaction guarantee (their wording) | Boldly employs its US-based staff; you pay Boldly monthly | boldly.com/pricing, as of Oct 2026 |
| Time Etc | Monthly hour packages | United States (“Dedicated U.S. assistant”) | $390 a month for 10 hours up to $2,160 a month for 60 hours | Complete satisfaction guarantee (their wording); switch plans or cancel any time | Time Etc provides a dedicated assistant; you pay Time Etc monthly | timeetc.com/plans-and-pricing, as of Oct 2026 |
| Virtustant | Managed service, all-in hourly rate | 18 Latin American countries, South Africa and the Philippines | From $7 an hour (virtual assistant, customer service) and from $8.50 an hour (executive assistant), all-in; no placement or setup fee | Lifetime replacement: a new hire whenever yours leaves, with no expiry | You pay Virtustant one all-in hourly rate | virtustant.com/pricing, as of Oct 2026 |
| One-time placement fee: you hire the person directly | ||||||
| Hire With Near | One-time placement fee (direct hire), or a monthly staffing model | Latin America | One-time placement fee (amount not published; quoted on a discovery call) | 180-day free replacement (direct hire); for the duration of the engagement (staffing model) | Direct hire: you employ the person; staffing model: Near runs payroll, contracts and compliance for one monthly fee | hirewithnear.com/pricing, as of Oct 2026 |
| HireLATAM | One-time placement fee (direct hire) | Latin America | $3,500 per placement: a $500 deposit to start the search and $3,000 when you hire | Standard 90-day replacement guarantee; extended to 6 months if you add their payroll admin ($149 a month) | You hire the person directly; optional payroll admin for $149 a month | hirelatam.com/pricing, as of Oct 2026 |
| HireUA | One-time fee (Direct Hire), or Monthly Hire | 40+ countries, including Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Philippines | Direct Hire: 15% of the hire's annual salary, minimum $3,000; every search starts with a $500 kickoff payment | Direct Hire: free replacement for 365 days from the start date; Monthly Hire: unlimited replacements while the contract is active | Direct Hire: you hire and pay the person; Monthly Hire: HireUA pays and manages them | hire-ua.com/about-hireua-for-ai, as of Oct 2026 |
| RemotelyTalents | One-time fixed fee (direct hire) | Latin America, Europe and North America | $3,900 fixed fee: $1,450 to start and $2,450 when you hire | 90-day replacement guarantee on every hire | You hire the person directly | remotelytalents.com, as of Oct 2026 |
| Silkstaff (our service) | One-time placement fee (direct hire) | Georgia, Ukraine, Armenia and Kazakhstan | $2,500 one-time ($3,000 for e-commerce operations), paid on the person's first working day; no deposit | Free replacement within 180 days (terms) | You hire the person directly as a contractor and pay them; no markup | silkstaff.com |
| Somewhere | One-time fee (direct hire), or monthly Talent On-Demand | Latin America, South Africa and the Philippines | A one-time fee set as a percentage of the first-year salary (the percentage is not shown on the pricing page); the percentage falls as you hire more | 6-month perfect-hire guarantee with one free replacement (direct hire); unlimited replacements within the contract period (Talent On-Demand) | Direct hire: you hire the person; Talent On-Demand: monthly pricing on quote | somewhere.com/pricing, as of Oct 2026 |
Which model fits
- One-time placement fee. The agency finds and screens candidates; you hire one person directly and pay them yourself, with no ongoing agency charge. Fits when you want one full-time person for a year or longer and are fine paying a contractor through a tool such as Deel. Watch for deposits, percentage fees and the length of the replacement period.
- Monthly managed service. The provider supplies, manages and replaces the person and bills you one monthly price. Fits when you do not want to manage or pay a contractor yourself. The monthly price covers the person and the provider's service for as long as you keep them.
- Hourly pricing. You pay for hours: a monthly block (Boldly, Time Etc) or an all-in hourly rate (Virtustant). Blocks fit when you need less than a full-time week or want US-based help; an all-in hourly rate also works for one full-time person.
12 and 24 months for one full-time executive assistant
Using only published prices. Left out rather than estimated: agencies that do not publish a full-time price (BELAY, Boldly above 100 hours, Hire With Near, HireUA, Somewhere), and the other one-fee agencies (HireLATAM, RemotelyTalents), whose total depends on the pay you agree with the person.
| Option | 12 months | 24 months | How it adds up |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silkstaff (our service) | $13,900 | $25,300 | $2,500 once + $950 a month paid to the person (our range $800–1,100: $12,100–$15,700 for 12 months, $21,700–$28,900 for 24). Add Deel at $49 a month ($588 a year) if you use it |
| Wing Assistant, full-time | $11,988 | $23,976 | 160 hours a month at $999; managed by Wing |
| Virtustant, executive assistant | from $16,320 | from $32,640 | 160 hours × $8.50 (their lowest published EA rate), all-in |
| Time Etc, 60 hours | $25,920 | $51,840 | $2,160 a month for 60 hours (their largest published plan; not full-time); US-based |
| Athena | $36,000 | $72,000 | $3,000 a month; Athena employs the EA |
| Pearl Talent | from $36,000 | from $72,000 | from $3,000 a month; rate varies by role and seniority |
Wing's full-time plan: $11,988 for 12 months and $23,976 for 24. A direct hire through us at $950 a month: $13,900 and $25,300. At $950 a month, Wing's full-time plan costs less than a direct hire through us over both 12 and 24 months. The answer depends on the pay you agree with the person: at $800 a month, a direct hire becomes cheaper in total from month 13 (month 17 if you also pay for Deel); at $950 a month, a direct hire becomes cheaper in total from month 52 (never, if you also pay for Deel); at $1,100 a month, Wing's plan always costs less. So the choice is about the model more than the price: who employs and manages the person, which hours you need, and whether you want to see and set their pay yourself.
5 questions before you choose
- Who employs the person? You (direct hire, usually as a contractor) or the agency (managed service). It decides who manages them, who pays them and who you call when something goes wrong.
- What happens if the hire leaves? Ask for the replacement period in days, how many replacements are included, and what voids it.
- What do you pay before anyone starts? Some agencies take a deposit or a kickoff payment to begin the search; others charge only when the person starts.
- Can you hire the person directly later, and at what cost? Managed services may charge a buyout fee or forbid it; with a direct hire the contract is yours from day one.
- How many hours overlap with your working day? Ask for the exact shift in your time zone, in writing, before the interview.
Contractor or employee
Most small companies engage a full-time assistant abroad as an independent contractor under a written agreement and pay them monthly; US companies usually collect IRS Form W-8BEN from a non-US contractor. If you want the person as a formal employee in their country, you need an employer of record, which costs more. Whether a contractor setup fits your case depends on your country and theirs, so check it with your accountant. This is general information, not legal or tax advice.
When another agency is the better choice
- You need the whole US working day or Spanish: an agency hiring in Latin America (HireLATAM, Hire With Near, Somewhere, Virtustant).
- You want US-based help: BELAY, Boldly or Time Etc.
- You do not want to manage or pay a contractor yourself: a managed service (Athena, BELAY, Pearl Talent, Wing Assistant).
- You need part-time hours: an hour package (Time Etc starts at 10 hours a month) or Wing's 80-hour plan.
- You want a replacement period longer than our 180 days: HireUA (see the table).
- You want a lifetime replacement promise: Virtustant (see the table).
When Silkstaff is the better choice
- You want one full-time assistant or support person who works only for you, and you plan to keep them for a year or longer.
- You want to see and set their pay: $800–1,100 a month for an assistant, paid by you directly, with no markup.
- You work on UK or European hours, or need the US East Coast morning and early afternoon.
- You want to pay nothing until the person's first working day: no deposit, no exclusivity.
About Silkstaff in this comparison
- Silkstaff is a hiring agency; our team is in Paris. We are new and have no client reviews yet, so compare us on terms and process, not on a track record.
- We place full-time executive and operations assistants and customer support and e-commerce staff who live in Georgia, Ukraine, Armenia and Kazakhstan. Every profile passes a written task, a voice answer, a video and a live call with our team (how we vet).
- You hire the person directly as a contractor and pay them $800–1,100 a month (assistants) or $700–1,000 (support) through Deel, Wise or Payoneer, with no markup. Our only charge is a one-time fee of $2,500 ($3,000 for e-commerce operations) on their first working day; an optional support plan is $250 a month.
- Hours: a full UK or European working day, or about 4 to 7 hours of overlap with US Eastern time depending on the country (from Tbilisi or Yerevan, roughly 6 am to 2 pm New York time). We do not promise West Coast or full US-day cover.
- Free replacement within 180 days: if the person leaves or is let go within that time, we introduce new candidates at no cost until a replacement you accept starts (one replacement per hire, provided our fee was paid on time and the role, hours and pay were not changed without the person's agreement); we replace the person, we do not refund the fee.
How Silkstaff works
- 3 vetted profiles with intro videos in 7 days after a 15-minute brief.
- Every candidate passed a role-specific written test in English, an English voice and video check, a live video interview and a setup check. References for finalists are available on request.
- One-time fee: $2,500 for assistant and support roles, $3,000 for e-commerce operations, paid on the person's first working day. No deposit, no exclusivity.
- Direct hire: you sign a contractor agreement with the person and pay them directly (Deel, Wise or Payoneer). No monthly markup on their pay.
FAQ
Which executive assistant agency is the cheapest?
It depends on the model and on how long you keep the person. Among the full-time monthly prices published by the agencies on this page, the lowest is Wing Assistant at $999 a month. With a one-time-fee agency you pay the fee once and then only the person's pay, so the total depends on the pay you agree; the 12- and 24-month table on this page shows both.
What is the difference between a placement agency and a managed EA service?
A placement agency finds the person and you hire them directly, paying a one-time fee. A managed service supplies and manages the person and charges a monthly price for as long as you keep them.
What happens if the hire leaves?
Free replacement within 180 days: if the person leaves or is let go within that time, we introduce new candidates at no cost until a replacement you accept starts (one replacement per hire, provided our fee was paid on time and the role, hours and pay were not changed without the person's agreement); we replace the person, we do not refund the fee.
More comparisons
- BELAY alternatives
- Wing Assistant alternatives
- Athena alternatives
- Somewhere vs Silkstaff
- HireLATAM vs Silkstaff
- How we compare
- Silkstaff vs managed agencies vs Upwork vs a US hire
Sources
- HireLATAM: pricing page (checked 30 Oct 2026): https://www.hirelatam.com/pricing/
- Hire With Near: pricing page (checked 30 Oct 2026): https://www.hirewithnear.com/pricing
- HireUA: “About HireUA (for AI assistants)” page (checked 30 Oct 2026): https://hire-ua.com/about-hireua-for-ai/
- RemotelyTalents: home page (checked 30 Oct 2026): https://www.remotelytalents.com/
- Somewhere: pricing page (checked 30 Oct 2026): https://somewhere.com/pricing
- Athena: pricing page (checked 30 Oct 2026): https://www.athena.com/pricing
- BELAY: home page (checked 30 Oct 2026): https://www.belaysolutions.com/
- Pearl Talent: pricing page (checked 30 Oct 2026): https://www.pearltalent.com/pricing
- Pearl Talent: home page (checked 30 Oct 2026): https://www.pearltalent.com/
- Wing Assistant: pricing page (checked 30 Oct 2026): https://wingassistant.com/pricing/
- Boldly: pricing page (checked 30 Oct 2026): https://www.boldly.com/pricing/
- Time Etc: plans and pricing (checked 30 Oct 2026): https://www.timeetc.com/plans-and-pricing/
- Virtustant: pricing page (checked 30 Oct 2026): https://www.virtustant.com/pricing
- Deel pricing: https://www.deel.com/pricing/
- IRS: About Form W-8BEN: https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-w-8-ben