Calculator · updated October 2026
In-house vs remote assistant cost calculator
Compare the first-year cost of a local executive assistant with a full-time remote contractor.
Compare the first-year cost of hiring an executive assistant locally with hiring a full-time remote contractor. Defaults use the US median wage from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and a Silkstaff placement at $950 a month; change any number to match your case.
Local hire, first year$109,524
Remote contractor, first year$14,488
You save$95,036
Saving, %87%
How the calculator works
- Local hire = salary × (1 + benefits %) + recruiting cost. Default salary: $76,590, the US median for executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants (May 2025). Default benefits load: 43%, derived from BLS data showing benefits at 30.0% of total compensation for private-industry workers (June 2026).
- Remote contractor = monthly rate × 12 + one-time placement fee + payment tool × 12. Default payment tool: Deel ($49 per contractor per month).
- Not included: office space, equipment, paid time off you may choose to offer a contractor, and your own management time, which is similar in both cases.
Rates by country: remote EA salary guide. Hiring steps: how to hire a remote executive assistant.
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, a live video interview, a reference check and a setup check.
- 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.
- 90-day free replacement if the person leaves or is let go.
- Direct hire: you sign a contractor agreement with the person and pay them directly (Deel, Wise or Payoneer). No monthly markup on their pay.
Related guides
- How to hire a remote executive assistant
- Virtual assistant from Georgia: cost and how to hire
- Virtual assistant from Ukraine: cost and how to hire
- Silkstaff vs Upwork
- Remote EA salary guide by country (2026)
Sources
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025: Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants (43-6011): https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes436011.htm
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, June 2026: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/ecec.nr0.htm
- Deel pricing: https://www.deel.com/pricing/