In-house PA vs virtual assistant: the cost compared

Key takeaways

In-house PA vs virtual assistant comes down to hours and presence. A full-time PA on £35,000 costs about £44,400 a year with overheads. A remote assistant for 20 hours a week at an indicative £12–£18 per hour costs about £12,500–£18,700. Most owners need fewer PA hours than a full-time role provides.

• In-house PA: about £44,400 a year for a £35,000 hire with overheads.
• Virtual assistant: about £12,500–£18,700 for 20 hours a week.
• In-house PA: best when the role needs presence and deep trust.
• Virtual assistant: best for inbox, diary, travel and document work.

What is the difference between a PA and a virtual assistant?

A personal assistant (PA) is an employee, usually office-based, who manages a senior person's diary, inbox, travel, documents and often their in-person meetings. A virtual assistant does the same remote tasks from elsewhere, either as a freelancer or through a managed provider that supplies cover and supervision.

• In-house vs outsourcing: which model is more cost-effective?
• Virtual assistant versus managed BPO team

What does an in-house PA cost?

A PA on £35,000 costs about £40,363 a year after employer National Insurance and pension using 2026/27 rates, or £23.20 per worked hour. Add equipment, software and desk space, about £4,000, for a total of about £44,400. Recruitment and cover for holidays come on top.

• Total cost of ownership of an in-house team

What does a virtual assistant cost?

Remote assistant support is usually priced by the hour or as a monthly block. At an indicative £12–£18 per hour through a managed provider, 20 hours a week costs about £12,500–£18,700 a year, with cover when your assistant is away. UK-based freelance assistants usually charge more per hour.

Which tasks suit a virtual assistant?

Most of a PA's tasks can be done remotely with good access and clear rules.

• Inbox triage and drafting replies.
• Diary management and meeting scheduling.
• Travel booking and itineraries.
• Document formatting, filing and reports.
• CRM updates and follow-up reminders.

• Outsourced inbox management
• Outsourced appointment booking and diary management

When do you need an in-house PA?

When the role needs physical presence, such as hosting visitors, handling post and office logistics, or supporting a senior person through a full, fast-moving day. Also when the assistant is effectively a chief of staff, making judgement calls on the executive's behalf.

How do you make remote assistant support work?

Write down how you want your diary and inbox run: which meetings to accept, who gets priority, how replies should sound. Give delegated access rather than your password, agree a daily check-in time, and review what is working after the first month.

• Document your processes before you outsource
• BPO Solutions for UK businesses

What access does a virtual assistant need?

Give delegated access rather than your password: most email and calendar systems let you grant an assistant access to your inbox and diary under their own login. Share only the folders and systems they need, use multi-factor authentication, and review access every few months.

• Data security with an outsourced team

What does this look like in practice?

A pattern we see in UK professional services firms: a partner considers hiring a PA but needs about three hours of support a day. A remote assistant handles diary, inbox and document formatting within those hours, and the partner gets most of the benefit at under half the cost.

• See client work

PA or virtual assistant checklist

Answer these before deciding.

• How many hours of support do you need each week?
• Which tasks need someone physically present?
• Can you give delegated access to email and diary?
• Who covers when your assistant is off?
• What rules would you write down for your diary?

Next step

Send us your weekly support tasks. We will cost an in-house PA and remote support side by side in a 30-minute call.