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It’s no secret that a virtual assistant can save you money compared to hiring a regular employee while also giving you access to highly sought-after skills. Many VAs are independent contractors, which means you save money on employment taxes, benefits, and general overhead. Savings aside, let’s focus on spending: Just how much does hiring a VA cost? 

There’s no direct answer to this, just like there’s no single rate of hiring an employee. Rates typically depend on the person’s experience and the skills they offer. For example, someone offering Amazon customer service is likely to charge less than someone who is an SEO expert.  

We’ve done the research on some of the most popular virtual assistant services and the going rates so you can start hiring (and budgeting) with confidence: 

Digital Marketer Rates 

The average rate of a virtual assistant for digital marketing ranges from $10 to $35 per hour. Things like experience, quality of work, and actual services needed will determine the actual rate you pay.  

Digital marketers handle an array of tasks, from content writing to ad creation to posting ads and tracking campaign results. You can outsource some or all of these tasks, but know that the actual work involved may influence the price. Compared to spending $1,000 to $2,000 per month outsourcing to a digital agency, hiring a VA for digital marketing can make good financial sense. 

Amazon Advertising Specialist Rates 

According to Glassdoor, the average annual salary for an Amazon marketing specialist is $76,766 per year. For the average business, this can be an expensive full-time role to fill, which is why many turn to virtual assistants.  

Someone who specializes in Amazon advertising is considered a highly skilled worker, so expect to pay a rate of $15-$30 per hour or more. Even if you employ a VA with full-time hours, that’s up to $62,400 per year ― well below the national average. 

SEO Expert Rates 

SEO is the key to getting your business found online. One study found that the average SEO agency charges as much as $134 per hour for services, while virtual assistants charge less than half this rate. Other sources pinpoint the virtual assistant rate for SEO services at around $20 per hour, give or take. This may include everything from keyword research, looking into trending topics, optimizing content for search, doing backend SEO work on your website. 

PPC Expert Rates 

Pay-per-click advertising, or PPC, is a highly specialized skill that many companies are willing to pay good money for. To give you an idea of just how in-demand this service is, freelancers charge anywhere from $10 to $500 per hour! For skilled virtual assistants, expect to pay on the lower (much lower) end of this range, usually $15-$35 per hour. 

Another popular way to pay for PPC services is based on a percentage of your ad budget — typically 10% to 25%. For example, if you have a $500 ad budget, add on an extra $100 to $150 for your virtual assistant’s services.  

There are tons of jobs you can hand over to a virtual assistant, including ones that require specialized skill sets like e-commerce, data analysis, and Amazon store management. To find out how much your new virtual assistant will cost, let’s connect today!