If you are running a business in the US, UK, or Australia, you already know that labor is your biggest expense. Hiring a local administrative assistant in 2025 isn’t just about the hourly wage anymore. Once you factor in payroll taxes, health insurance, office equipment, and the “invisible costs” of recruitment, a single hire can drain your budget faster than your actual marketing spend.
At Remote Indie, we believe in radical transparency. We don’t just say we are “cheaper” – we want to show you the math. When you switch to a virtual assistant service based in India, you aren’t just cutting costs; you are reclaiming your profit margins.
The Raw Numbers: Hourly Rates in 2025
Let’s look at the current market rates for a mid-level virtual assistant with 3–5 years of experience.
| Expense Category | US-Based Virtual Assistant | Remote Indie (India) |
| Average Hourly Rate | $25 – $45 | $8 – $15 |
| Monthly Cost (Full Time) | $4,000 – $7,200 | $1,280 – $2,400 |
| Benefits & Health Insurance | $600+ per month | $0 (Included in our service) |
| Payroll Taxes (Employer) | 10% – 15% | $0 |
| Office & Equipment | $200 – $400/mo | $0 |
| Total Annual Investment | $60,000 – $95,000 | **$16,000 – $28,000** |
The Result: For the exact same output, you save between $44,000 and $67,000 per year. That is capital you can reinvest into your product, your ads, or your own retirement.
Why the Price Difference Exists (It’s Not About Quality)
A common misconception is that a lower price means lower quality. In the world of a virtual assistant service, this couldn’t be further from the truth.
The price gap exists because of Purchasing Power Parity (PPP). An hourly rate of $12 might be below the living wage in New York or London, but in India, it represents a high-level, professional salary for a university-educated specialist. When you hire through Remote Indie, you are getting a professional who views this as a long-term career, not a side gig.
The “Invisible Costs” of Local Hiring
When you hire an in-house employee or even a local freelancer, you are responsible for:
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Recruitment Time: It takes an average of 42 days to fill a position in the US.
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Turnover Costs: If a local hire leaves after three months, you lose thousands in sunk training costs.
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Software Licenses: Many business owners forget that they have to pay for the seat licenses of every new team member.
At Remote Indie, we handle the vetting, the backup support, and the administrative headache. If you want to see exactly how these numbers apply to your specific needs, check out our Virtual Assistant Services page for a breakdown of what we offer.
Common Mistakes US CEOs Make When Calculating VA ROI
If you only look at the hourly rate, you are missing half the story. Here is where most international clients get it wrong:
1. Failing to Account for “Focus Time”
What is your hourly worth? If you are a CEO billing $200/hour but you spend 5 hours a week doing data entry, you are “losing” $1,000 a week. A virtual assistant service pays for itself the moment you spend those 5 hours on a single sales call.
2. The Training Tax
Many business owners hire a cheap freelancer on a marketplace and then spend 40 hours training them, only for the freelancer to quit. The Value Add: We pre-vet our talent so they arrive with the technical skills already in place. You shouldn’t have to teach a VA how to use Excel or a CRM; they should be teaching you how to optimize it.
3. Ignoring the Time Zone Dividend
Imagine finishing your workday at 5:00 PM and handing off your tasks. While you sleep, your team in India completes the work. You wake up to a finished project. This “24-hour cycle” effectively doubles your speed to market without doubling your costs.
How to Start Saving Today
You don’t need to jump into a full-time hire immediately. Most of our clients start with a part-time arrangement to test the waters.
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Identify the “Leaky” Tasks: Use our guide on our services page to see which roles (Admin, Social Media, Technical) fit your current needs.
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Set Your Budget: Decide on a monthly cap that feels comfortable.
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Book a Strategy Session: Don’t guess which plan is right for you.
We invite you to reach out via our Contact Page for general inquiries, or better yet, jump straight to the front of the line.
👉 Schedule a 30-minute Cost Analysis on our Appointment Page We will look at your current overhead and show you exactly where Remote Indie can shave 70% off your operational costs without sacrificing a single ounce of quality.
