Ivan Bunin, co-founder of Pareto TalentUpdated October 13, 2026I run one of these services, so read this knowing that. Every outside number on this page links to its source. Where there's no neutral number, I say so instead of making one up.
Trusted by 100+ founders. 4.9 out of 5 from 71 Google reviews.
Trusted by founders from
Executive assistant services are companies that find, supply or manage an executive assistant for you. There are five common models. They differ on four things: who vets the person, who employs them, how many clients the assistant works for, and what happens when the hire doesn't work. The price follows from those four.
Pick by the size of the job. For a few hours of defined tasks, use a freelance marketplace or a VA agency. For a local, in-office assistant, use a staffing agency or hire yourself. For a full-time remote executive assistant without running the hiring, use a managed placement.
| Model | What you pay | Who vets, who employs | Shared with other clients? | If it doesn't work out |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freelance marketplace | Their hourly or project rate, plus a platform fee | You vet. The freelancer is independent. | Usually | You start over |
| Virtual assistant agency | A monthly plan for a block of hours | The agency, to its own standard | Often | The agency reassigns someone |
| Staffing or recruiting agency | The salary, plus a one-time placement fee | The agency screens. You employ. | No | Depends on the contract. Read the replacement terms. |
| Hire in-house | Salary, benefits and payroll costs: about $109,400 a year at the US median | You do both | No | You start over |
| Managed placementPareto | $3,600 a month, $10,000 a quarter or $36,000 a year, plus a one-time $3,000 placement fee | We vet with a bootcamp and a scored build. They contract through us. | No. One founder, full-time. | Lifetime Replacement at no cost |
In-house figure: BLS OEWS May 2025 median of $76,590 for executive assistants, divided by 0.70, the wage share of private employer compensation in BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, June 2026. Our calculation. The other rows describe how each model typically works; terms vary by provider.
You post a job or browse profiles, then hire an independent assistant directly. You set the scope and pay their hourly or project rate, plus the platform's fee.
Best for a defined task or a few hours a week.
The agency assigns you an assistant, often from a shared pool, on a monthly plan for a block of hours. Some add a US-based account manager.
Best for overflow admin and recurring tasks you can write down.
The agency sources and screens candidates, you interview, and you hire one onto your own payroll. You pay the salary plus a one-time placement fee.
Best for a local, in-office executive assistant.
You write the job description, post it, screen, interview, test and employ the person. The cost is the salary plus benefits, payroll taxes and your own time.
Best for an in-office role when you have a recruiter or HR team.
The service recruits, trains and tests assistants before you call, matches one to you, and stays involved after placement. You pay one monthly fee that covers the person and the support.
Best for a full-time remote executive assistant without running the hiring yourself.
It depends on the model. Hiring in-house in the US starts with a $76,590 median salary for executive assistants, and about $109,400 a year once benefits are added. Managed services charge one monthly fee. Ours is $3,600 a month, $10,000 a quarter or $36,000 a year, plus a one-time $3,000 placement fee.
The full breakdown, including what remote executive assistants in Latin America earn: executive assistant salary, US vs Latin America.
A fractional executive assistant works a set number of hours a month for you and for other clients, which suits a light, predictable load. Once someone has to run your inbox, calendar and follow-ups every day, you need a full-time executive assistant, because the value comes from knowing your business.
We only place full-time, outsourced executive assistants: one Right Hand, one founder, 40 hours a week. I'd rather tell you that here than on a call. If you're after fractional help, a marketplace or VA agency is the better fit, and the table above shows what to check.
Ask every provider the same eight questions, and get the answers in writing. Together they tell you who carries the risk if the hire doesn't work. Our answers are next to each one, so you have something to compare against.
Interviews reward people who interview well. A paid test on real work shows you how someone actually works.
Pareto's answerA scored application with an English test, the Predictive Index and a video intro. Then a 10-day live bootcamp with 40+ hours of training, and a five-day final build scored out of 25. Every deliverable has to be a working link. One broken link fails it. Then a structured interview.
An assistant split across clients can do tasks. One who works only for you learns your business.
Pareto's answerYes. Full-time, 40 hours a week, one founder, on your hours.
This decides who carries payroll, compliance and the relationship.
Pareto's answerThey work as an independent contractor through Pareto. They sign our contractor agreement, we handle the contract and the pay, and you pay us one fee.
Some services assign someone. You should meet several and pick.
Pareto's answerThree hand-picked profiles within 24 hours of your matching questionnaire, each with a video intro and a fit summary. You interview them and choose.
You shouldn't carry the risk of a search that doesn't produce a fit.
Pareto's answerIf we don't find a match you're truly excited about, you owe nothing. No contracts until you find your person.
Replacement terms vary a lot between providers. Get them in writing.
Pareto's answerLifetime Replacement. If the match is ever not right, for any reason, at any time, we replace your Right Hand at no cost. No fees. No waiting period.
A service that sells time should be willing to stand behind the time you get back.
Pareto's answerThe Freedom 40 Guarantee. Attend the Delegation Mastermind, follow the onboarding plan, and meet with your Right Hand 10 minutes daily. If you don't get at least 40 hours back within your first 30 days, your next month is on us.
A hire can go wrong after the start date, when nobody is coaching either side.
Pareto's answerA Client Success Manager runs a 30-day onboarding plan with you, then reviews and coaching. You join the weekly Delegation Mastermind. Your Right Hand keeps training, with 104+ sessions a year.
We recruit, train and test Right Hands before you ever call, then send you three profiles within 24 hours. You interview them and choose. A Client Success Manager stays with both of you after placement, and if it ever stops working, we replace your Right Hand at no cost.
Counts of people at each step, from our applicant records.
Every plan includes a one-time $3,000 placement fee on your first invoice. It covers your Right Hand, their training and core AI tool subscriptions, the Delegation Mastermind for you, and a Client Success Manager for both of you.
If we don't find a match you're truly excited about, you owe nothing.
"I've had three different executive assistants before, and I thought it was me, right? I was burning through them. They just weren't up to the task."
Eric RitterMatched to Agustina"I just can't even imagine not having my EA right now. I can't fathom a world where she's not a big part of it."
"Fabian consistently goes above and beyond in every aspect of his role. He takes genuine pride in his work, and it shows in both the quality of what he delivers and the way he represents our company."
"I won't even tell her to do it, and she'll just go and figure out how to do it. Catalina is really good at just jumping in."
"She's been such a huge help. I think she's awesome. I don't think I could have asked for anyone better."
How to vet a remote executive assistantThe work-sample test and rubric.
Executive assistant salary: US vs Latin AmericaEvery cost on the same basis.
Latin America vs the PhilippinesWhere to hire, compared.
How to hire top remote talent in Latin AmericaWhat 36,186 applicants taught us.
What to delegate to an executive assistantDecide the job before you hire.
Two quick questions, then a short Matching Call. If we're a fit, you get three hand-picked profiles within 24 hours. You interview them and choose.
If we don't find a match you're truly excited about, you owe nothing.