How much does a executive assistant cost?
Inbox, calendar, travel, and document support that hands the founder back their highest-leverage hours.Here's the honest math on what one really costs — and a flat-rate way to cover the same scope without the hire.
Base salary (median range)
$55,000–$95,000
All-in cost (+30% loaded)
~$91,000/yr
DeskFlow alternative
$495/mo
What a executive assistant actually costs
An EA's salary is one of the higher-load roles: benefits, taxes, PTO, equipment, and the onboarding time to learn your preferences all add up. Fully loaded, expect roughly 30% above base — and the role only pays off if it actually clears your plate.
| Range | Base salary | All-in (+30%) |
|---|---|---|
| Low | $55,000 | ~$72,000 |
| Median | $70,000 | ~$91,000 |
| High | $95,000 | ~$124,000 |
The scope of the role
The core responsibilities a executive assistantowns — the work you're either doing yourself or leaving undone right now.
- Triage and manage the inbox so the important things surface
- Own the calendar — scheduling, conflicts, prep, three weeks out
- Coordinate travel and expenses end to end
- Handle documents, formatting, and the recurring admin that eats your day
Do you actually need to hire?
Signs you need one
- Your inbox is a second full-time job
- You're scheduling your own meetings and resolving your own conflicts
- Travel and expenses pile up until they become a crisis
- The administrative tail of your day is crowding out the actual work
When to outsource instead
An executive assistant clears the founder's plate — but a single hire is a fixed cost and a single point of failure. A managed team covers inbox, calendar, travel, and documents with a backup behind it, so coverage doesn't disappear when one person is out.
Cover the same scope without the hire
DeskFlow Basic covers the core EA scope — inbox and calendar management, document creation, and records — for $495/mo, with a single point of contact and a team behind them rather than one assistant.
- One flat monthly retainer — no benefits, payroll taxes, PTO, or equipment to fund
- A real team behind your point of contact, so coverage never disappears
- Works inside your existing tools — no forced migration
- 10-business-day onboarding, run in parallel so nothing breaks
Executive Assistant cost questions
- How much does an executive assistant cost?
- An in-house executive assistant's salary is an illustrative U.S. median of roughly $55,000–$95,000 a year, with a fully loaded cost closer to $90,000–$120,000 once benefits, taxes, PTO, and overhead are included. DeskFlow Basic covers core inbox, calendar, and document support at $495/mo.
- What's the difference between an EA and a virtual assistant?
- A traditional EA is a dedicated full-time hire; a generic virtual assistant is usually hourly and task-by-task. DeskFlow sits between the two: a managed team covering the EA scope on a flat retainer, with a single point of contact and consistent coverage.
- Can a managed team really handle my inbox and calendar?
- Yes — that's the core of the Basic tier. We triage the inbox daily, manage the calendar weeks out, and coordinate travel and documents, working inside your existing Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 setup.
Skip the executive assistant search.
Get the same scope handled by an accountable team for a flat monthly retainer — and your time back.