The offshore vs onshore executive assistant decision comes down to two costs. Across 8 executive assistant services with published pricing as of September 2026, offshore EAs cost $19 to $29 an hour and onshore (US-based) EAs cost $37 to $70 an hour. That is the visible cost. The hidden one is how many hours of your own week each option takes to manage. This page lays out both so you can decide which one you are paying for.
Full disclosure: Base places US-based executive assistants only. In 2026, Base charges $45 an hour through Built by Base and $70 an hour on standard 40-hour subscriptions. This page names the cases where offshore is the better buy. If you are still deciding whether to hire at all, start with our guide to hiring an executive assistant. For the definition and the monthly blocks, see what a fractional executive assistant is.
Offshore vs onshore executive assistant cost comparison
| Provider | Location | Plan | Effective hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Athena | Philippines | $3,000/mo full-time | ~$19 |
| Prialto | Offshore, US-managed | $1,600/mo for 55 hrs | ~$29 |
| Time etc | US | $1,480/mo for 40 hrs | $37 |
| Base, Built by Base | US | $1,800/mo for 40 hrs | $45 |
| Double | US | $1,899/mo for 40 hrs | ~$47 |
| Zirtual | US | $599/mo for 12 hrs | ~$50 |
| Boldly | US and UK, W2 | $2,600/mo for 40 hrs | $65 |
| Base, standard | US | $2,800/mo for 40 hrs | $70 |
Pricing verified against each provider’s published pricing page on July 27, 2026. Full-time hourly rates assume 160 hours a month. BELAY does not publish pricing. Always confirm current rates directly.
Key numbers
- As of July 2026, Athena’s published price for a full-time Philippines-based executive assistant is $3,000 a month, or about $19 an hour on 160 hours.
- As of July 2026, Prialto’s published price for managed offshore support is $1,600 a month for 55 hours, or about $29 an hour. Prialto’s full-time plan is $3,600 a month, or about $22 an hour.
- As of July 2026, Time etc publishes the lowest US-based dedicated rate at $1,480 a month for 40 hours, or $37 an hour.
- As of September 2026, Base’s Built by Base program prices a newer-career, US-based executive assistant at $45 an hour, or $1,800 a month for 40 hours.
- As of July 2026, Boldly’s published price for a US or UK W2 executive assistant is $2,600 a month for 40 hours, or $65 an hour.
- As of September 2026, Base’s standard subscription for an experienced US-based executive assistant is $2,800 a month for 40 hours, or $70 an hour.
What the price gap buys you (and what it doesn’t)
Four things drive the gap. Cost of living: a full-time salary in Manila is a fraction of one in Austin, and the provider’s price follows. Employment model: W2 employees with benefits cost more than contractors. Experience level: an EA with 10 years supporting founders bills more than one in their second year. Management: some providers manage the assistant for you, some coach you to do it, and some do neither.
Plan structure matters as much as the rate. Offshore is usually sold full-time, so a $3,000 plan buys 160 hours you have to fill and direct. Most US-based plans are sold in 10 to 40 hour blocks, so you buy the hours you need and the EA decides how to spend them. To find your own block, use our guide to how many executive assistant hours you need.
Built by Base is the example of the experience-level lever. In 2026, about 2 percent of applicants invited to Base’s application process pass it. Built by Base EAs clear that same bar earlier in their careers. Base handles onboarding, training, and coaching, and the rate is $45 an hour versus $70 for an experienced Base EA. Read more about Built by Base.
The 4 offshore vs onshore executive assistant tradeoffs
Time zone overlap
Manila is 12 to 16 hours ahead of the US mainland, depending on your time zone. A Philippines-based EA who works your business hours is working through their night. Most offshore providers staff for this, and it holds up for inbox and scheduling work. Where it shows: live meeting coverage, and the 4pm request that needs an answer by 5.
Management load
Clients who have used both an offshore and an onshore executive assistant often tell us the same thing: the offshore EA was less self-directed. They wrote the instructions, checked the output, and had to find enough work to fill 40 hours a week. Athena includes delegation training for the executive in its 2026 plan, which is a fair signal of where that work sits.
A US-based EA at the strategic end owns their work, runs ahead of you, and finds ways to cut steps without being asked. You get the hours back without adding a direct report.
Turnover belongs here too. Every rematch costs you onboarding hours. Prialto’s answer is a backup assistant trained on your account from day one, per its 2026 published service description. Ask any provider what their rematch process and timeline look like.
Context depth
Offshore support fits inbox and calendar work that needs little nuance and no deep knowledge of your business. A US-based EA is embedded in your work and your team. They track your goals, know who matters in your network, and are focused on your growth and the company’s growth. That depth takes months to build, and it is the reason to keep one person for years.
Compliance and data
Under IRS worker classification rules, a business that directs when, where, and how a contractor works can create misclassification risk. The penalties fall on the business that hired the contractor. Offshore contracting adds a second layer: data residency rules for regulated industries, and the question of which country’s law covers a breach.
Ask any provider two questions before signing. “Is my assistant your employee or a contractor?” and “Where is my data stored?” Our ranked comparison of executive assistant services covers W2 vs contractor models in more detail.
When offshore wins
You need full-time hours at a part-time budget. At 2026 published rates, a full-time offshore EA at $3,000 a month costs about the same as 40 hours of experienced US-based support. If you have 160 hours of defined work a month, offshore is the only way to buy it at that price. For the salaried alternative, see fractional executive assistant vs full-time hire.
You want 24/7 or overnight coverage. Work that lands in your inbox at 6pm and needs to be done by 8am is a fit for a team on the other side of the world. Magic and Prialto both build around this.
Your work is defined and repeatable. Inbox triage, calendar, CRM upkeep, research, expense reports. If you can write the instruction once and it holds, offshore does it well.
You already delegate well. You write clear instructions, review output fast, and have 40 hours a week of that work to hand off.
When onshore wins
Your EA sits in meetings and speaks for you. Same hours, same context, and the judgment to handle what comes up while you are in the room.
You handle regulated or sensitive data. Healthcare, finance, legal, or board-level material where data residency and employment law are questions your counsel will ask.
You want one person who holds your whole world. Someone who tracks your goals, knows your network, and stays for years. That relationship compounds, and it is the thing offshore pricing does not buy.
The instructions are the work you want gone. If writing the task list is the job you are trying to hand off, you need an EA who writes their own.
The middle options
Two paths for buyers who want some of both.
Managed offshore. Prialto sells 55-hour units at $1,600 a month as of 2026, about $29 an hour, with a US-based engagement manager and a trained backup on every account. US oversight and backup coverage take on part of the management load. Time zone and context depth stay the same.
Newer-career US-based. Built by Base prices a vetted, coached EA at $45 an hour as of 2026, and Time etc publishes $37 an hour at the task end. You get US hours, US compliance, and a lower rate for an EA earlier in their career who is coached by the provider rather than by you.
Offshore vs onshore executive assistant: how to decide in 4 questions
1. Do you need live coverage in your hours? Yes points US-based. No keeps offshore open.
2. Can you write down every task, and is there 40 hours a week of it? Yes to both fits full-time offshore. Yes to the first and no to the second fits managed offshore or a part-time US-based plan.
3. Do you want to manage this person, or have them manage you? If you want a direct report, offshore works. If you want someone who runs ahead of you, US-based.
4. Is this a 6-month fix or a multi-year seat? A short project fits any model. A multi-year seat is where context depth pays for itself, and where US-based wins.
Your answers land in one of 4 places, each priced at 2026 published rates: full-time offshore from $3,000 a month, managed offshore from $1,600 a month for 55 hours, newer-career US-based from $1,800 a month for 40 hours, or experienced US-based from $2,600 a month for 40 hours.
Frequently asked questions
Are Philippines-based executive assistants good?
Yes, for defined and repeatable work. The Philippines has a large, English-fluent EA workforce, and providers like Athena and Prialto vet and train for US clients. The tradeoffs are time zone, management load, and context depth, covered above.
Is an onshore executive assistant worth the extra cost?
In the offshore vs onshore executive assistant math, as of 2026, a full-time offshore EA runs about $19 an hour and 40 hours of experienced US-based support runs $70 an hour. The $51 difference buys an EA who directs their own work instead of one you direct. If your time is worth more than $51 an hour and you would rather not manage a direct report, the math favors onshore.
What’s the cheapest way to get a US-based executive assistant?
As of 2026, the lowest published rates for a dedicated US-based assistant are $37 an hour at Time etc for task execution and $45 an hour through Base’s Built by Base program for a vetted, coached, newer-career EA.
Do offshore executive assistants need a lot of management?
Often, yes. Clients who have used both tell us the offshore EA needed more direction, and most offshore plans are full-time, so the executive supplies the 40 hours of work each week.
Do offshore executive assistants work US hours?
Most do. Athena, Prialto, and Magic all staff to US business hours. Your EA is working overnight in their own time zone, which is worth knowing when you evaluate response quality late in your day.
Can an offshore EA handle confidential information?
It depends on your industry and your provider’s contracts. Ask where your data is stored, which country’s law governs a breach, and whether your assistant is an employee or a contractor. For regulated data, US-based support is the safer default.
Where Base fits
If the offshore vs onshore executive assistant questions point onshore, Base fills that seat in 2026 at $1,800 a month through Built by Base or $2,800 a month for an experienced EA, both for 40 hours. See the full ranked comparison, or talk to us about your first 40 hours.
