A fractional executive assistant vs full-time hire comparison depends on the full cost of the salaried seat after benefits, payroll taxes, recruiting, and ramp. In 2026, a full-time executive assistant at the US median salary costs about $107,000 a year to employ, or roughly $9,000 a month, before recruiting fees. A fractional executive assistant at 40 hours a month costs $1,800 to $2,800 a month at Base’s 2026 rates. This page shows the full math and the monthly hour count where fractional stops being cheaper.
Full disclosure: Base sells fractional executive assistant subscriptions and a trial-before-hire path for executives who need full-time. Both are priced on this page next to the cost of hiring. If you want the definition first, start with what a fractional executive assistant is.
Fractional executive assistant vs full-time hire: the cost table
Three salary scenarios for a full-time hire, each fully loaded, next to two fractional executive assistant options.
| Option | Salary or rate | Benefits and payroll taxes | Recruiting (year one) | Year-one cost | Ongoing monthly cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full-time EA, US median salary | $75,500 | $32,500 | $15,100 | $123,100 | $9,000 |
| Full-time EA, major-metro salary | $90,000 | $38,700 | $18,000 | $146,700 | $10,700 |
| Full-time EA, senior strategic | $110,000 | $47,300 | $22,000 | $179,300 | $13,100 |
| Fractional EA, Base standard, 40 hrs/mo | $70/hr | Included | None | $33,600 | $2,800 |
| Fractional EA, Built by Base, 40 hrs/mo | $45/hr | Included | None | $21,600 | $1,800 |
Assumptions: benefits and payroll taxes at 43 percent of salary, from BLS March 2026 employer cost data; recruiting at 20 percent of first-year salary, a common direct-hire agency fee; full-time figures exclude equipment, software seats, and the executive’s own time managing the hire. Base rates as published September 2026. For offshore full-time options at $3,000 to $3,600 a month, see offshore vs onshore executive assistants.
Key numbers
- In BLS’s March 2026 Employer Costs for Employee Compensation release, benefits made up 30.1 percent of total compensation for private industry workers, which works out to about 43 cents of benefits for every dollar of salary.
- Using BLS May 2025 wage data, the median US executive assistant salary is about $75,500, and the fully loaded employer cost at that salary is about $107,000 a year, or $9,000 a month.
- At a $90,000 salary, in the range BLS data shows for New York and California executive assistants, a full-time hire costs about $128,700 a year to employ in 2026, or $10,700 a month.
- As of September 2026, Base’s standard fractional executive assistant subscription costs $2,800 a month for 40 hours, or $33,600 a year with no recruiting fee.
- As of September 2026, Base’s Built by Base program prices a newer-career fractional executive assistant at $1,800 a month for 40 hours, or $21,600 a year.
- At 2026 rates, a fractional executive assistant at $70 an hour costs less than a full-time hire at the US median salary until you need more than about 125 hours a month.
What goes into the full-time number
Salary is one of five lines. The other four:
Benefits and payroll taxes. Health insurance, retirement match, paid leave, and the employer share of Social Security and Medicare. In BLS’s March 2026 data, these made up 30.1 percent of total compensation across private industry, which is 43 percent on top of salary. A $75,500 EA costs $107,000 a year before the other lines.
Recruiting. Direct-hire agencies commonly charge 20 to 25 percent of first-year salary for a placement; this page uses 20 percent. At $75,500 that is $15,100. If you run the search yourself, the cost moves from the invoice to your calendar: sourcing, screening, 2 rounds of interviews, references, and an offer.
Ramp. A common planning assumption for a new full-time hire is 60 to 90 days to learn your calendar, your people, your tools, and how you make decisions. You pay full salary through that period and get partial output. If the hire misses, you pay for ramp twice.
Your management time. A full-time employee is a direct report. One-on-ones, reviews, PTO coverage, and the questions that come with 40 hours a week of work to fill. This line does not appear on the spreadsheet, and it adds hours to your week.
The breakeven in hours
Divide the monthly cost of a full-time hire by a fractional rate and you get the hour count where the two cost the same.
At Base’s 2026 rate of $70 an hour, the $9,000 monthly cost of a full-time EA at the US median salary buys about 128 hours of fractional support. At Built by Base’s 2026 rate of $45 an hour, it buys 200 hours. So in 2026 a fractional executive assistant is the cheaper option until you need more than roughly 125 hours a month of an experienced EA, or more than 160 hours of a newer-career one.
Two adjustments push the breakeven higher. Full-time hours include paid time off, sick days, and ramp, so 160 paid hours a month is closer to 140 working hours. And the full-time number above leaves out recruiting, equipment, software, and your management time. With those added, a fractional executive assistant stays cheaper up to about 150 hours a month in 2026.
The breakeven moves the other way if you need one person in the office 5 days a week, or if the role includes work outside EA scope that you would otherwise hire for separately.
When a full-time hire beats a fractional executive assistant
Four cases.
You need 8 hours a day of in-person presence. In-room support for a leadership team, or an office that needs a person at the front desk. A fractional EA works remotely.
The role is bigger than EA work. Office management, event production, facilities, or an ops function stacked on top of EA duties. A salaried generalist can cover all of it.
You want the person on your payroll. Some executives want their EA in the same benefits plan and the same equity pool as the rest of the team. Benefits and payroll taxes add about 43 percent to that salary.
You are past 150 hours a month and the work is steady. At that volume, the math favors salary. Base’s 160-hour block exists for executives who want the coverage without the hire; either path works.
When a fractional executive assistant beats a full-time hire
Four cases.
You need 20 to 80 hours a month. Executives with no prior support usually start in this range. A full-time hire at this workload pays for 80 to 140 hours a month you cannot fill. To find your block, use our guide to how many executive assistant hours you need.
You do not want a direct report. A fractional EA through a provider is vetted, onboarded, and coached by the provider. You get the work without the management line.
You cannot afford a bad hire. Base rematches within 5 business days. Re-hiring a full-time employee takes months and a second recruiting fee.
Your needs will change in 12 months. Fractional blocks at Base scale up or down in 20-hour steps. A salaried role is fixed at 160 hours.
The middle path: trial before you hire
Executives who know they want full-time and want to see the fit first can run the relationship on a fractional basis before hiring. Base’s Select+ is built for this: the EA works with you on a subscription, and if it works, you hire them. The trial period replaces the ramp risk and the recruiting fee with hours you would have paid for anyway.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a full-time executive assistant cost in 2026?
Using BLS May 2025 wage data and March 2026 employer cost data, a full-time executive assistant at the US median salary of about $75,500 costs about $107,000 a year to employ once benefits and payroll taxes are added, plus about $15,100 in recruiting fees in year one at a 20 percent agency rate.
Is a fractional executive assistant cheaper than hiring?
At 2026 rates, yes, up to roughly 125 to 150 hours a month. A fractional executive assistant at $70 an hour costs $33,600 a year for 40 hours a month, against about $107,000 a year for a full-time hire at the US median salary.
What does “fully loaded cost” mean for an executive assistant?
Salary plus everything the employer pays on top of it: benefits, payroll taxes, recruiting, equipment, and ramp time. In BLS’s March 2026 data, benefits and payroll taxes alone add about 43 percent to salary in private industry.
Can I convert a fractional executive assistant to full-time?
Yes, with most providers. Base’s Select+ is designed as a trial-before-hire path, and Boldly offers a buy-out option.
How many hours does a fractional executive assistant work?
In 2026, Base’s blocks run from 20 to 160 hours a month in 20-hour steps. Executives with no current support usually start at 40 hours, and strategic partnership generally starts at 60 to 80. Our scoping guide walks through it in 10 minutes.
Does a fractional executive assistant cost include benefits?
Yes. The provider employs or contracts the EA and covers benefits, payroll taxes, onboarding, and coaching. The monthly rate is the whole cost.
Where Base fits
If your workload is under 150 hours a month, a fractional executive assistant costs less than a full-time hire, and Base places one in 2026 at $1,800 a month for 40 hours through Built by Base or $2,800 a month for an experienced EA. If you know you want full-time, Select+ lets you trial the fit first. See the ranked comparison, or talk to us about your first 40 hours.
