An executive assistant works for a specific leader and acts on their behalf: running the calendar, protecting time, handling sensitive correspondence and making judgement calls when the leader isn't available. A virtual assistant handles defined, repeatable tasks, such as data entry, inbox sorting, scheduling and research, usually from a list. Both can work remotely, so "virtual" describes where the work happens, not how senior it is. The useful question is whether you need someone to manage tasks or someone to manage part of your job. This guide, written by Ryz Labs in November 2026, shows how to tell.
The BLS categories are the closest official matches; it doesn't publish a "virtual assistant" category. National employment in May 2025 was 459,910 for the executive group and 1,706,790 for general secretaries and administrative assistants.
The job is defined by proximity to one person's decisions. A strong EA reads your inbox and answers what they can in your voice, moves meetings without asking when the priority is clear, briefs you before calls, chases the people who owe you something and tells you what can wait. Over time they hold a map of your relationships and preferences that no task list can capture.
That's why EAs cost more and why the match matters so much. You're handing over access to your email, calendar and often your money. The payoff is that an EA scales your attention, not just your output.
A VA works best with defined processes. Update the CRM after each sales call. Pull last week's orders into the spreadsheet. Research twenty venues that fit these criteria. Clean up the shared drive. Send the standard reminder to clients with an open invoice. The work is valuable and frees hours, but the instructions mostly come from you or a written procedure.
Write down the ten things you'd hand off first. Mark each one:
Six or more Js: you need an executive assistant. Six or more Ps: start with a virtual assistant. A mix usually means a VA now with a plan to move up, or an EA who also runs the processes.
BLS medians for May 2025 are $76,590 a year for executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants and $47,540 for general secretaries and administrative assistants. Employers also pay benefits, which the BLS puts at about 30% of private-industry compensation. Pay varies a lot by metro: in the New York metro area the EA median was $83,840, and in the Washington, DC area $90,320. Our executive assistant cost guide works through the full loaded number.
Service pricing is set per hour, per plan or per person. Published examples from November 2026: Time etc lists 20 hours a month for $760; Boldly lists 40 hours a month for $2,600; Athena lists one dedicated 40-hour EA for $3,000 a month on a 12-month commitment. Compare like with like: a dedicated person for a working week is a different product from a pool of hours. See best executive assistant services and virtual assistant companies for small business for the full lists.
Many owners start with a VA and, six months later, realise the VA has become the person who knows everything. That's a natural step up. The signs: you're forwarding more decisions than tasks, the VA is drafting your replies anyway, and you trust them with your calendar. At that point, redefine the role and the pay so it reflects the job.
Ryz Labs places both roles on your team, on US business hours including New York hours, with fluent English. A dedicated virtual assistant is $2,000 a month and a dedicated executive assistant is $3,000 a month, both month to month, so moving from one to the other is a change of plan rather than a new contract term. Recruiters screen every candidate. After one conversation you get a plan, a price and the names of the people who'd do the work; once you say go, people can typically start in under two weeks, and some roles take three to six weeks.
Because Ryz also places developers and product and project managers, the VA who documents your processes can hand them to an engineer who automates them, on the same team. Ryz was founded in 2021, is based in Calabasas, California, has 200+ people and is trusted by Fortune 500 engineering teams. If you're comparing providers, our Athena alternatives list is a good start, or talk to us.
No. "Virtual" means the person works remotely. An executive assistant supports a specific leader and makes judgement calls on their behalf; a virtual assistant usually carries out defined tasks. An EA can be virtual too.
A VA. BLS medians for May 2025 are $47,540 a year for general secretaries and administrative assistants against $76,590 for executive assistants. Service pricing follows the same pattern: Ryz charges $2,000 a month for a VA and $3,000 for an EA.
Often, yes, especially in a small business. An EA can run processes; a VA can grow into EA work. Decide which half matters more and hire for that.
The work that interrupts you most often: scheduling, inbox triage and follow-ups for an EA; recurring admin and data entry for a VA.
Size matters less than how much of your time goes to coordination. A founder of a ten-person company with a packed calendar often gets more from an EA than a larger firm's manager.
Give each role access only to what it needs, use a shared password manager, turn on two-factor authentication, and review access monthly.
BLS figures were retrieved through the BLS public data API on November 14, 2026 (OEWS series for occupations 43-6011 and 43-6014, national and metro). Service prices were checked the same day.
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