Where to Hire a Virtual Assistant in the US for Business Operations

Written by Maximilian Straub | Published on January 17, 2026 | 9 min read

You can hire a virtual assistant through managed VA agencies, like Atidiv, or freelance marketplaces. Both options offer different levels of control, cost, and responsibility for supervision. The “right choice” depends on your workload type and budget.

Do you know how growth happens for D2C companies? It is built on hundreds of small operational tasks that compete for a founder’s time every single day. Be it admin, marketing, or accounting, no task can be ignored. 

Isn’t it too tough? Yes, and that pressure is exactly why virtual assistant services have moved from a “nice-to-have” to a core business decision. Studies show that the global VA market is expected to reach USD 6.5 billion by the end of 2026. A decade-long CAGR of 23.4% places virtual assistants among the fastest-growing segments in the remote services economy. 

But why this craze? In 2026, most businesses want to expand their operations without adding permanent headcount. Are you in the same league? Read this article to learn several ways to hire a virtual assistant. Also, see how Atidiv can support your consumer brand in 2026.

Where to Hire a Virtual Assistant​ in 2026? Two Primary Sources You Must Know!

Hiring a virtual assistant changes the cost structure of running a business. With in-house employees, salary is only one part of the expense. Besides, you also have to incur expenses on:

  • Office setup
  • Employee benefits
  • Taxes
  • Training
  • Management time

Now, virtual assistants remove most of these overheads because they work remotely and are engaged only for defined hours or tasks. Let’s see what costs you cut with virtual assistants:

Cost Category Annual Cost per Employee (as per Industry Understanding)
Office space USD 3,000 to 8,000
Equipment and supplies USD 2,000 to 5,000 (one-time)
Health insurance USD 6,000 to 15,000
Payroll taxes 7.65% of salary
Paid time off 4% to 8% of salary
Training and onboarding USD 1,000 to 3,000
Manager time 10% to 15% of salary

Did you know? A recent research also found that many companies could hire two to three virtual assistants for the cost of one full-time employee. Impressed? But where to hire virtual assistant​s from in 2026? Below are two primary sources you can tap into:

Source I: US-Based VA Agencies 

These agencies provide virtual assistants who live and work in the United States. These VAs usually have a college education and corporate work experience. This option suits businesses that need:

  • Work done during US business hours
  • Clear communication in American English
  • Familiarity with US systems, tools, and work culture
  • Higher accountability

These agencies manage recruitment, screening, training, payroll, and replacements. Thus, you do not hire the VA directly! Instead, you hire the agency, and the agency assigns a VA to you. For more clarity, let’s have a look at some options you may consider:

A) Atidiv

Atidiv is a virtual assistant agency that provides trained remote VAs. Instead of hiring freelancers or in-house staff, businesses get a dedicated resource managed by Atidiv. Support covers:

  • Admin
  • Operations
  • Customer support
  • Marketing assistance
  • E-commerce
  • Accounting

Pricing starts at just $15 per hour (with a minimum commitment of 168 hours), and a dedicated virtual assistant is assigned within 7 days. Want to learn more? Book a free consultation call today!

B) Belay

Belay focuses on experienced professionals who have worked in corporate roles. Their VAs support:

  • Admin work
  • Bookkeeping
  • Social media coordination
  • Operational tasks

Belay has a strict screening process and formal onboarding. This agency is best suited for consumer brands that want “accounting-related help”.

C) Time Etc

Time Etc offers US-based VAs on hourly plans. Unused hours can roll over to the next month.
This model suits businesses with changing workloads. Some major tasks covered by this agency are:

  • Calendar management
  • Email handling
  • Project coordination

D) Boldly

Boldly provides senior-level executive assistants. These VAs support leadership tasks such as complex scheduling, email correspondence, and executive admin work. Their pricing is higher because the VAs are experienced + work in long-term roles. This option suits growing D2C companies with senior management needs.

E) Virtual Assist USA

This agency provides American VAs with background checks. There are no long-term commitments or minimum hours. You can hire VAs for short-term or on-demand tasks.

F) Zirtual

Zirtual assigns you one dedicated US-based VA who handles daily business tasks such as:

  • Email management
  • Scheduling
  • Research
  • Invoicing
  • Internal coordination

If a task needs a different skill, Zirtual shares work across its internal team instead of asking you to hire another person. This model suits founders who want one main point of contact.

Source II: Freelance Platforms

When searching, where to hire virtual assistant​s, you can also consider freelance platforms. They are “online marketplaces” where you can hire individual US-based freelancers directly instead of going through an agency. You choose the VA yourself, agree on scope + price, and manage the work directly.

These platforms are suitable for task-based or short-term operational work. Let’s see how this hiring model works:

  1. You create a job post or search for US-based VAs
  2. Freelancers apply or offer services
  3. You review profiles, skills, ratings, and pricing
  4. You hire and manage the VA directly through the platform

This model gives control but requires time and oversight from you. Need some options? Let’s check out some platforms you may consider in 2026:

A) Upwork

Upwork allows you to filter freelancers by location, including US-only profiles. You can find VAs with experience in:

  • Administrative support
  • Project management tools (Asana, Trello)
  • CRM updates and data handling
  • Internal coordination tasks

Usually, freelancers submit proposals based on your job post. Pricing can be hourly or fixed per project. This platform suits ongoing or repetitive operational work where the scope is defined.

B) Freelancer.com

Freelancer.com follows a “bid-based model”. You post a job, and US-based freelancers submit bids. Next, you compare bids, timelines, and profiles before hiring. This platform is commonly used for tasks such as:

  • Data entry
  • Reporting
  • Order processing
  • Backend updates
  • Operational support

As a VP or director of a D2C company, you are responsible for shortlisting candidates, setting deadlines, and reviewing output. Hiring can be done on an hourly or project basis. 

C) Fiverr

Now, Fiverr works differently! Freelancers list pre-defined service packages, called “gigs.”
As a senior manager of a consumer brand, you can search for US-based sellers offering:

  • Operations support
  • Data entry
  • Task coordination
  • Short admin work

You select a package, pay upfront, and receive delivery based on the package terms.
This platform suits one-time or small tasks (not ongoing support).

Searching for a Virtual Assistant Agency? In 2026, Hire Atidiv as Your VA Providing Partner!

Atidiv provides trained remote virtual assistants who work for your business under our management. We support multiple business functions and offer virtual assistants for:

Our starting price is only $15 per hour (with a minimum commitment of 168 hours). We assign a dedicated virtual assistant within 7 days.

What Problem Atidiv is Trying to Solve

VPs and owners of growing D2C companies (earning $5M+ revenue) usually handle:

  • Admin work
  • Operations
  • Customer communication
  • Follow-ups and scheduling

As the business grows, this workload increases faster than the team. Now, hiring full-time staff increases costs, training time, and management responsibility. The solution? Atidiv offers an alternative:

  • No direct hiring
  • No payroll or HR work
  • No long recruitment cycle

You delegate routine and operational tasks to a remote VA provided and managed by Atidiv.

How Atidiv’s Model Works

You focus on outcomes. Atidiv manages the resource. This is how we operate:

  1. You discuss your business needs and tools.
  2. Atidiv selects a trained VA based on those needs.
  3. A dedicated VA starts work within 7 days.
  4. Work is tracked and reported.
  5. Team leaders or account managers supervise delivery.

Business Functions Covered by Atidiv

Atidiv does not limit VAs to admin work. We provide support across multiple departments. Let’s have a look at the various business functions where we supply VAs:

Business Function What the Virtual Assistant Handles
Paid Ads and Performance Support
  • Campaign setup support
  • Budget tracking
  • Asset uploads
  • Daily reports
  • Issue tracking
Facebook Ads Support
  • Ad account setup
  • Campaign creation
  • Audience updates
  • Budget pacing
  • Business Manager tasks
Web Support
  • Website updates
  • CMS changes
  • Content edits
  • Bug tracking
  • Testing
  • Competitor research
Media Operations
  • Comment and message handling
  • Brand monitoring
  • Complaint escalation
  • Content scheduling
E-commerce Operations
  • Product listings
  • Inventory updates
  • Order tracking
  • Amazon seller account support
Data Entry and Backend
  • Catalog uploads
  • Spreadsheets
  • CRM updates
  • Sales and inventory records
Customer Support and Calling
  • Inbound and outbound calls
  • Follow-ups
  • Cold calling
  • Sales support
Accounting Support
  • Bookkeeping
  • Accounts payable
  • Account receivable
  • Bank reconciliation
  • Financial reporting

Where to Hire Virtual Assistant​ FAQs

1. What is Atidiv?

Atidiv is a leading digital customer experience solutions provider and an established VA agency. If we talk about the latter, our pricing starts at only $15/hour with all the major business functions covered, such as admin, operations, marketing support, tech, customer service, and accounting.

Usually, we assign a dedicated VA is assigned within 7 days. Our virtual assistance services are best suited for businesses that need ongoing operational support. 

2. When to prefer freelance platforms, like Fiverr or Upwork?

For growing D2C companies, freelance platforms are usually suitable when:

  • You need task-based or short-duration support
  • You want pricing control
  • You are comfortable managing freelancers directly

They are less suitable if you want fully managed support or long-term accountability.

3. When to choose VA agencies?

US-based VA agencies are suitable if:

  • You value time zone overlap
  • You want less supervision
  • You prefer structured service over direct hiring

Note that they are not cost-saving options! Instead, they reduce hiring risk + operational oversight.

4. How do freelance platforms compare to agencies?

On a freelance platform, like Freelancer or Upwork, you hire the VA directly. There is:

  • Lower upfront cost than agencies

and

  • No long-term contracts are required

Moreover, you can spend more time on selection + management of resources. In most cases, work quality depends on the skillset of an individual freelancer.

5. Why should you hire a VA in 2026?

Studies show that hiring VAs can lower your operational costs by up to 78%. This largely happens because you pay only for agreed-upon hours instead of honoring fixed employee commitments. Moreover, hiring VAs leads to these benefits:

  • Time Savings: Your core team can focus more on sales and growth.
  • Scalability: You can add or reduce support based on workload.
  • Predictability: You can benefit from fixed hourly pricing and a dedicated resource

6. How Atidiv differs from freelancers or other VA agencies?

With Atidiv, you get a managed resource! Besides execution and following KPIs, we own the outcomes. All the VAs working on your project are thoroughly supervised by team leaders and account managers. 

 

Additionally, Atidiv handles screening + timely training, and you receive regular progress updates with 100% task visibility. For more information, book a call with us today!

Our data-
driven process unlocks growth opportunities.

1

Discover

We listen to your needs and identify where we can support you.

2

Develop

We create a tailored plan to achieve your goals.

3

Deliver

We help you grow your business as an extension
of your team.