Are you drowning in administrative work? Renewals are stacking up. Certificates take hours. Producers spend more time updating CRMs than selling policies.
Hiring in-house feels slow, expensive, and risky. So you Google the question: How much does a virtual assistant cost?
At Lava Automation, we have helped hundreds of insurance agencies make smarter hiring decisions. The answer is never as simple as an hourly rate. Hidden costs, compliance risks, and training gaps can turn the “cheapest” option into the most expensive.
By the end of this guide, you will know the typical price ranges, what drives costs, how staffing models compare, and how to budget with confidence.
Why do business owners ask about virtual assistant costs?
When agency owners ask about cost, they are not only looking for a number. They want to know:
Will this fit my budget?
Will this reduce stress or add more work?
Will this help my team grow revenue?
Cost includes both the dollars you spend and the hours you lose. Every hour lost to retraining or fixing mistakes has a price. The real question is whether your agency will commit to the processes that make a virtual assistant effective. Agencies that follow through see the best results.
Looking only at hourly rates is risky. A four-dollar-per-hour freelancer who mishandles certificates can cost far more in client trust and compliance penalties.
What is the typical price range for a virtual assistant in insurance?
Virtual assistant costs vary depending on the provider type:
Freelancers. Offshore freelancers may charge $4 to $8 per hour, while domestic freelancers often run $20 to $40 per hour. They are inexpensive upfront and flexible, but turnover is high and oversight is limited.
Staffing firms. Many staffing firms charge $1,600 to $2,500 per month. They provide more structure than freelancers, yet most operate on a task-based model. Work gets done, but agencies rarely know who is doing it.
Specialized agencies. Some agencies focus on insurance-specific support and charge $2,000 to $3,500 per month. The level of training and support varies by provider.
One mistake on a certificate could cost thousands, or worse, erode client trust. That is why the “cheapest” option often ends up the most expensive..png?width=1920&height=1080&name=What%20is%20the%20typical%20price%20range%20for%20a%20virtual%20assistant%20in%20insurance%20(1).png)
To understand why costs vary so widely, it helps to look at the factors that drive pricing.
What factors affect the cost of a virtual assistant?
Several factors drive pricing:
Number of virtual assistants. One hire versus building a team changes the monthly investment.
Specialized skills. Tasks like video editing or advanced data work cost more.
Training and knowledge. Structured onboarding and insurance experience reduce errors and save time.
Ongoing support. Lava includes continuous training, compliance monitoring, and device oversight. These protections are part of our $14 per hour model.
Cheaper providers often skip background checks, data security, or benefits. Agencies then pay later through retraining, turnover, or compliance fallout.
The clearest way to put pricing in perspective is to compare virtual assistants with the options most agencies already know.
How does a virtual assistant compare to other staffing options?
Agencies usually compare three paths:
In-house employees. Offer direct control and team culture, but come with higher payroll, benefits, and overhead. Training takes months, and scaling is slow. In-house is best for licensed roles or heavy phone support.
Freelancers. Provide flexibility and low entry cost. But turnover, quality gaps, and compliance risks are common. Often, there is limited oversight and no guaranteed loyalty to your account.
Specialized virtual assistant providers. Deliver structure, ongoing training, and insurance-specific expertise. More predictable than freelancers and faster to ramp up than in-house, making them the most scalable option.
If your backlog is heavy on renewals, certificates, or CRM updates, a virtual assistant is the right solution. If your biggest challenges are inbound calls or licensed work, in-house support is often better.
Use our Virtual Assistant Calculator to see your cost-to-value ratio.
At the end of the day, agencies ultimately care about results. So what kind of value should you expect in return?
What value should agencies expect beyond the price tag?
Cost is important, but value shows whether the investment pays off. A skilled virtual assistant cuts expenses and gives your agency room to grow.
With the right program, agencies can:
Free producers to spend more time selling and building relationships
Cut errors that lead to compliance penalties
Scale back-office tasks without adding payroll overhead
Agencies that adopt automation and virtual assistants often see measurable results. Some Lava clients have added millions in new premiums within a year.
Now that the details are clear, it is time to put them in perspective and make sense of virtual assistant costs.
Making sense of virtual assistant costs
Virtual assistant pricing can feel confusing. Some providers quote only hourly rates. Others include training, compliance, and support.
Now that you have seen the full picture, from freelancers to specialized agencies, you can shift the question from “What does it cost?” to “Which model gives my agency the confidence to scale without adding risk?”
Your team is already overloaded. Renewals, certificates, and CRM updates are eating into selling time. Choosing the wrong support adds more work, or worse, creates compliance problems.
At Lava Automation, we tailor every virtual assistant placement around your agency’s workflows. Each virtual assistant is trained, supported, and insurance-ready. That means you avoid retraining cycles, compliance risks, and costly turnover.
Before you decide, read: Choosing the Right Virtual Assistant Company for Your Insurance Agency. It compares leading provider types so you can choose the model that fits your agency best.
Frequently asked questions about virtual assistant costs
Are virtual assistants billed hourly or monthly?
Freelancers often bill hourly, while agencies and staffing firms use monthly pricing. Full-time models offer more predictability.
What hidden costs should I plan for?
Turnover, retraining, and compliance risks are common. Lava covers benefits, hardware, and holiday bonuses, so there are no surprise fees.
Can I start with one virtual assistant and scale later?
Yes. Many agencies begin with one virtual assistant and expand as they see results. Providers with structured training make scaling smoother.
Why do specialized agencies cost more than freelancers?
The higher price covers structured onboarding, compliance oversight, device security, insurance-specific training, and access to a large pool of high-quality candidates. These protections reduce risk and support long-term growth.
