Time Etc publishes its pricing. As of July 2026, plans run from $390/mo for 10 hours (about $39/hr) up to $2,160/mo for 60 hours (about $36/hr), with a dedicated US-based assistant, no setup fee, and month-to-month billing. That is a clean, transparent option for light part-time support. But it is priced per hour: at $36 to $39/hr, a full-time month (about 160 hours) would run roughly $5,800 to $6,200. A full-time South African placement through a firm like VirtuHire US covers most of the same admin, EA, and bookkeeping work for $1,200 to $2,800/mo full-time, with native English and US-morning overlap. Time Etc still wins when you only need a handful of hours a month and want a US-based assistant.
What Time Etc charges in 2026
Credit where it is due: Time Etc is transparent. It lists its plans and per-hour rates publicly, so you do not need a discovery call to see the numbers. Here are the published plans as of July 2026.
| Plan | Monthly cost | Effective rate |
|---|---|---|
| 10 hours / month | $390/mo | ~$39/hr |
| 20 hours / month | $760/mo | ~$38/hr |
| 40 hours / month | $1,480/mo | ~$37/hr |
| 60 hours / month | $2,160/mo | ~$36/hr |
Every plan includes a dedicated US-based assistant, expert matching, the ability to add or share assistants at no extra cost, and a satisfaction guarantee. There is no setup fee, billing is month-to-month, and on the 20-hour plan and above unused hours roll over to the next month. Larger custom plans are available through a consultation. These figures are Time Etc's published rates as of July 2026; verify current pricing on the Time Etc website before you sign, since plans can change.
The number that matters is the per-hour rate: $36 to $39/hr. Time Etc is priced like the skilled US part-time help it is. For light, occasional work that is reasonable. The moment your real need is closer to full-time, multiply that hourly rate by a full month and compare it to a full-time offshore salary. That is where the gap opens up.
What Time Etc's model includes
You are buying transparent, US-based part-time support with light management built in. Here is what sits inside the rate.
- US-based assistants. Time Etc staffs domestic VAs. This is the core of the value and the reason the per-hour number sits where it does.
- Expert matching. Time Etc matches you to an assistant based on your needs, so you are not sorting applicants yourself.
- Dedicated assistant. You work with the same person on your plan rather than a rotating pool, though their hours are part-time and split across a small number of clients.
- Add or share at no extra cost. You can bring in an additional specialist assistant or share your hours across your team without a fee bump.
- Hours rollover. On the 20-hour plan and above, unused hours carry to the next month, which softens the risk of overbuying.
- Satisfaction guarantee, cancel anytime. Month-to-month with no long lock-in, and a satisfaction guarantee on the work.
That is a clean, low-friction package. The question is not whether Time Etc is good. It is whether a part-time US hourly model is the right shape for the amount of work you actually have.
Who Time Etc fits
Time Etc is a strong fit for a specific buyer, and an expensive one for another. Knowing which you are saves real money.
Time Etc fits you if:
- You need only a small block of hours each month (10 to 40) and do not want to manage a full-time person.
- You specifically want a US-based assistant for domestic-preference or simplicity reasons.
- You value published, no-negotiation pricing and month-to-month flexibility.
- Your workload is light or spiky rather than a consistent full-day-every-day load.
Time Etc is the wrong tool if:
- You need something close to full-time coverage. At $36 to $39/hr, full-time hours get very expensive very fast.
- You want a dedicated person online for your whole workday who deeply learns your business.
- Cost per delivered hour is the number that decides whether the hire pencils out.
- Your role has no actual US-residency requirement, so you are not obligated to pay US rates.
If you landed in the second list, you are the buyer the rest of this guide is written for.
The offshore alternative: full-time South African staff
For a consistent daily workload, a full-time offshore hire delivers far more hours for less money. The trade is simple: you give up the US-resident requirement, and in return you get a dedicated full-time person, native English, US-morning overlap, and a much lower cost per hour.
South Africa is the market we work in, so here is the honest comparison rather than a sales pitch.
| Time Etc (published) | VirtuHire US (South Africa) | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | $390 to $2,160/mo (10 to 60 hrs) | $1,200 to $2,800/mo (full-time) |
| Hours | 10 to 60/mo (part-time) | Full-time, ~160/mo, dedicated to you |
| Effective rate | ~$36 to $39/hr | ~$7.50 to $17.50/hr |
| Staff location | United States | South Africa (EOR employed) |
| English | Native | Native or near-native |
| US timezone overlap | Full | 4 to 8 hrs (full US-AM overlap; shiftable) |
| Recruitment fee | None (bundled into hourly rate) | None |
| Replacement | Rematch / satisfaction guarantee | 30-day replacement guarantee |
The headline difference is structural. Time Etc sells you a block of a US worker's hours. A full-time offshore placement gives you a whole person who is yours, learns your systems, and is online for your morning block every day. The effective rate makes the point sharply: at $36 to $39/hr, Time Etc is priced for occasional help, while a full-time South African placement lands in the $7.50 to $17.50/hr range depending on role complexity.
Run the full-time math: if your real need is a full workday of support, Time Etc's 60-hour plan ($2,160/mo) still only covers about 60 hours. Scaling Time Etc to a full month of roughly 160 hours at its published rates would run about $5,800 to $6,200/mo. A full-time South African placement covers that same full-time month at $1,200 to $2,800/mo. That is the gap that opens once your hours grow.
Native English and US-hours overlap
The two reasons US buyers default to domestic part-time help are language and timezone, and South Africa neutralizes both. English is the dominant business language in South Africa and one of its official languages, so client-facing email, calls, and writing land at native or near-native quality. That is the biggest reason SA tends to fit EA, bookkeeping, and customer-facing roles better than markets where English is strong but accented.
On timezone, South Africa is 6 to 7 hours ahead of US Eastern Time depending on daylight saving. A standard SA workday covers most of the US East Coast morning, and firms commonly offer shifted schedules to cover later US hours when a role needs it. You get real-time overlap during the part of the day when most delegation actually happens, without paying US part-time rates.
How the economics actually compare
The right comparison is cost per delivered hour and per outcome, not the sticker price of the smallest plan. Run the math on your real role before deciding.
Say you need consistent daily support: inbox triage, calendar, vendor follow-up, light bookkeeping, and ad hoc projects. That is easily a full-time load. Through Time Etc at published rates, a full-time month runs roughly $5,800 to $6,200. Through a full-time South African placement at $1,800 to $2,200/mo, you get a dedicated person every workday, with morning overlap, no recruitment fee, and a replacement guarantee if the fit is off.
Now flip it. Say you genuinely need only 10 hours a month. No full-time offshore hire makes sense at that volume, and Time Etc's $390 10-hour plan is a clean, honest answer. The decision is not "which is cheaper overall." It is "how many hours do I actually need, and does the role require a US resident." Answer those first.
When Time Etc is the better choice
Time Etc beats offshore in a real and specific set of cases, and we would tell you to use them in those cases.
- You need very few hours. For 10 to 20 hours a month, Time Etc's low minimum gives you a real US assistant without hiring a full-time person. Offshore does not compete at that hour count.
- You want a US-based worker. If domestic staffing is a preference or a requirement, Time Etc delivers it with transparent pricing.
- You want zero management overhead. A part-time, matched, guaranteed assistant is genuinely low-friction for a light workload.
- Your load is spiky, not steady. Rollover hours and month-to-month terms fit an uneven workload well.
Outside those cases, once your hours climb toward full-time, the per-hour premium is the thing to watch.
How to decide in five minutes
Run this quick filter and you will know which direction to go.
- How many hours do you actually need per month? Under ~20 points to a part-time US model like Time Etc. Closer to full-time points to a dedicated offshore hire.
- Does the role legally or contractually require a US resident? If yes, stay with a US firm. If no, offshore is on the table.
- Is native English and US-morning overlap enough, or do you need a physical US presence? If overlap and language are the real needs, offshore covers them.
- Does cost per delivered hour decide the hire? At full-time volume, $36 to $39/hr versus a full-time offshore salary is a large gap.
Most founders who need steady daily support and are not bound by a residency requirement come out of this filter pointed at full-time offshore.
What VirtuHire US offers and the proof behind it
VirtuHire US places pre-vetted, full-time South African staff with US companies, and the parent brand's track record is the credibility anchor. Across the parent network there are 272 active clients, 750+ placements, and 93% retention based on internal data as of August 2025. Retention matters more than rate: a hire who stays beats a cheaper one who churns.
Pricing runs $1,200 to $2,800/mo full-time depending on role complexity, with no recruitment fee, EOR employment handled, and a 30-day replacement guarantee if the fit is wrong. Recent placements show the range: Carmen, an EA at $1,600/mo. Tom, a sales hire at $2,200/mo. Chantel, order processing at $1,200/mo. Eugene, a GTM engineer at $2,800/mo. Different roles, the same dedicated full-time structure.
If you want to talk through whether your specific role fits offshore or is better served by a few US part-time hours, book a 15-minute call here. If Time Etc is the right answer for you, we will say so.
A note on how this guide was built
Time Etc pricing in this guide reflects the plans published on the Time Etc website as of July 2026. Time Etc, unlike many US virtual assistant firms, lists its rates publicly. Pricing and packages can change, so confirm current Time Etc terms directly with Time Etc before signing.
VirtuHire figures are internal placement data (272 clients, 750+ placements, 93% retention as of August 2025) and current pricing bands. Where we cite a competitor number we frame it against its published source and tell you to verify it directly.
Last reviewed: July 2026
Pricing for third-party providers: Time Etc pricing is based on rates published by Time Etc as of July 2026. Verify directly with the provider before signing.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Time Etc virtual assistant cost in 2026?
Time Etc publishes its rates. As of July 2026 the plans run from $390/mo for 10 hours (about $39/hr) up to $2,160/mo for 60 hours (about $36/hr), with 20-hour ($760/mo) and 40-hour ($1,480/mo) plans in between. There is no setup fee, billing is month-to-month, and unused hours roll over on the 20-hour plan and above. Verify current rates on the Time Etc website, because pricing can change.
Does Time Etc publish its prices?
Yes. Unlike many US virtual assistant firms, Time Etc lists its plans and per-hour rates publicly on its website. The rates in this guide reflect the published plans as of July 2026. Larger custom plans are available through a consultation.
Is Time Etc full-time or part-time?
Time Etc is a part-time, hours-based model. You buy a block of 10 to 60 hours per month and your dedicated US-based assistant works across that block. If you need a full-time person online for your entire workday, a dedicated full-time offshore placement is a better structural fit and costs far less per hour.
What is a cheaper alternative to Time Etc?
For full-time needs, a full-time offshore placement is far cheaper per hour. A dedicated South African VA or EA through a firm like VirtuHire US runs $1,200 to $2,800/mo full-time (roughly 160 hours), versus Time Etc at $36 to $39/hr, which would be about $5,800 to $6,200/mo for the same full-time hours. You get native English and US-morning overlap in exchange for an offshore, not US-resident, hire. For very small hour needs, Time Etc's low 10-hour minimum is hard to beat.
How is Time Etc different from Belay?
Both are US-based part-time virtual assistant services, but Time Etc publishes its rates and starts at a lower minimum (10 hours from $390/mo), while Belay does not publish pricing and is commonly reported at a higher effective rate. Time Etc is the more transparent, lower-entry option; Belay positions as premium managed support. See our Belay pricing guide for that comparison.
When is Time Etc the better choice over offshore?
Time Etc wins when you need only a few hours a month, want a US-based assistant with no management overhead, or specifically require a domestic worker. Its 10-hour plan gives you a real US assistant for $390/mo, which no full-time offshore hire can match at that hour count. If you need full-time coverage, the per-hour math flips heavily toward offshore.
Related reading
- How much does a virtual assistant cost in 2026: full pricing breakdown by country and named provider.
- Belay virtual assistant pricing 2026: the premium US part-time comparison.
- Offshore executive assistant for US founders: dedicated EA pricing and engagement types.
- Offshore virtual assistants for US businesses: country and role overview with pricing.
- US vs South Africa salary report: US fully-loaded salaries vs South Africa retainers.
- VirtuHire US pricing: full-time South African placements from $1,200 to $2,800/mo.
- Best countries to hire virtual assistants in 2026: how South Africa compares on cost, English, and timezone.
Comparing Time Etc against a full-time offshore hire?
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