The Hidden Costs of an In-House Administrative Hire

Part of our guide: How much can an offshore assistant save you?

When leaders compare an in-house assistant with an offshore one, they often compare salary to a provider quote. That understates the in-house cost. This article is part of our cost-savings guide.

How much do benefits add?

For US private-industry workers, benefits averaged $13.58 of $45.65 per hour worked, or 29.8% of total compensation, in June 2025 (BLS). That includes paid leave, insurance, retirement contributions and legally required benefits such as Social Security, Medicare and unemployment insurance.

What other costs are easy to miss?

• Recruiting: job-board posts, recruiter fees if used, and the hours your team spends interviewing.
• Onboarding time: weeks of reduced output while the new hire ramps.
• Equipment and software: laptop, monitors, licenses.
• Space: desk, utilities and office services if they work on site.
• Management and HR admin: payroll processing, reviews, compliance.
• Turnover: if they leave, you pay much of the above again.

Is an offshore assistant always cheaper?

Not automatically. A managed offshore assistant removes most recruiting, equipment and turnover cost and usually costs less in total, but you still spend management time, and some roles need to be on site. Compare like for like: a dedicated full-time person against a dedicated full-time person.

How do you compare fairly?

List every cost line for both options over 12 months, including your time. Our savings formula and cost calculator help. For context on wages, see our sourced statistics page.