How to Raise Your Rates as a Virtual Assistant (And Actually Feel Good About It)
Updated: Aug 13
You’ve been at the same rate for two years. Your skills have grown. Your experience has grown. The value you bring has grown. And yet every time you sit down to write the email that tells your client your rate is changing, something stops you.
Your stomach drops. You second-guess yourself. You wonder whether this will be the thing that ends the relationship. So you close the draft and tell yourself you’ll do it next month.
Raising your rates is partly a business decision — but for many Virtual Assistants, it is also a confidence and self-worth conversation. Let’s talk about both.
Signs It May Be Time to Revisit Your Rates
· You are consistently at capacity, but your income no longer reflects the demand on your time.
· Your responsibilities have expanded well beyond the work you originally priced.
· You have added meaningful skills, tools, experience, or specialization.
· Your expenses and the cost of doing business have changed.
· You regularly feel resentment because your compensation no longer seems to match your contribution.
One sign alone does not dictate a rate increase. But if several are true, it is worth reviewing your pricing intentionally rather than leaving it untouched because the conversation feels uncomfortable.
The Mindset Block That Can Keep You Underpriced
Scarcity can sound surprisingly practical: If I charge more, I’ll lose clients. There aren’t enough good clients. I should be grateful for what I have. I’m not established enough yet.
Sometimes those thoughts reflect real business considerations. Sometimes they are fear doing a very convincing impression of strategy.
Imposter syndrome can join the conversation too. A number starts feeling like a verdict on your worth, and suddenly changing your rate feels as though you are claiming something you have not earned.
Your rate is not a measurement of your worth as a human being. It is a business decision based on your services, experience, market, scope, costs, and the value of the work.
How Much Should You Raise Your Rate?
There is no universal percentage that is right for every VA, client, market, or contract. Instead of choosing a number because someone online said it was “standard,” look at the full picture.
Review your current scope. Look at the responsibilities you actually perform, not only what the original agreement says.
Benchmark thoughtfully. Compare your services with professionals who have similar experience and specialization, and consider your own market and client type.
Know your minimum. Account for taxes, software, non-billable time, benefits you fund yourself, and the income you need your business to produce.
For new clients, price from where your business is now — not automatically from the rate you happened to charge years ago.
How to Tell Your Current Clients
Keep the message warm, clear, and professional. You are communicating a business update, not asking permission to have a business.
A Warm Client Template
Subject: A note on our work together
Hi [Name],
I really value the work we’ve built together and wanted to give you advance notice of an update to my rates, effective [date].
Starting [date], my rate will be [new rate]. This reflects the current scope of my work and the growth of my business.
I’m committed to the same quality and reliability you’ve come to expect. If you’d like to talk through scope or timing, I’m happy to connect.
Thank you for the trust you’ve placed in my work.
[Your name]
A More Formal Version
Subject: Rate update — effective [date]
Hi [Name],
I’m writing to let you know that my rate will be updating as of [date]. My new rate will be [new rate]. I’m providing advance notice so you have time to plan accordingly.
If you would like to discuss scope or volume before the change takes effect, I’m glad to connect.
I look forward to continuing our work together.
[Your name]
What to Expect
Some clients will stay. Some may want to discuss scope. A few may decide the new rate no longer fits their budget. None of those responses automatically means you made the wrong decision.
The goal is not to force every client to remain. It is to build a business where the work, compensation, energy, and relationships make sense together.
If one client leaving would put your business in immediate danger, that is useful information too. It may mean the first step is strengthening your pipeline or financial cushion before making a major pricing change.
When the Inner Work Matters Most
The email may take ten minutes. Believing you are allowed to send it can take much longer.
This is where Joy-First work becomes practical. Abundance is not pretending money does not matter. It is learning to make business decisions from clarity and self-respect rather than letting fear make every decision for you.
You can value your clients and value yourself at the same time.
Not Sure Where to Begin?
If something in this article felt familiar, my free Energy Audit & Permission Practices Worksheet is a simple place to start. Take a few quiet minutes to notice what is giving you energy, what may be draining it, and where you might be ready to make a change.
Comments