I've had people question my rates before, and they really aren't high at all. Often people who have never had employees don't realize the costs associated with employees. That's why I'm considering adding a page to my site that points out the cost of an employee, so that they can see those VA rates aren't so bad after all.

Also, minimum wage is actually designed for starting out, unskilled labor wages. It's not for skilled work, or at least it shouldn't be.

If I were to go apply for a job using the skills that I use as a VA, I certainly would not ever accept minimum wage, which is $7.40 an hour in my state. Ten years ago, when I was working in an office setting, the starting wage for an administrative assistant was $12.50. I'd certainly expect to be paid more than that.

The cost of an employee can easily run double what their wages are, and those who have never paid an employee just don't quite get that.