Whether you're a Nairobi company hiring locally or an international founder hiring a remote operator from Kenya, "what should I pay?" is the question that stalls the decision. Here are the real 2026 numbers — both the local-employment view (KES) and the international-remote view (USD), by role and seniority. These are working-market figures, not agency markups.
Two important framings before the numbers: a salary range depends far more on seniority and scope of decisions handled than on title, and remote international engagements are usually priced as monthly retainers or hourly, not annual salaries.
Executive Assistant salary in Kenya
- Junior EA / VA (local, full-time): ~KES 40,000–80,000/month. Task execution — scheduling, data entry, light coordination.
- Mid-level EA (local): ~KES 80,000–150,000/month. Owns calendar, inbox, meeting prep, travel independently.
- Senior EA / EA to CEO (local): ~KES 150,000–300,000+/month. Board-pack assembly, stakeholder coordination, judgment-heavy work.
- Remote, paid by international clients: typically $8–25/hour or $1,200–3,500/month depending on hours and seniority.
For comparison, an equivalent senior EA in the US runs $80–120K/year — which is why founders abroad increasingly hire this role out of Nairobi. (Scope: Executive Assistant page.)
Chief of Staff salary in Kenya
- Full-time CoS at a funded company (local): commonly KES 350,000–800,000+/month depending on stage, scope, and equity.
- Remote / international: priced as a retainer; far below the US fully-loaded figure of $160–250K/year for the same operating discipline.
A Chief of Staff is paid more than an EA because they carry cross-functional accountability and strategic execution, not just the executive's day. (Scope: Chief of Staff page; the distinction is in Chief of Staff vs Executive Assistant.)
Fractional Chief of Staff cost
This is the model most sub-100-person companies actually want: senior CoS discipline, part-time. US fractional CoS rates commonly run $8,000–20,000/month for 10–25 hours a week. A senior Nairobi-based fractional CoS delivers the same operating system well below that range — which is the whole point of the model: you get the function at the stage it's most valuable, without a full-time executive salary. (See Fractional Chief of Staff and what the role does day to day.)
Operations Manager / Operations Partner
- Operations Manager (local, full-time): ~KES 150,000–400,000/month by company size.
- Fractional Operations Partner (remote): monthly retainer scaled to hours and scope.
(Scope: Operations Manager and Operations Partner.)
What actually drives the number
Three things move a quote far more than the title:
- Seniority of decisions handled — someone who can run your board pack and hold a CFO accountable costs more than someone who schedules meetings.
- Hours and commitment — fractional/part-time vs. full-time embedded.
- Format — local employment (with statutory costs) vs. remote contractor retainer vs. hourly.
How to budget it
Don't anchor on the lowest number — anchor on the seniority your bottleneck requires, then pick the format (hourly, monthly retainer, or project) that fits. The cheapest hire who can't hold accountability is the most expensive mistake.
Want a specific quote for your situation? Book a free 30-minute call — tell me the scope and I'll give you an honest range and the right engagement format, no pitch. For the broader cost picture across East Africa, see the East Africa cost guide.