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Hire a Virtual Assistant in Colombia, Live on US Eastern Time

A full-time Colombian virtual assistant who answers your email while you're still at your desk, runs your calendar, CRM and admin in English and Spanish, and works only for you. Tested on real admin tasks; 3–5 finalists in about 14 days.

Book a free hiring call →See an example week
  • UTC−5 all year
  • $1,000–$1,800/month typical VA pay
  • 500+ Latin America hires
  • 90-day replacement guarantee

The difference between a good VA and a great one is often just the clock. A Colombian assistant works the same hours as your East Coast team, so "can you move my 3 p.m.?" gets done before 3 p.m., not overnight.

Same clock as New York for half the year

0 hoursDifference from US Eastern from November to March. Colombia stays on UTC−5 and never changes its clocks.
1 hourBehind US Eastern from March to November, when the US moves to daylight saving time. A Bogotá 8:00 start = 9:00 in New York.

What your VA's week looks like

An example week for your virtual assistant, in US Eastern timeExample week for a Colombian VA working US Eastern hours: Mon: Inbox zero + week plan, Travel booking, CRM clean-up; Tue: Calendar triage, Vendor follow-ups, Invoice chasing; Wed: Research brief, Meeting notes, Customer emails; Thu: Expense reports, Scheduling, Data entry; Fri: Weekly report, Next week's calendar, Inbox zero.MonInbox zero + week planTravel bookingCRM clean-upTueCalendar triageVendor follow-upsInvoice chasingWedResearch briefMeeting notesCustomer emailsThuExpense reportsSchedulingData entryFriWeekly reportNext week's calendarInbox zero9–1111–22–5
Example week; you set the priorities. Tasks run in your tools: Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, your CRM, Slack and your project tool.

What a Colombian VA costs

Monthly cost: assistants in Colombia vs the USVirtual assistants in Colombia and Latin America typically earn $1,000–$1,800 a month and executive assistants $1,000–$1,800; a US administrative assistant costs about $5,700 and a US executive assistant about $9,100 a month with overhead.Virtual / admin assistant, Colombia & LATAM$1,000–$1,800Executive assistant, Colombia & LATAM$1,000–$1,800US administrative assistant, with overhead≈ $5,700US executive assistant, with overhead≈ $9,100
Talentige: typical full-time monthly pay for Latin America placements, including Colombia, depending on skills and experience. US: BLS May 2025 median × 2,080 × 1.43 ÷ 12 (secretaries and administrative assistants $22.86/hr; executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants $36.82/hr).
See the data as a table
HireMonthly cost (USD)
Virtual / admin assistant, Colombia & Latin America$1,000–$1,800
Executive assistant, Colombia & Latin America$1,000–$1,800
US administrative assistant, with overheadAbout $5,700
US executive assistant, with overheadAbout $9,100

You pay nothing until you hire, then a one-time fixed placement fee by role, with no retainer by default (a small optional retainer applies only if you want us to manage payment and admin monthly). You choose how your hire is paid: Talentige handles payment and management for a small monthly retainer, or you pay your hire directly with our guidance on the best option for their country (Wise, Remitely, a bank transfer or another local option).

English, city by city

Colombia's overall EF EPI 2025 score is 480, near the 488 global average, which is exactly why we test. Its main cities score higher, and the candidates we shortlist pass our written and oral English tests first.

518Bucaramanga
516Medellín
513Bogotá
506Barranquilla

EF EPI 2025 city scores. Colombia overall: 480 (#76 of 123).

Colombian working hours and holidays, explained

Colombia's maximum ordinary working week, 2023–2026Under Ley 2101 of 2021 Colombia's maximum ordinary working week for employees fell from 48 hours to 47 in July 2023, 46 in July 2024, 44 in July 2025 and 42 from 15 July 2026.48hBefore Jul 202347hJul 202346hJul 202444hJul 202542hJul 2026Axis starts at 36 hours
Maximum ordinary working week for employees under Ley 2101 of 2021.
See the data as a table
FromMaximum ordinary week
Before Jul 202348 hours
Jul 202347 hours
Jul 202446 hours
Jul 202544 hours
Jul 202642 hours

What this means for you. Colombia's 42-hour week, the prima de servicios (a mid-year and year-end bonus of 30 days' pay a year, Código Sustantivo del Trabajo Art. 306) and 18 public holidays, many moved to Mondays by the Ley Emiliani, are employee rules. Talentige hires join your team as full-time contractors under a government-stamped, locally compliant contract with an NDA. You agree the schedule, and your VA follows your holiday calendar apart from one or two local holidays you agree upfront. This isn't legal advice.

Admin hires at work

Immigration law−55% admin costs

A busy practice hired 2 legal administrative assistants for case tracking, document collection and appointment coordination, reducing administrative staffing costs by 55% and freeing its attorneys for legal work and consultations.

Shopify brand$38K recovered

A customer retention specialist and an order management assistant recovered $38K in sales over 90 days through customer reactivation, saved orders and proactive post-purchase outreach.

Talentige clients, anonymised, with the numbers as they reported them; client and hire locations not disclosed.

Abstract illustration of a weekly planner grid with coloured task blocks, an envelope and a calendar tile, in yellow, blue and green

How we test Colombian VAs

  1. Written and oral English (and Spanish when you want both).
  2. Inbox exercise: triage 20 emails, draft three replies in your tone.
  3. Calendar puzzle: reschedule a clashing week across two time zones.
  4. Tools task in Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, plus a CRM update.

Your first 30 days

WhenFocus
Week 1Access, a shared task list, inbox and calendar rules
Week 2Owns scheduling and follow-ups end to end
Weeks 3–4Adds CRM, travel, expenses or research; day-30 review

Every placement has a 90-day replacement guarantee. See more on virtual assistants, executive assistants, hiring in Colombia and Latin America, or read how it works. Run numbers in the overseas hiring cost calculator.

Get a VA who works while you do

Tell us your tasks, tools and hours. You'll meet 3–5 tested Colombian VAs in about 14 days.

Book a free hiring call →

Pay nothing until you hire · 3–5 vetted finalists · 90-day replacement guarantee

Colombian virtual assistant FAQs

How much does a virtual assistant in Colombia cost?
Virtual assistants in Colombia and Latin America typically earn $1,000–$1,800 a month through Talentige, and executive assistants $1,000–$1,800. A US administrative assistant costs about $5,700 a month with overhead.
What time zone is Colombia in?
UTC−5 all year, with no daylight saving time: the same as US Eastern in winter and one hour behind in summer.
Does the 42-hour week apply to my VA?
The 42-hour maximum under Ley 2101 applies to employees. Talentige hires are full-time contractors, and you agree their schedule in the contract.
Do I need to pay the prima de servicios?
The prima is an employee benefit under the Código Sustantivo del Trabajo. Your VA is a contractor; agree any bonus upfront and get advice for your situation.
Which holidays will my VA take?
Your holiday calendar, apart from one or two Colombian holidays you agree upfront.
How do I pay my Colombian VA?
You choose how your hire is paid: Talentige handles payment and management for a small monthly retainer, or you pay your hire directly with our guidance on the best option for their country (Wise, Remitely, a bank transfer or another local option).
How fast can I hire?
3–5 tested finalists in about 14 days, with a 90-day replacement guarantee.

Sources

  1. Colombia, Ley 2101 de 2021 (gradual reduction of the working week to 42 hours), modifying Código Sustantivo del Trabajo Art. 161. funcionpublica.gov.co
  2. Colombia, Código Sustantivo del Trabajo, Art. 306 (prima de servicios); Ley 51 de 1983 (Ley Emiliani, moving holidays to Mondays). secretariasenado.gov.co
  3. EF Education First, EF English Proficiency Index 2025 (123 countries and regions; global average 488). ef.com Colombia 480 (#76); cities: Bucaramanga 518, Medellín 516, Bogotá 513, Barranquilla 506.
  4. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national median hourly wages, via the BLS Public Data API: secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical and executive (43-6014) $22.86 (series OEUN000000000000043601408); executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants (43-6011) $36.82 (series OEUN000000000000043601108). bls.gov
  5. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employer Costs for Employee Compensation – June 2026 (released September 9, 2026), private industry: total compensation $46.89 per hour worked, wages and salaries $32.82. Multiplier 46.89 ÷ 32.82 = 1.43. bls.gov
  6. Client results: Talentige client engagements, anonymised at the client's request; figures as reported by the client.
  7. Talentige placement data (as of October 2026): 1,750+ hires in total, including 500+ in Morocco, 250+ in Egypt, 500+ in the Philippines and 500+ across Latin America; a recruitment team of 10–15 people; typical monthly pay ranges, timelines, screening process, holiday arrangements and payment options are based on Talentige placements.
  8. Time zones: IANA time zone database (America/Bogota, America/New_York).