What Is A Virtual Assistant?
A virtual assistant handles recurring administrative work remotely, so a founder or executive gets time back. The job covers inbox and calendar management, scheduling, data entry, research, and light coordination across tools. A good VA cuts down the number of small decisions and follow-ups landing on the person they support.
A note on scope: some teams use "virtual assistant" as a catch-all for remote marketing or customer support work too. This page covers the generalist, administrative flavor, which is what most people mean by default.
- Also called
- Remote EA, Admin Assistant
- Reports to
- Founder, executive, or operations manager
- Works on
- Inbox, calendar, scheduling, data entry
- Measured on
- Response time, task completion, accuracy
What A Virtual Assistant Actually Does
- 01 · Inbox & CalendarManages inbox and calendar so the person they support stops context-switching all day
- 02 · SchedulingHandles scheduling and coordination across time zones without three rounds of email
- 03 · Data EntryKeeps data entry, CRM updates, and recurring reports current and accurate
- 04 · ResearchDoes first-pass research and pulls the relevant information together before a decision is needed
- 05 · EscalationFlags what actually needs a decision instead of guessing quietly or letting it sit
Virtual Assistant Vs. Similar Roles
| Role | Main focus | Primary metric |
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Assistant | Recurring admin and coordination | Task completion, response time |
| Executive Assistant | Direct support to one executive, higher judgment calls | Calendar accuracy, time saved |
| Operations Coordinator | Process and cross-team logistics | Process throughput, error rate |
| Customer Support Specialist | Resolving individual customer tickets | Response and resolution time |
The line people blur most is VA versus executive assistant. It comes down to judgment and scope: an EA usually supports one senior person and makes calls on their behalf, while a VA runs a defined list of recurring tasks, often across more than one person.
Skills To Screen For
Interview Questions Worth Asking
Hiring A Virtual Assistant In Latin America
How Much Of The Workday You’d Share
Bogota, Mexico City, Sao Paulo, and Buenos Aires don’t change their clocks, so the overlap shifts when yours does. Times shown are in your team’s time zone. National English-proficiency averages vary by market too: Argentina ranks in EF’s "High" band globally, while Colombia, Mexico, and Brazil sit in the "Low" band. Screen every candidate’s spoken English directly rather than assuming by country.
What It Costs
| Country | Entry level (1-3 yrs) | Senior (6+ yrs) |
|---|---|---|
| Colombia | $8K/yr | $17K/yr |
| Mexico | $9K/yr | $21K/yr |
| Brazil | $8K/yr | $16K/yr |
| Argentina | $8K/yr | $18K/yr |
Typical time from kickoff to signed offer. LatamCent delivers 3 to 5 candidate profiles in the first 10 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
It comes down to judgment and scope. An executive assistant usually supports one senior person and makes calls on their behalf. A virtual assistant runs a defined list of recurring tasks, inbox, calendar, data entry, scheduling, often across more than one person.
Not always. Some teams use it as a catch-all for remote marketing or customer support work too. This page covers the generalist, administrative version, which is what most people mean by default.
Business-level written and spoken English, comfort picking up new tools without hand-holding, and the ability to track open loops without being reminded. Ask them to write a short email on your behalf as part of the interview.
US-based VAs average around $51K a year, with a typical range of $42K to $57K. Mid-to-senior VAs in Latin America typically run $10K to $13K a year, roughly 78% less.
Most searches run 21 days from kickoff to a signed offer, with 3 to 5 candidate profiles delivered in the first 10 days.
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