Report · Updated November 2026
Remote Talent Cost Report 2026
What full-time talent costs in the US compared with Latin America, Eastern Europe, South Africa and Asia, across 55 roles. Free to cite with a link to this page.
60%median salary gap, Latin America vs US
65%Eastern Europe & South Africa vs US
75%Philippines & India vs US
55roles benchmarked
Key findings
What the numbers say
- Across 55 roles, a mid-level hire in Latin America earns a median 60% less than the same role in the US. In Eastern Europe and South Africa the median gap is 65%, and in the Philippines and India 75%.
- The gap is widest in sales (65% median) and narrowest in assistants (47%).
- In dollar terms, the biggest annual salary differences are for back-end developers, full-stack developers and data scientists, where a mid-level hire in Latin America costs $127,200, $106,800 and $91,300 less per year.
- Seniority matters: the median gap for senior hires is 55%, versus 63% for juniors, so experienced remote talent is still well below US rates.
- Salary isn't the whole cost. US employers typically add around 25% in payroll taxes and benefits. When we employ the hire for you, local employer costs are included in a flat monthly fee, which widens the real gap further.
By function
Median salary gap, Latin America vs US
Mid-level roles, grouped by function.
Full data
Mid-level salaries by role and region
Annual full-time salary in USD, before employer costs or fees. Eastern Europe is benchmarked at South Africa levels.
| Role | US | Latin America | E. Europe & S. Africa | Philippines / India |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assistants | ||||
| Virtual Assistant | $48,400 | $33,000 | $30,000 | $20,400 |
| Executive Assistant | $77,000 | $32,400 | $26,400 | $18,000 |
| Real Estate Assistant | $52,800 | $26,400 | $18,500 | $15,800 |
| Data Entry Specialist | $42,400 | $22,400 | $16,400 | $14,500 |
| Medical Virtual Assistant | $45,000 | $24,000 | $20,400 | $15,000 |
| Customer Service | ||||
| Customer Support Representative | $68,800 | $27,000 | $24,000 | $18,000 |
| Chat Support Agent | $52,800 | $23,800 | $16,400 | $15,800 |
| Technical Support Specialist | $60,000 | $30,000 | $27,600 | $19,200 |
| Appointment Setter | $50,000 | $22,800 | $20,400 | $15,600 |
| Dispatcher | $50,000 | $22,800 | $20,400 | $15,000 |
| Sales | ||||
| Sales Development Rep (SDR) | $65,000 | $27,600 | $25,200 | $16,800 |
| Sales Representative | $99,000 | $30,000 | $30,000 | $20,400 |
| Account Manager / Executive | $110,000 | $29,000 | $35,600 | $18,500 |
| Sales Manager | $125,000 | $50,400 | $48,000 | $32,400 |
| Finance & Legal | ||||
| Bookkeeper | $66,000 | $30,000 | $26,400 | $21,600 |
| Accountant | $77,000 | $42,000 | $36,000 | $24,000 |
| Payroll Specialist | $62,000 | $27,600 | $25,200 | $18,000 |
| Financial Analyst | $92,000 | $38,400 | $36,000 | $22,800 |
| Underwriter | $58,000 | $36,400 | $18,500 | $17,500 |
| Paralegal | $62,000 | $26,400 | $24,000 | $15,600 |
| Legal Consultant | $110,000 | $39,600 | $33,000 | $17,000 |
| Technology | ||||
| Website Developer | $96,200 | $48,000 | $36,000 | $27,000 |
| Front-End Developer | $120,000 | $39,600 | $36,000 | $34,800 |
| Back-End Developer | $180,000 | $52,800 | $39,600 | $37,200 |
| Full-Stack Developer | $166,800 | $60,000 | $42,000 | $36,000 |
| Software Engineer | $121,000 | $56,200 | $35,600 | $34,300 |
| Mobile App Developer | $135,000 | $52,800 | $42,000 | $33,600 |
| DevOps Engineer | $145,000 | $54,000 | $45,600 | $36,000 |
| QA Tester | $85,000 | $32,400 | $27,600 | $18,000 |
| Network Engineer | $104,500 | $43,600 | $31,700 | $19,800 |
| Data Analyst | $121,000 | $46,200 | $26,400 | $19,800 |
| Data Scientist | $137,500 | $46,200 | $42,800 | $23,200 |
| Shopify Specialist | $88,000 | $29,000 | $28,600 | $21,100 |
| Creative | ||||
| Graphic Designer | $85,200 | $30,000 | $26,400 | $21,000 |
| Video Editor | $82,600 | $30,000 | $30,000 | $21,600 |
| Motion Designer | $85,000 | $33,600 | $30,000 | $22,800 |
| UI/UX Designer | $100,000 | $39,600 | $34,800 | $24,000 |
| 3D Modeler | $99,000 | $33,000 | $21,100 | $17,200 |
| Marketing | ||||
| Marketing Manager | $105,000 | $43,200 | $40,800 | $25,200 |
| Social Media Manager | $93,500 | $30,000 | $26,400 | $20,400 |
| Content Writer | $82,600 | $24,000 | $26,400 | $20,400 |
| Copywriter | $78,000 | $28,800 | $27,600 | $19,200 |
| SEO Specialist | $88,000 | $30,000 | $25,200 | $21,000 |
| PPC / Paid Media Specialist | $80,000 | $31,200 | $30,000 | $19,200 |
| Digital Campaign Manager | $88,000 | $30,400 | $35,600 | $18,500 |
| Email Marketing Specialist | $82,600 | $24,000 | $19,200 | $15,600 |
| Influencer Marketing Manager | $93,500 | $33,000 | $22,800 | $15,800 |
| Marketing Analyst | $110,000 | $30,400 | $21,400 | $15,800 |
| Amazon / Etsy Store Manager | $55,000 | $26,400 | $28,600 | $18,500 |
| Operations | ||||
| Project Manager | $88,000 | $33,000 | $30,000 | $24,000 |
| Operations Manager | $95,000 | $40,800 | $38,400 | $25,200 |
| Recruiter | $68,000 | $30,000 | $27,600 | $18,000 |
| HR Generalist | $70,000 | $31,200 | $28,800 | $19,200 |
| Property Manager | $52,800 | $36,000 | $28,800 | $22,200 |
| Systems Administrator | $99,000 | $39,600 | $27,700 | $19,800 |
Methodology
Where these figures come from
These are Virtual Workforce Agency's salary benchmarks, the same ones behind the calculators on this site. They're the working benchmarks we use when scoping full-time remote roles with clients. Figures are rounded ballparks for mid-level hires (3 to 5 years' experience) and move with demand, so treat them as a starting point, not a quote. Junior and senior ranges for each role are in our country and role guides.
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