Cost intelligence
What it actually costs to hire in Latin America
Salary is only the first line of the budget. Across the standard employer-payroll markets in SILA’s Index, statutory burden, mandatory bonuses and severance accruals add 10% to 75% to gross salary, enough to change which country produces the best landed cost.
Salary, statutory burden and landed cost per seat for any role in any LATAM market.
Know the number, then get the plan that makes it real
The calculator gives you landed cost per seat. The planner turns that into markets, engagement model and a launch and scale sequence.
Salary and statutory burden data for 20+ LATAM markets. Validated by a specialist before commitment.
Model your landed cost per seat
Pick the role, market and seniority. You see salary, statutory burden and total monthly cost against the US equivalent, instantly and without gating.
Live workforce cost model
Model your team
Change any input. The cost, market comparison and savings update immediately.
Ranked by verified role fit, talent depth and total workforce cost, not by lowest wage. Review-required markets are excluded and scoped with a specialist.
Leave blank to use our published benchmark ($58,900, salary plus 25% for payroll taxes, benefits and insurance). Put your real number in and the comparison becomes yours, not ours.
Your modeled outcome
$103,476
baseline annual saving on 3 mid bilingual customer support seats in Mexico. Modeled range $92,244 to $113,736 (52%–64% below the US in-house equivalent).
1. US hire
$4,908 / month
A mid-level bilingual customer support hire on your US payroll costs $4,908 a month fully loaded, salary plus payroll taxes, benefits and insurance.
2. LATAM landed
$2,034 / month
The same mid-level bilingual customer support hire in Mexico lands at $2,034 a month, salary, statutory employer burden and the SILA fee inside one number. Plan between $1,749 and $2,346 depending on the profile you approve.
3. Your gap
$2,874 / month · 59%
That is $2,874 a month and $103,476 a year on 3 seats, 59% below the US equivalent, with SILA as the accountable employer of record where the model requires one.
4. Next step
Build My LATAM Plan
A SILA specialist confirms the salary band, employing structure and price in writing before anything is activated.
$310,428
saved over 3 years
59%
lower annual workforce cost
5–10 days
typical onboarding once talent is selected
Plan on this
$2,034
per seat, per month
Mid salary, mid statutory burden, standard service fee. This is the number to take to finance.
Budget safely
$2,346
per seat, per month
Upper modeled range for these assumptions. Your reviewed quote confirms the final budget and any additional items.
Best case
$1,749
per seat, per month
Lower end of the published band with the leanest structure. Reachable when seniority and market allow it.
▸ Landed cost breakdown, $2,034 / seat / month
- Gross salary
- $1,320
- Statutory employer burden
- $449
- Service fee
- $265
- Team of 3, annual
- $73,224
Burden in Mexico: IMSS, INFONAVIT, SAR, aguinaldo, vacation premium, PTU.
- Salary band modeled: $1,220–$1,420 gross monthly at mid level.
- Statutory employer cost: 28%–40% of gross. Mandatory benefits included, discretionary benefits excluded.
- Service fee assumption: 12%–18% of landed employment cost. Pass-throughs (equipment, background checks, one-time onboarding, severance reserves) excluded.
- USD-equivalent, quoted at the rate on the verification date. Local-currency payroll moves with FX and statutory indexation.
- Regional execution, payroll and compliance are coordinated through one SILA relationship.
- Fit for this role: High confidence, Strong fit for this role, fully served by SILA.
- Source: SILA placement data and each country's published statutory contribution schedules (IMSS, DIAN and UGPP, INSS and FGTS, CCSS, IESS, IGSS, TSS, CSS, IPS, NIS, NHT, SSB and equivalents), cross-checked against PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries. Ranges include mandatory accruals: 13th and 14th salary, vacation premium, severance and CTS or FGTS provisioning, and statutory profit sharing where it applies. Last verified 2026-08-21. See the methodology and claim registry.
- Built from SILA's current country salary, statutory burden and delivery data. A SILA specialist confirms final pricing, employing structure and launch date in writing before activation.
Mexico statutory sources
- Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS): Employer social security contributions.
- INFONAVIT: Housing fund employer contribution.
- Ley Federal del Trabajo: Aguinaldo, vacation premium and profit sharing (PTU).
Source id mexico-01, mexico-02, mexico-03. Verified 2026-08-21.
What your reviewed quote contains
- Your requirement
- 3 x mid Bilingual customer support in Mexico · $2,034 per seat per month landed, USD
- Recommended market and model
- Mexico, with the engagement model confirmed for the role and the headcount. A relevant alternative market is priced beside it.
- Itemized components
- Gross salary by seniority, statutory employer cost, mandatory benefits, our fee and any pass throughs, shown as one landed monthly figure per seat.
- Responsibilities
- Who employs, who pays, who manages the work and who carries the compliance obligation in this market. For a managed team, BPO or build operate transfer scope, the operating scope, dependencies and ownership are set out instead of a per employee price.
- Next decision
- Approve the market and model, or ask us to price the alternative.
Turn this estimate into a country-by-country hiring plan with employment costs, recommended operating model and launch timeline.
Turn this benchmark into a budget for your actual team.
Connect the role and market to the employment model, total cost components and launch steps.
Every figure here comes from the same verified LATAM cost dataset. See the 2026 LATAM Workforce Index for salary, statutory burden, landed cost, market fit and hiring speed across every market we serve.
Employer burden by country
Indicative ranges above gross salary, before service fees. Actual burden varies with salary level, sector and union agreements.
| Country | Employer burden | Onboarding | Biggest cost driver |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico | 28–40% of gross salary in statutory employer cost | 5–10 business days for an identified candidate | IMSS social security |
| Colombia | 30–50% of gross salary once benefits and parafiscales are included | 5–10 business days for an identified candidate | Prima de servicios |
| Brazil | 55–75% of gross salary depending on sector and union convention | 7–15 business days for an identified candidate | CLT contract |
| Argentina | 35–48% of gross salary in employer contributions | 7–12 business days for an identified candidate | SAC (13th salary) |
| Costa Rica | 40–52% of gross salary including CCSS and reserves | 5–10 business days for an identified candidate | CCSS contributions |
| Chile | 25–35% of gross salary including AFP, health and gratificaciones | 5–10 business days for an identified candidate | AFP pension |
| Peru | 32–45% of gross salary including CTS, EsSalud and pension | 5–10 business days for an identified candidate | EsSalud |
| Uruguay | 28–40% of gross salary including BPS and FONASA | 5–10 business days for an identified candidate | BPS social security |
| Ecuador | 22–32% of gross salary including IESS and decimos | 5–10 business days for an identified candidate | IESS social security |
| Guatemala | 24–34% of gross salary including IGSS and bonuses | 5–10 business days for an identified candidate | IGSS social security |
| Dominican Republic | 25–35% of gross salary including TSS and SFS | 5–10 business days for an identified candidate | TSS social security |
| Panama | 26–36% of gross salary including CSS and CSS educativo | 5–10 business days for an identified candidate | CSS social security |
| El Salvador | 24–34% of gross salary including ISSS and AFP | 5–10 business days for an identified candidate | ISSS social security |
| Honduras | 24–34% of gross salary including IHSS and RAP | 5–10 business days for an identified candidate | IHSS social security |
| Nicaragua | 24–34% of gross salary including INSS and aguinaldo | 5–10 business days for an identified candidate | INSS social security |
| Bolivia | 25–35% of gross salary including Caja de Salud and doble aguinaldo | 5–10 business days for an identified candidate | Caja de Salud |
| Paraguay | 25–35% of gross salary including IPS and aguinaldo | 5–10 business days for an identified candidate | IPS social security |
| Venezuela | Structure-dependent; confirmed after feasibility review | 3–7 business days for an identified contractor | Contractor engagement |
| Cuba | Structure-dependent; no standard employer-payroll benchmark | 2–4 weeks for a vetted structure, case by case | Licensed engagement structure |
| Haiti | Structure-dependent; confirmed after managed-partner feasibility review | 10–20 business days for an identified candidate through a managed partner | Managed partner employment |
| Suriname | 15 to 25 percent of gross salary in statutory employer cost | 10 to 15 business days for an identified candidate | Social security and pension |
| Guyana | 14 to 22 percent of gross salary in statutory employer cost | 10 to 15 business days for an identified candidate | National Insurance Scheme (NIS) |
| Belize | 10 to 18 percent of gross salary in statutory employer cost | 7 to 12 business days for an identified candidate | Social Security Board contributions |
| Jamaica | 12 to 20 percent of gross salary in statutory employer cost | 7 to 12 business days for an identified candidate | National Insurance Scheme (NIS) |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 10 to 18 percent of gross salary in statutory employer cost | 10 to 15 business days for an identified candidate | National Insurance (NIS) |
| Puerto Rico | 18 to 28 percent of gross salary in statutory employer cost | 5 to 10 business days for an identified candidate | FICA and federal payroll taxes |
The eight lines every LATAM cost model needs
01
Gross salary benchmarked locally
02
Statutory employer contributions
03
Mandatory bonuses (13th, aguinaldo, prima)
04
Vacation and vacation premium
05
Severance / termination accrual
06
Benefits, equipment and connectivity
07
FX and indexation assumptions
08
Provider or employment service fee
Get your landed cost per hire
Send us the roles and target countries. We return a per-country landed cost breakdown, a confirmed start date and the employment model that fits.