The LATAM Workforce Index
2026 Edition · published 2026-08-21 · free to cite
Pick the right Latin American market before you commit a budget
Statutory employer burden, hiring speed, language supply, time zone alignment and the functions each market actually delivers well. Every market on this page is available on one SILA agreement, so choosing a country is a talent decision, not a vendor decision.
156 country and role cost rows, updated for 2026. Figures on this page are free to cite with attribution. Download the complete machine-readable dataset as CSV or JSON.
- Release
- Version 2026.1
- Records
- 156 role-market rows
- Provenance
- Stable source IDs per row
What is the LATAM Workforce Index?
A market by market comparison of the factors that decide where a role should sit in Latin America: statutory employer burden as a percentage of gross salary, verified onboarding speed, English supply, time zone overlap with the US, and the functions each country delivers best. Use it to shortlist markets, then run the planner for a costed hiring plan.
Compare 26 LATAM intelligence markets
Compare 26 LATAM intelligence markets. SILA can launch in 23 through one regional relationship. Venezuela, Cuba and Haiti begin with a feasibility review before SILA commits the operating route and price.
Burden is the statutory employer cost on top of gross salary. Speed assumes an identified candidate. Both feed the landed cost the planner produces.
| Market | Employer burden | Time to start | Time zone | Best fit functions | Delivery status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico | 28–40% of gross salary in statutory employer cost | 5–10 business days for an identified candidate | CST/CDT, full overlap with US business hours | Bilingual customer experience, Software engineering, Accounting & AP/AR | SILA launch-ready |
| Colombia | 30–50% of gross salary once benefits and parafiscales are included | 5–10 business days for an identified candidate | COT, aligned with US Eastern for most of the year | Bilingual support & CX, Financial analysis, Software and QA engineering | SILA launch-ready |
| Brazil | 55–75% of gross salary depending on sector and union convention | 7–15 business days for an identified candidate | BRT, 1 to 2 hours ahead of US Eastern | Software engineering, Data and analytics, Finance & controlling | SILA launch-ready |
| Argentina | 35–48% of gross salary in employer contributions | 7–12 business days for an identified candidate | ART, 1 to 2 hours ahead of US Eastern | Senior software engineering, Cloud & DevOps, Product design | SILA launch-ready |
| Costa Rica | 40–52% of gross salary including CCSS and reserves | 5–10 business days for an identified candidate | CST, full overlap with US Central | Finance & shared services, HR operations, Bilingual support | SILA launch-ready |
| Chile | 25–35% of gross salary including AFP, health and gratificaciones | 5–10 business days for an identified candidate | CLT/CLST, 1 to 2 hours ahead of US Eastern | Finance & accounting, Software engineering, Customer operations | SILA launch-ready |
| Peru | 32–45% of gross salary including CTS, EsSalud and pension | 5–10 business days for an identified candidate | PET, aligned with US Eastern for most of the year | Finance & accounting, Data analytics, Bilingual customer support | SILA launch-ready |
| Uruguay | 28–40% of gross salary including BPS and FONASA | 5–10 business days for an identified candidate | UYT, 1 to 2 hours ahead of US Eastern | Senior software engineering, Fintech & compliance, Customer success | SILA launch-ready |
| Ecuador | 22–32% of gross salary including IESS and decimos | 5–10 business days for an identified candidate | ECT, aligned with US Eastern for most of the year | Bilingual customer support, Back-office operations, Accounting support | SILA launch-ready |
| Guatemala | 24–34% of gross salary including IGSS and bonuses | 5–10 business days for an identified candidate | CST, full overlap with US Central | Bilingual customer support, Back-office operations, Accounting support | SILA launch-ready |
| Dominican Republic | 25–35% of gross salary including TSS and SFS | 5–10 business days for an identified candidate | AST, aligned with US Eastern for most of the year | Bilingual customer support, BPO operations, Back-office finance | SILA launch-ready |
| Panama | 26–36% of gross salary including CSS and CSS educativo | 5–10 business days for an identified candidate | EST, full overlap with US Eastern | Logistics coordination, Finance & accounting, Regional HQ support | SILA launch-ready |
| El Salvador | 24–34% of gross salary including ISSS and AFP | 5–10 business days for an identified candidate | CST, full overlap with US Central | Bilingual customer support, Back-office operations, Accounting support | SILA launch-ready |
| Honduras | 24–34% of gross salary including IHSS and RAP | 5–10 business days for an identified candidate | CST, full overlap with US Central | Bilingual customer support, Back-office operations, Data processing | SILA launch-ready |
| Nicaragua | 24–34% of gross salary including INSS and aguinaldo | 5–10 business days for an identified candidate | CST, full overlap with US Central | Back-office operations, Data entry & processing, Customer support | SILA launch-ready |
| Bolivia | 25–35% of gross salary including Caja de Salud and doble aguinaldo | 5–10 business days for an identified candidate | BOT/BOST, 1 to 2 hours ahead of US Eastern | Spanish-language support, Back-office operations, Accounting support | SILA launch-ready |
| Paraguay | 25–35% of gross salary including IPS and aguinaldo | 5–10 business days for an identified candidate | PYT/PYST, 1 to 2 hours ahead of US Eastern | Back-office operations, Customer support, Accounting support | SILA launch-ready |
| Venezuela | Structure-dependent; no standard employer-payroll benchmark | 3–7 business days for an identified contractor | VET, 1 hour ahead of US Eastern | Software engineering, Design and creative, Virtual assistants | SILA feasibility review |
| Cuba | Structure-dependent; no standard employer-payroll benchmark | 2–4 weeks for a vetted structure, case by case | CST, same as US Central | Software engineering, Creative and design, Research and analytics | SILA feasibility review |
| Haiti | Structure-dependent; no standard employer-payroll benchmark | 10–20 business days for an identified candidate through a managed partner | EST, same as US Eastern | Back-office support, Customer service (French), Data processing | SILA feasibility review |
| Suriname | 15 to 25 percent of gross salary in statutory employer cost | 10 to 15 business days for an identified candidate | SRT (UTC-3), one to two hours ahead of US Eastern | Dutch-language customer service, Back-office and finance support, Mining, energy and logistics support | SILA launch-ready |
| Guyana | 14 to 22 percent of gross salary in statutory employer cost | 10 to 15 business days for an identified candidate | GYT (UTC-4), aligned with US Eastern daylight hours | Oil and gas support, Logistics and supply chain, Finance and accounting | SILA launch-ready |
| Belize | 10 to 18 percent of gross salary in statutory employer cost | 7 to 12 business days for an identified candidate | CST (UTC-6), full overlap with US Central, no daylight saving | Native English customer service, Virtual assistance and admin, Tourism and hospitality support | SILA launch-ready |
| Jamaica | 12 to 20 percent of gross salary in statutory employer cost | 7 to 12 business days for an identified candidate | EST (UTC-5), no daylight saving, full US business-hours overlap | Contact center and customer experience, Collections and receivables, Healthcare support and claims | SILA launch-ready |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 10 to 18 percent of gross salary in statutory employer cost | 10 to 15 business days for an identified candidate | AST (UTC-4), aligned with US Eastern daylight hours | Energy and petrochemical support, Finance, accounting and audit, Regional shared services | SILA launch-ready |
| Puerto Rico | 18 to 28 percent of gross salary in statutory employer cost | 5 to 10 business days for an identified candidate | AST (UTC-4), no daylight saving, aligned with US Eastern | Bilingual customer experience, Healthcare and claims support, Financial services and compliance | SILA launch-ready |
Compare Salary and Landed Cost by Role
Choose a role to compare gross monthly salary, statutory employer cost and landed cost across 26 LATAM markets. Every range is specific to the selected role and spans junior through senior talent. Landed cost includes the published employer-burden range and SILA’s 15% baseline service-fee assumption.
Index salary figures are role- and market-specific gross monthly USD-equivalent planning bands. The country-level coverage envelope is not an average wage. Calculator baseline results use the midpoint employer burden and a 15% service-fee assumption; scenario ranges use the published salary, burden and fee bounds. Venezuela, Cuba and Haiti are SILA feasibility-review markets: they carry no standard employer-payroll burden and no standard landed-cost figure, so salary intelligence is published for them while employment cost is confirmed after a feasibility review.
Comparing: Bilingual customer support
Bilingual customer support in the US costs $42,000 to $58,000 a year fully loaded. Active SILA delivery markets first, sorted by landed cost, lowest first.
| Market | Gross monthly salary for bilingual customer support | Statutory employer burden | Planning landed cost per seat / month | Time to start | Delivery status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bolivia | $600 - $1,250 | 25–35% | $862 - $1,941 | 5–10 business days for an identified candidate | SILA launch-ready |
| Nicaragua | $650 - $1,400 | 24–34% | $927 - $2,157 | 5–10 business days for an identified candidate | SILA launch-ready |
| Paraguay | $650 - $1,400 | 25–35% | $935 - $2,174 | 5–10 business days for an identified candidate | SILA launch-ready |
| Belize | $750 - $1,600 | 10–18% | $949 - $2,171 | 7 to 12 business days for an identified candidate | SILA launch-ready |
| Jamaica | $750 - $1,600 | 12–20% | $966 - $2,208 | 7 to 12 business days for an identified candidate | SILA launch-ready |
| Ecuador | $700 - $1,500 | 22–32% | $982 - $2,277 | 5–10 business days for an identified candidate | SILA launch-ready |
| Suriname | $750 - $1,500 | 15–25% | $991 - $2,156 | 10 to 15 business days for an identified candidate | SILA launch-ready |
| Honduras | $700 - $1,500 | 24–34% | $998 - $2,312 | 5–10 business days for an identified candidate | SILA launch-ready |
| El Salvador | $750 - $1,600 | 24–34% | $1,070 - $2,466 | 5–10 business days for an identified candidate | SILA launch-ready |
| Guatemala | $750 - $1,600 | 24–34% | $1,070 - $2,466 | 5–10 business days for an identified candidate | SILA launch-ready |
| Peru | $750 - $1,600 | 32–45% | $1,139 - $2,668 | 5–10 business days for an identified candidate | SILA launch-ready |
| Guyana | $900 - $1,800 | 14–22% | $1,180 - $2,525 | 10 to 15 business days for an identified candidate | SILA launch-ready |
| Trinidad and Tobago | $1,000 - $2,000 | 10–18% | $1,265 - $2,714 | 10 to 15 business days for an identified candidate | SILA launch-ready |
| Colombia | $850 - $1,750 | 30–50% | $1,271 - $3,019 | 5–10 business days for an identified candidate | SILA launch-ready |
| Dominican Republic | $900 - $1,900 | 25–35% | $1,294 - $2,950 | 5–10 business days for an identified candidate | SILA launch-ready |
| Mexico | $1,000 - $2,000 | 28–40% | $1,472 - $3,220 | 5–10 business days for an identified candidate | SILA launch-ready |
| Argentina | $1,000 - $2,000 | 35–48% | $1,552 - $3,404 | 7–12 business days for an identified candidate | SILA launch-ready |
| Panama | $1,100 - $2,250 | 26–36% | $1,594 - $3,519 | 5–10 business days for an identified candidate | SILA launch-ready |
| Uruguay | $1,200 - $2,400 | 28–40% | $1,766 - $3,864 | 5–10 business days for an identified candidate | SILA launch-ready |
| Brazil | $1,000 - $2,100 | 55–75% | $1,782 - $4,226 | 7–15 business days for an identified candidate | SILA launch-ready |
| Chile | $1,300 - $2,600 | 25–35% | $1,869 - $4,036 | 5–10 business days for an identified candidate | SILA launch-ready |
| Costa Rica | $1,200 - $2,400 | 40–52% | $1,932 - $4,195 | 5–10 business days for an identified candidate | SILA launch-ready |
| Puerto Rico | $1,600 - $3,200 | 18–28% | $2,171 - $4,710 | 5 to 10 business days for an identified candidate | SILA launch-ready |
SILA feasibility review markets
Venezuela, Cuba, Haiti begin with a feasibility review before SILA commits the operating route and price. Structure-dependent; no standard employer-payroll benchmark, so these markets stay in the dataset as salary intelligence only and are never ranked against standard employment markets by landed payroll cost.
- Cuba: $550 - $1,100 gross monthly salary. Structure-dependent; no standard benchmark.
- Haiti: $500 - $1,000 gross monthly salary. Confirmed after managed-partner feasibility review.
- Venezuela: $550 - $1,250 gross monthly salary. Structure-dependent; no standard benchmark.
Every role at a glance
Landed cost per seat per month across the 23 SILA launch-ready markets, from the lowest-cost market to the highest, with the US annual reference for the same position. Feasibility-review markets are excluded so the range stays quotable.
Dataset coverage across six role families — not an average salary
| Role | Landed cost per seat / month | Lowest-cost active delivery market | US annual reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accounting & finance | $1,366 - $8,832 | Bolivia | $62,000 - $95,000 |
| Bilingual customer support | $862 - $4,710 | Bolivia | $42,000 - $58,000 |
| Executive & virtual assistants | $927 - $5,594 | Nicaragua | $48,000 - $68,000 |
| Healthcare back office | $1,070 - $6,182 | Nicaragua | $45,000 - $70,000 |
| Sales development | $1,070 - $7,066 | Nicaragua | $70,000 - $105,000 |
| Software engineering | $2,852 - $21,197 | Nicaragua | $120,000 - $185,000 |
Cite the LATAM Workforce Index
Published under CC BY 4.0. Journalists, analysts and AI assistants may reuse the figures on this page with attribution and a link.
SILA (Staffing in Latin America), "LATAM Workforce Index, 2026 Edition," published 2026-08-21. https://staffinginlatinamerica.com/latam-workforce-index
Methodology. 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. Salary figures are USD-equivalent monthly gross, before statutory employer burden and service fees. Employer burden is the statutory employer cost expressed as a share of gross salary. Landed cost adds burden plus a 15% blended service fee. Rows marked structure-dependent (Venezuela, Cuba and Haiti) are SILA feasibility-review markets: they publish no standard employer-payroll burden and no standard landed cost, because the employer cost depends on the engagement structure confirmed during the feasibility review. Salary intelligence is still published for them; employment cost is not. USD-equivalent, quoted at the rate on the verification date. Local-currency payroll moves with FX and statutory indexation.
Release scope. This release publishes role-by-market gross salary bands, statutory employer burden, employer cost and planning landed cost from one canonical dataset. It also adds stable source IDs to every row so each statutory assumption can be traced to the public source registry.
Every launch-ready statutory assumption resolves to the institution that administers the contribution or the labour code that creates the entitlement. Venezuela, Cuba and Haiti remain SILA feasibility-review markets: their employer cost is confirmed during the feasibility review, not published as a standard payroll benchmark.
Open the source registryRepublishing a table or chart? Paste this credit line under it.
<p>Source: <a href="https://staffinginlatinamerica.com/latam-workforce-index">LATAM Workforce Index 2026</a>, SILA.</p>Download the complete machine-readable dataset as CSV or JSON.
Want the same figures filtered to the roles you are hiring and your shortlist? Get your hiring benchmark.
Language supply and talent depth
Language benchmarks combine SILA screened-candidate and delivery data with EF EPI 2025 where country coverage is available.
Mexico
Strong bilingual supply in Monterrey, Guadalajara, CDMX, Mérida
MXN (contracts USD-referenced for senior roles)
Argentina
Latin America's highest-ranked market in EF EPI 2025, with strong professional English supply
ARS with USD-referenced compensation common
El Salvador
Growing bilingual supply in San Salvador for support and back-office roles
USD (dollarized)
Venezuela
Strong Spanish; English varies by role and individual
USD (de facto dollarized for remote work)
Cuba
Strong Spanish; technical English present but less common
USD/EUR/CAD depending on permitted payment channel
Haiti
French and Haitian Creole; bilingual English supply is limited outside professional services
HTG/USD
Suriname
Dutch official; strong English, Sranan Tongo and Hindustani
SRD (senior and expatriate roles USD-referenced)
Guyana
English official, native-level across the workforce
GYD (USD widely used for senior and energy-sector roles)
Jamaica
English official, with a strong voice and contact center workforce
JMD (contracts USD-referenced for senior roles)
Trinidad and Tobago
English official, native-level across the workforce
TTD (USD-referenced for senior and energy roles)
Get the Index applied to the roles you are hiring and your markets
The table above is the public data. Tell us the role and the markets you are weighing and we send the shortlist ranked for that role: salary band, statutory burden, landed cost per seat, confirmed time to start and the engagement model each market supports.
Get the Benchmark for Your Roles and Markets
Choose a role and the markets you are evaluating. SILA will send the salary range, statutory employer cost and landed cost per seat in one decision-ready comparison.
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Carry your shortlist into a workforce plan covering the model, cost drivers and next steps.
Sources and last verification
Last verified 2026-08-21. Every launch-ready statutory assumption resolves to the institution that administers the contribution or the labour code that creates the entitlement. Venezuela, Cuba and Haiti remain SILA feasibility-review markets: their employer cost is confirmed during the feasibility review, not published as a standard payroll benchmark.
mexico-01
Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS)Mexico. Employer social security contributions.
mexico-02
INFONAVITMexico. Housing fund employer contribution.
mexico-03
Ley Federal del TrabajoMexico. Aguinaldo, vacation premium and profit sharing (PTU).
colombia-01
Ministerio de Salud y Protección SocialColombia. Health (EPS) and pension employer contributions.
colombia-02
Código Sustantivo del TrabajoColombia. Prima de servicios, cesantías and interest, transport allowance.
colombia-03
SENAColombia. Parafiscal contributions.
brazil-01
Instituto Nacional do Seguro Social (INSS)Brazil. Employer social security contributions.
brazil-02
Caixa Econômica Federal — FGTSBrazil. FGTS employer deposits.
brazil-03
Consolidação das Leis do Trabalho (CLT)Brazil. 13th salary, vacation plus one third, union terms.
argentina-01
ANSESArgentina. Employer social security contributions.
argentina-02
AFIP / ARCAArgentina. Employer contribution rates and payroll filing.
argentina-03
Ley de Contrato de Trabajo 20.744Argentina. SAC (aguinaldo), vacation and severance entitlements.
costa-rica-01
Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social (CCSS)Costa Rica. Employer social insurance contributions.
costa-rica-02
Instituto Nacional de Seguros (INS)Costa Rica. Mandatory occupational risk policy.
costa-rica-03
Código de TrabajoCosta Rica. Aguinaldo, cesantía and vacation entitlements.
chile-01
Superintendencia de PensionesChile. AFP pension and disability employer cost.
chile-02
Dirección del TrabajoChile. Gratificaciones, severance and leave entitlements.
peru-01
EsSaludPeru. Employer health contribution.
peru-02
SUNATPeru. Payroll filing and employer contribution rates.
peru-03
Ministerio de Trabajo y Promoción del EmpleoPeru. CTS, gratificaciones and profit sharing.
uruguay-01
Banco de Previsión Social (BPS)Uruguay. Employer social security and FONASA contributions.
uruguay-02
Ministerio de Trabajo y Seguridad SocialUruguay. Aguinaldo, leave and severance entitlements.
ecuador-01
Instituto Ecuatoriano de Seguridad Social (IESS)Ecuador. Employer social security contribution.
ecuador-02
Ministerio del TrabajoEcuador. Décimo tercero, décimo cuarto and vacation entitlements.
guatemala-01
Instituto Guatemalteco de Seguridad Social (IGSS)Guatemala. Employer social security contribution.
guatemala-02
Ministerio de Trabajo y Previsión SocialGuatemala. Aguinaldo, Bono 14 and vacation entitlements.
dominican-republic-01
Tesorería de la Seguridad Social (TSS)Dominican Republic. Employer social security contributions.
dominican-republic-02
Ministerio de TrabajoDominican Republic. Regalía pascual, severance and vacation entitlements.
panama-01
Caja de Seguro Social (CSS)Panama. Employer social security and educational insurance.
panama-02
Ministerio de Trabajo y Desarrollo LaboralPanama. Décimo tercer mes and vacation entitlements.
el-salvador-01
Instituto Salvadoreño del Seguro Social (ISSS)El Salvador. Employer health contribution.
el-salvador-02
Ministerio de Trabajo y Previsión SocialEl Salvador. AFP pension, aguinaldo and vacation entitlements.
honduras-01
Instituto Hondureño de Seguridad Social (IHSS)Honduras. Employer social security contribution.
honduras-02
Régimen de Aportaciones Privadas (RAP)Honduras. Mandatory employer savings contribution.
nicaragua-01
Instituto Nicaragüense de Seguridad Social (INSS)Nicaragua. Employer social security contribution.
nicaragua-02
Ministerio del TrabajoNicaragua. Aguinaldo and vacation entitlements.
bolivia-01
Ministerio de Trabajo, Empleo y Previsión SocialBolivia. Aguinaldo, vacation and severance entitlements.
bolivia-02
Autoridad de Fiscalización y Control de Pensiones y Seguros (APS)Bolivia. Employer pension and risk contributions.
paraguay-01
Instituto de Previsión Social (IPS)Paraguay. Employer social security contribution.
paraguay-02
Ministerio de Trabajo, Empleo y Seguridad SocialParaguay. Aguinaldo and vacation entitlements.
suriname-01
Ministerie van Arbeid, Werkgelegenheid en JeugdzakenSuriname. Employment conditions and leave entitlements.
suriname-02
Belastingdienst SurinameSuriname. Payroll tax and employer contribution filing.
guyana-01
National Insurance Scheme (NIS)Guyana. Employer social insurance contribution.
guyana-02
Guyana Revenue AuthorityGuyana. PAYE and employer payroll obligations.
belize-01
Belize Social Security BoardBelize. Employer social security contribution.
belize-02
Belize Labour DepartmentBelize. Leave, severance and employment standards.
jamaica-01
Tax Administration JamaicaJamaica. NIS, education tax, HEART and NHT employer rates.
jamaica-02
Ministry of Labour and Social SecurityJamaica. Redundancy and leave entitlements.
trinidad-and-tobago-01
National Insurance Board of Trinidad and TobagoTrinidad and Tobago. Employer national insurance contribution.
trinidad-and-tobago-02
Inland Revenue DivisionTrinidad and Tobago. PAYE and health surcharge obligations.
puerto-rico-01
US Internal Revenue ServicePuerto Rico. FICA employer contributions.
puerto-rico-02
Departamento del Trabajo y Recursos Humanos de Puerto RicoPuerto Rico. SUTA, disability and statutory Christmas bonus.
venezuela-01
Ministerio del Poder Popular para el Proceso Social de TrabajoVenezuela. Employment framework reviewed during SILA feasibility review.
cuba-01
Ministerio de Trabajo y Seguridad SocialCuba. Engagement framework reviewed during SILA feasibility review.
haiti-01
Ministère des Affaires Sociales et du Travail (MAST)Haiti. Employment and social contribution framework reviewed during SILA feasibility review.
Machine-readable registry: latam-workforce-source-registry-2026.json
Frequently asked questions
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