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Benchmark data

Latin America salary guide: what roles actually pay, by country

Salary and employer-cost benchmarks for six high-demand role families across 26 LATAM markets. Salary is only the first line of the cost, the statutory employer burden table below is what changes the answer to "which country should we hire in".

Produced by SILA Workforce Intelligence · Reviewed by SILA LATAM Delivery Practice · Updated 2026-08-21

Last verified 2026-08-21. 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.

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Every figure here comes from the same verified country dataset. See the 2026 LATAM Workforce Index for salary, statutory burden, landed cost, market fit and hiring speed across every market we serve.

What should a LATAM salary benchmark include?

A useful LATAM salary benchmark ties the role and seniority to a specific market, monthly USD-equivalent pay period, statutory employer burden and review date. SILA last verified this dataset on 2026-08-21. Use the calculator below to turn the benchmark into a landed team budget.

Salary and employer-cost source registry

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.

Machine-readable registry: latam-workforce-source-registry-2026.json

Monthly salary by role and country

Gross monthly salary, USD equivalent, before employer burden and fees. Ranges span junior to senior within each role.

RoleMexicoColombiaBrazilArgentinaCosta RicaChilePeruUruguayEcuadorGuatemalaDominican RepublicPanamaEl SalvadorHondurasNicaraguaBoliviaParaguayVenezuelaCubaHaitiSurinameGuyanaBelizeJamaicaTrinidad and TobagoPuerto Rico
Bilingual customer support$1,000–$2,000$850–$1,750$1,000–$2,100$1,000–$2,000$1,200–$2,400$1,300–$2,600$750–$1,600$1,200–$2,400$700–$1,500$750–$1,600$900–$1,900$1,100–$2,250$750–$1,600$700–$1,500$650–$1,400$600–$1,250$650–$1,400$550–$1,250$550–$1,100$500–$1,000$750–$1,500$900–$1,800$750–$1,600$750–$1,600$1,000–$2,000$1,600–$3,200
Software engineering$3,850–$9,000$3,300–$8,100$4,200–$9,400$3,850–$8,750$4,200–$9,400$4,400–$10,000$2,750–$6,900$3,850–$8,750$2,400–$6,250$2,200–$5,600$2,750–$6,900$3,300–$7,500$2,400–$6,250$2,200–$5,600$2,000–$5,250$2,000–$5,000$2,100–$5,250$1,650–$4,400$2,150–$4,950$1,950–$4,500$2,850–$6,750$3,450–$8,100$3,100–$7,200$3,100–$7,200$3,850–$9,000$6,150–$14,400
Accounting & finance$1,550–$3,750$1,300–$3,250$1,650–$4,000$1,450–$3,500$2,000–$4,250$2,000–$4,400$1,200–$3,000$1,750–$4,000$1,100–$2,750$1,100–$2,750$1,300–$3,250$1,650–$3,750$1,100–$2,750$1,000–$2,500$1,000–$2,400$950–$2,250$1,000–$2,400$900–$2,000$850–$2,050$750–$1,900$1,150–$2,800$1,400–$3,400$1,200–$3,000$1,200–$3,000$1,550–$3,750$2,500–$6,000
Executive & virtual assistants$1,050–$2,400$900–$2,100$1,050–$2,400$1,000–$2,250$1,300–$2,600$1,450–$3,000$750–$1,900$1,300–$2,750$700–$1,750$750–$1,900$900–$2,000$1,100–$2,400$750–$1,900$700–$1,750$650–$1,600$650–$1,500$650–$1,600$550–$1,400$550–$1,300$550–$1,200$750–$1,750$950–$2,100$850–$1,900$850–$1,900$1,050–$2,400$1,650–$3,800
Sales development$1,200–$3,000$1,000–$2,500$1,200–$3,000$1,100–$2,750$1,450–$3,250$1,550–$3,500$900–$2,250$1,450–$3,250$850–$2,100$900–$2,250$1,000–$2,500$1,300–$3,000$900–$2,250$850–$2,100$750–$2,000$750–$1,900$850–$2,000$650–$1,750$650–$1,600$600–$1,500$900–$2,250$1,100–$2,700$1,000–$2,400$1,000–$2,400$1,200–$3,000$1,950–$4,800
Healthcare back office$1,100–$2,600$1,000–$2,400$1,200–$2,750$1,100–$2,500$1,450–$3,000$1,650–$3,600$900–$2,100$1,550–$3,400$850–$2,000$900–$2,100$1,000–$2,400$1,300–$2,900$900–$2,100$850–$2,000$750–$1,900$750–$1,750$850–$1,900$650–$1,600$600–$1,450$550–$1,300$850–$2,000$1,000–$2,400$900–$2,100$900–$2,100$1,100–$2,600$1,750–$4,200

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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.

Markets you are evaluating

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Statutory employer burden by country

This is the multiplier applied on top of every salary above. It is mandatory, it is not negotiable, and it is the single most common omission in nearshore budgets. Venezuela, Cuba and Haiti are SILA feasibility-review markets: salary intelligence is published, but no standard employer-payroll burden and no standard landed cost is published, because the employer cost depends on the operating structure confirmed during the review.

Mexico

28–40%

IMSS, INFONAVIT, SAR, aguinaldo, vacation premium, PTU

Colombia

30–50%

Prima, cesantías + interest, EPS, pension, parafiscales

Brazil

55–75%

INSS, FGTS, 13th salary, vacation + 1/3, union terms

Argentina

35–48%

SAC, social security, union funds, indexed reviews

Costa Rica

40–52%

CCSS, aguinaldo, cesantía reserve, INS risk policy

Chile

25–35%

AFP pension, health, gratificaciones, severance reserve

Peru

32–45%

EsSalud, CTS, gratificaciones, pension

Uruguay

28–40%

BPS, FONASA, aguinaldo, severance fund

Ecuador

22–32%

IESS, decimo tercero, decimo cuarto, vacation

Guatemala

24–34%

IGSS, aguinaldo, bono 14, vacation premium

Dominican Republic

25–35%

TSS, SFS, aguinaldo, severance, vacation

Panama

26–36%

CSS, CSS educativo, aguinaldo, vacation

El Salvador

24–34%

ISSS, AFP, aguinaldo, vacation

Honduras

24–34%

IHSS, RAP, aguinaldo, vacation

Nicaragua

24–34%

INSS, aguinaldo, vacation premium

Bolivia

25–35%

Caja de salud, aguinaldo, vacation

Paraguay

25–35%

IPS, aguinaldo, vacation

Venezuela

Structure-dependent; no standard benchmark

Contractor-based engagements; case-by-case structure

Cuba

Structure-dependent; no standard benchmark

Licensed engagement structure, not a statutory foreign-employer payroll; case-by-case routing

Haiti

Confirmed after managed-partner feasibility review

Managed-partner employment; employer cost confirmed after feasibility review

Suriname

15–25%

Pension, health insurance, vacation allowance, year-end bonus practice

Guyana

14–22%

NIS, PAYE, leave, severance accrual

Belize

10–18%

Social Security Board, leave, severance accrual

Jamaica

12–20%

NIS, NHT, education tax, HEART, redundancy reserve

Trinidad and Tobago

10–18%

NIS, health surcharge, PAYE, severance accrual

Puerto Rico

18–28%

FICA, local SUTA and disability, statutory Christmas bonus

Turn this benchmark into a budget for your actual team.

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Live workforce cost model

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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. 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. 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. 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. 4. Next step

    Build My LATAM Plan

    A SILA specialist confirms the salary band, employing structure and price in writing before anything is activated.

US in-house$176,700
Mexico with us$73,224

$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

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.

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Full breakdown by country, role and seat, sent as a forwardable model.

Built on Mexico for bilingual customer support, with salary by seniority, statutory line items and the employment structure.

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