Methodology · last reviewed 2026-08-15
Every number on this site, and exactly where it comes from
We publish strong numbers because we can show the inputs. This page is the registry: the data sources, the assumptions in each model, the scope of every commercial claim and the date each was last reviewed. Send it to procurement.
How does SILA calculate LATAM salary, employer burden and savings figures?
SILA publishes planning ranges, not quotes. Salary bands come from our own placement data and reviewed market bands; statutory employer burden comes from published contribution schedules per country; service fee, FX basis and the US baseline are stated as assumptions you can inspect and change. Every figure carries a last-reviewed date and is validated by a specialist before anything is signed.
The cost model, input by input
Gross salary
Role- and country-specific monthly bands from SILA placement data and reviewed market bands, adjusted by seniority. Markets where we cannot verify the band for that role are excluded from the picker rather than estimated.
Statutory employer burden
Published contribution schedules per country: social security, pension, mandatory bonuses, vacation and severance accruals. Mandatory benefits included, discretionary benefits excluded.
Service fee
12%–18% of landed employment cost depending on model, volume and market. Quoted exactly before signature.
Excluded pass-throughs
Equipment, workplace, background checks, one-time onboarding costs, immigration and severance reserves are itemised in the quote, not buried in the fee.
US baseline
Salary × 1.25 for payroll taxes, benefits and insurance. The calculator lets you replace it with your own fully-loaded figure, which is the number that should decide anything.
FX basis
USD-equivalent, quoted at the rate on the verification date. Local-currency payroll moves with FX and statutory indexation.
Source: SILA placement data, published statutory contribution schedules and reviewed market salary bands. Last verified 2026-08-15. Planning estimate, not a binding quote or legal, tax or immigration advice. Exact figures are confirmed against live market data for your roles.
Claim registry
Each claim we make in marketing, with the scope it applies to and what backs it. If a claim is not on this list, it is not one of ours.
| Claim | Scope | What backs it |
|---|---|---|
| One partner to build, employ, and operate your workforce across Latin America | Recruiting, staffing, EOR/AOR, payroll, managed teams, SOW delivery, workplace and market entry. | Delivered directly in our core markets and through governed in-country partners elsewhere. The route for your market is named in the agreement before signature. |
| 20+ markets across Latin America | Markets we will quote and staff today. | Direct local delivery in 13 markets, governed in-country partner delivery in 10 more, and a fast feasibility review anywhere else. You see which is which, country by country, before you sign. |
| One US-entity agreement, per-country work orders, consolidated USD invoicing | Available where the delivery route supports it; confirmed per market at contracting. | US contracting entity with country work orders. Coverage per market is disclosed in the work order schedule. |
| One hire or one hundred, no minimum headcount | All engagement models. | Commercial policy. There is no headcount floor and no forced conversion threshold. |
| Planning is free. Recruiting fees are due only when the hire starts | Recruiting and direct-hire engagements. Employment, payroll, managed-team and SOW services have their own commercial triggers, stated in the quote. | Standard fee schedule. |
| A named specialist replies within one business day | Every form and assistant submission on this site, US business hours. | Routed to a named owner at submission with escalation if unanswered. |
| 5–15 business days to onboard an identified hire | Typical range, after a signed order and complete worker documents, in a market where the delivery route is already live. | Observed onboarding times across SILA placements. |
| 2–6 weeks from search to placement | Professional roles with an agreed profile and interview availability. | Observed search cycle times. Executive and highly specialised searches run longer and are scoped individually. |
| Compliance accountability across direct and governed-partner markets | Every market we serve. | SILA owns the operating relationship and compliance governance. In direct markets we deliver through Gracemark infrastructure; elsewhere approved in-country partners deliver to SILA's standards. You know the contracting party, legal employer, payroll route and accountable owner before you sign. |
| Modeled savings versus a US in-house team | Planning model on the cost calculator and role pages. | Published salary bands and statutory burden ranges, a 12%–18% service fee, and a US fully-loaded baseline of salary × 1.25 which the buyer can replace with their own figure. |
Delivery status, market by market
Who the legal employer is and how we deliver in each market. Disclosed here, and again in your agreement, before you sign.
| Market | Delivery | Disclosure |
|---|---|---|
| Mexico | Direct local delivery | We contract with you directly and place the worker on a compliant local employment structure in Mexico. The exact contracting party and legal employer are named in your agreement before signature. |
| Colombia | Direct local delivery | We contract with you directly and place the worker on a compliant local employment structure in Colombia. The exact contracting party and legal employer are named in your agreement before signature. |
| Brazil | Direct local delivery | We contract with you directly and place the worker on a compliant local employment structure in Brazil. The exact contracting party and legal employer are named in your agreement before signature. |
| Argentina | Direct local delivery | We contract with you directly and place the worker on a compliant local employment structure in Argentina. The exact contracting party and legal employer are named in your agreement before signature. |
| Costa Rica | Direct local delivery | We contract with you directly and place the worker on a compliant local employment structure in Costa Rica. The exact contracting party and legal employer are named in your agreement before signature. |
| Chile | Direct local delivery | We contract with you directly and place the worker on a compliant local employment structure in Chile. The exact contracting party and legal employer are named in your agreement before signature. |
| Peru | Direct local delivery | We contract with you directly and place the worker on a compliant local employment structure in Peru. The exact contracting party and legal employer are named in your agreement before signature. |
| Uruguay | Direct local delivery | We contract with you directly and place the worker on a compliant local employment structure in Uruguay. The exact contracting party and legal employer are named in your agreement before signature. |
| Dominican Republic | Direct local delivery | We contract with you directly and place the worker on a compliant local employment structure in Dominican Republic. The exact contracting party and legal employer are named in your agreement before signature. |
| Guatemala | Direct local delivery | We contract with you directly and place the worker on a compliant local employment structure in Guatemala. The exact contracting party and legal employer are named in your agreement before signature. |
| Panama | Direct local delivery | We contract with you directly and place the worker on a compliant local employment structure in Panama. The exact contracting party and legal employer are named in your agreement before signature. |
| Ecuador | Direct local delivery | We contract with you directly and place the worker on a compliant local employment structure in Ecuador. The exact contracting party and legal employer are named in your agreement before signature. |
| Puerto Rico | Direct local delivery | We contract with you directly and place the worker on a compliant local employment structure in Puerto Rico. The exact contracting party and legal employer are named in your agreement before signature. |
| El Salvador | Governed local partner delivery | In El Salvador we deliver through a governed local partner under our contract, our service standards and our single point of accountability, so you still deal with one team. The partner and the legal employer are named for you before signature. |
| Honduras | Governed local partner delivery | In Honduras we deliver through a governed local partner under our contract, our service standards and our single point of accountability, so you still deal with one team. The partner and the legal employer are named for you before signature. |
| Nicaragua | Governed local partner delivery | In Nicaragua we deliver through a governed local partner under our contract, our service standards and our single point of accountability, so you still deal with one team. The partner and the legal employer are named for you before signature. |
| Bolivia | Governed local partner delivery | In Bolivia we deliver through a governed local partner under our contract, our service standards and our single point of accountability, so you still deal with one team. The partner and the legal employer are named for you before signature. |
| Paraguay | Governed local partner delivery | In Paraguay we deliver through a governed local partner under our contract, our service standards and our single point of accountability, so you still deal with one team. The partner and the legal employer are named for you before signature. |
| Jamaica | Governed local partner delivery | In Jamaica we deliver through a governed local partner under our contract, our service standards and our single point of accountability, so you still deal with one team. The partner and the legal employer are named for you before signature. |
| Trinidad and Tobago | Governed local partner delivery | In Trinidad and Tobago we deliver through a governed local partner under our contract, our service standards and our single point of accountability, so you still deal with one team. The partner and the legal employer are named for you before signature. |
| Belize | Governed local partner delivery | In Belize we deliver through a governed local partner under our contract, our service standards and our single point of accountability, so you still deal with one team. The partner and the legal employer are named for you before signature. |
| Guyana | Governed local partner delivery | In Guyana we deliver through a governed local partner under our contract, our service standards and our single point of accountability, so you still deal with one team. The partner and the legal employer are named for you before signature. |
| Suriname | Governed local partner delivery | In Suriname we deliver through a governed local partner under our contract, our service standards and our single point of accountability, so you still deal with one team. The partner and the legal employer are named for you before signature. |
| Haiti | Case-by-case, feasibility first | Haiti is handled case by case. We run a fast feasibility review covering sanctions, security, banking and employment structure, then tell you plainly whether we can deliver and what the cleanest alternative market would be. |
| Venezuela | Case-by-case, feasibility first | Venezuela is handled case by case. We run a fast feasibility review covering sanctions, security, banking and employment structure, then tell you plainly whether we can deliver and what the cleanest alternative market would be. |
| Cuba | Case-by-case, feasibility first | Cuba is handled case by case. We run a fast feasibility review covering sanctions, security, banking and employment structure, then tell you plainly whether we can deliver and what the cleanest alternative market would be. |
Statutory employer burden ranges currently published: Mexico 25–35%; Colombia 30–45%; Brazil 40–55%; Argentina 25–35%; Costa Rica 26–38%; Chile 25–35%; Peru 28–38%; Uruguay 28–40%; Ecuador 22–32%; Guatemala 24–34%; Dominican Republic 25–35%; Panama 26–36%; El Salvador 24–34%; Honduras 24–34%; Nicaragua 24–34%; Bolivia 25–35%; Paraguay 25–35%; Venezuela 15–25%; Cuba 15–25%; Haiti 20–30%; Suriname 15–25%; Guyana 14–22%; Belize 10–18%; Jamaica 12–20%; Trinidad and Tobago 10–18%; Puerto Rico 15–25%.
Review cycle
- Salary bands and burden ranges reviewed quarterly, or sooner when a statutory change lands.
- Delivery status reviewed whenever a market route changes, before it appears in a plan.
- Commercial claims reviewed with each pricing change.
- Every planner and calculator output is validated by a specialist before it becomes a quote.
Planning estimate, not a binding quote. Based on the role, country, seniority, language, employment model, headcount and market data shown. A SILA specialist validates live pricing and the legal-employer route before commitment.