Latin America is where US companies hire senior developers who work on their own hours. Brazil and Mexico have the largest pools, Argentina scores highest in the region on English, and Peru costs the least. A senior developer costs roughly $32,000 to $88,000 a year in USD, depending on the country. With Remote Crew, you see the first candidates within 48 hours of the briefing.
Last updated: November 2026.
We've placed 250+ developers at 70+ companies since 2019, from Portugal, the rest of Europe and Latin America. This page compares the eight Latin American markets we've written country guides for, so you can pick where to hire before you go into the detail.
Key takeaways
- Time zone is the main reason to hire here. Every country below is between two hours behind and two hours ahead of New York, so a US team shares most or all of its working day.
- Brazil and Mexico are the deep markets. Brazil has around 800,000 software developers and Mexico more than 700,000 tech professionals. Uruguay and Costa Rica have about 20,000 each.
- Senior salaries range widely. From about $32,000 to $46,000 a year in Peru to $64,000 to $88,000 in Mexico, in USD for US-facing roles.
- English varies by country and by person. Test it in a live call, not in writing.
- Most companies hire as contractors or through an Employer of Record. A local entity only pays off once you build a team in one country.
Latin American countries compared
Country | Developer pool | Senior developer (USD) | Time vs US Eastern | Best for |
Brazil | Around 800,000 software developers | About $40 to $45 per hour on USD contracts | 1 to 2 hours ahead (UTC-3) | The largest pool, with fintech and product experience |
Mexico | More than 700,000 tech professionals | $64,000 to $88,000 a year | 1 to 2 hours behind (Central Time) | Overlap with every US time zone, and an enterprise Java bench |
Colombia | Around 150,000 IT professionals | $55,000 to $78,000 a year | Same in winter, 1 hour behind in summer (UTC-5) | US Eastern hours all year, and a fast-growing pool |
Argentina | More than 120,000 software developers | $48,000 to $65,000 a year | 1 to 2 hours ahead (UTC-3) | The highest English scores in the region, and strong product engineers |
Chile | More than 60,000 software and IT professionals | $60,000 to $80,000 a year | 0 to 2 hours ahead, by season | Stability: an OECD member, first in Latin America on the Global Innovation Index |
Peru | No reliable count; most work in Lima | $32,000 to $46,000 a year (backend, gross) | Same in winter, 1 hour behind in summer (UTC-5) | The lowest cost with a full US overlap, if spoken English checks out |
Uruguay | 15,000 to 20,000 software developers | $46,000 to $64,000 a year (backend, gross) | 1 to 2 hours ahead (UTC-3) | Stable institutions and the highest IT skills density in the region, in a small pool |
Costa Rica | 20,000 to 22,000 developers | $52,000 to $72,000 a year (backend) | 1 to 2 hours behind (US Central, no daylight saving) | A full US overlap, plus security and cloud talent |
The figures come from our country guides, which cite their sources. Salaries are for US-facing roles and vary by role and company.
How to choose a country
- You need scale or a specific stack: Brazil or Mexico.
- The role talks to clients or leads a team in English: Argentina or Uruguay, with Costa Rica close behind.
- Budget comes first: Peru, then Argentina, with a live English check either way.
- Stability and compliance come first: Chile or Uruguay.
- You want the same hours as a US team: Colombia, Mexico, Peru or Costa Rica.
How to hire developers in Latin America
- As a contractor. The most common route. The developer invoices you, and you pay in USD. Watch each country's rules on treating contractors like employees; Brazil's are the strictest.
- Through an Employer of Record. The EOR employs the developer locally for you, with payroll and benefits handled. Useful when the developer wants employee status and you have no entity.
- Contract hiring with Remote Crew. We find the developer and employ them for you, for 20% of their monthly pay on top. You can cancel with notice. See contract hiring.
- Permanent placement. If you can employ the developer yourself, through an entity or an EOR, we charge a one-time fee of 15 to 20% of first-year gross pay, only when you hire. See permanent placement.
- Your own entity. Worth it once you build a larger team in one country.
Our pricing page has the details for each model.
Country guides
- Hire developers in Brazil: the largest pool, and the labor-law points to get right.
- Hire developers in Mexico: US Central hours and a deep enterprise bench.
- Hire developers in Colombia: US Eastern hours all year.
- Hire developers in Argentina: strong English, and how to pay in USD.
- Hire developers in Chile: the most stable market in the region.
- Hire developers in Peru: the lowest cost, and the statutory benefits to budget for.
- Hire developers in Uruguay: a small, stable, senior market.
- Hire developers in Costa Rica: US Central hours and security and cloud talent.
Frequently asked questions
Why hire developers in Latin America?
For US companies, the main reason is time zone: every major Latin American market shares most or all of the US working day. Add large pools in Brazil and Mexico, good English in Argentina, Uruguay and Costa Rica, and salaries well below the US.
How much does a senior developer in Latin America cost?
Roughly $32,000 to $88,000 a year in USD for a US-facing role. Peru is at the low end, then Argentina and Uruguay. Mexico, Chile and Colombia are at the higher end. In Brazil, a senior developer on a USD contract runs about $40 to $45 an hour.
Which Latin American country has the most developers?
Brazil, with around 800,000 software developers, followed by Mexico with more than 700,000 tech professionals.
What time zone are Latin American developers in?
Between UTC-6 and UTC-3. Mexico and Costa Rica are on US Central time, Colombia and Peru on UTC-5, Chile on UTC-4 or UTC-3 by season, and Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay on UTC-3.
Do Latin American developers speak English?
Many do, especially those already working for US companies. Argentina scores highest in the region on the EF English index, and Uruguay and Costa Rica also do well. In every country, check spoken English in a live call, because written screening can overstate it.
Hiring in Latin America?
Remote Crew is a developer-first tech recruitment agency based in Portugal. We help companies in Europe and the US hire mid-level and senior engineers from Portugal, Europe and Latin America. You see the first candidates within 48 hours of the briefing. Book a call or see how we hire developers.
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