Offshore Hiring Costs 2026: US vs Philippines vs LatAm

Key findings

1. U.S. private employers paid $54.00 an hour in total compensation for full-time workers in June 2026, of which $36.97 was wages and salaries. That is $1.46 for every $1 of pay.^[2]
2. Across the 13 roles in this report, U.S. median salaries run from $44,770 (customer service representatives) to $105,850 (computer systems analysts).^[1] With employer costs added, that is roughly $66,707 to $155,600 a year.^[1][2]
3. The average monthly wage rate in the Philippines was ₱21,544 (about $376) in 2024, and ₱29,310 (about $512) in Metro Manila.^[3][9] The U.S. median for all occupations was $4,248 a month.^[1]
4. 2026 monthly minimum wages, in U.S. dollars: U.S. federal $1,257, Mexico $498, Colombia $432, Brazil $290, and Metro Manila $286.^{[4][5][6][7][8][9]}
5. GDP per person in 2025 ranged from $4,171 in the Philippines to $90,027 in the U.S.^[10]

1. What a U.S. hire costs

Salary is only part of the bill. The BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation survey measures what private employers spend per hour worked. For full-time workers in June 2026, $17.03 of every $54.00 went to benefits: $4.40 paid leave, $4.58 insurance, $1.94 retirement, $2.35 supplemental pay, and $3.76 legally required benefits such as Social Security, Medicare, and unemployment insurance.^[2]

Employer cost multipliers by occupational group

Project coordinator and AI Implementation Specialist have no exact BLS occupation. We use project management specialists and computer systems analysts, the closest published codes, so those two rows read high.

2. Philippine wages

The Philippine Statistics Authority's 2024 Occupational Wages Survey reports average monthly wage rates (basic pay plus regular allowances) for full-time, time-rated workers in establishments with 10 or more workers, as of August 2024.^[3] Dollar figures use the World Bank's 2024 average rate of ₱57.29 per U.S. dollar.^[9]

Pay varies by sector. Workers in the information and communication industry averaged ₱43,676 (about $762) a month, about double the national average.^[3][9] The survey covers all full-time workers in establishments with 10 or more workers, not only remote roles for overseas employers, so pay for a specific remote role can differ.

3. Minimum wages in 2026: U.S., Philippines, and Latin America

Minimum wages are the legal floor, not the going rate for skilled remote work. They are the most comparable official figure across all five countries, so they show how far apart the labor markets start.

Many U.S. states and cities set a higher minimum than the federal rate.^[8] Mexico's northern border zone has a higher rate.^[5] Colombia's figure excludes the separate monthly transport allowance.^[6] Metro Manila's rate is from Wage Order NCR-28, in force from September 26, 2026; other Philippine regions are lower.^[4]

4. Context: income per person

Where Rekruuto fits

This section is about our prices, not survey data, and none of it is in the data set. A full-time Rekruuto hire is $1,800 a month for most roles and $2,500 a month for an AI Implementation Specialist. Hiring can start in 14 days, and the first week is a trial: a replacement or a refund if it is not the right fit. Run your own numbers in the offshore salary calculator, check whether you are ready with the should I hire offshore quiz, and draft the role with the job description generator.

Methodology

• U.S. wages. National median annual and hourly wages for each occupation from BLS OEWS, May 2025, pulled from the BLS public data API.^[1] We matched each role to the closest Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code; the code is shown next to every figure.
• Employer costs. BLS ECEC, June 2026, Table 5, full-time private industry workers.^[2] The multiplier is total compensation divided by wages and salaries per hour worked, for all workers and for each occupational group. Fully loaded cost = median salary × the multiplier for the role's group. It is an estimate: actual costs depend on the employer, the state, and the benefits offered.
• Philippine wages. PSA 2024 Occupational Wages Survey, released November 2025, the latest edition at publication.^[3]
• Minimum wages. The rate in force in 2026 under each country's official wage order or decree.^{[4][5][6][7][8]} Daily and hourly rates are converted to a monthly figure with the basis shown in the table.
• Currency. World Bank official exchange rates, annual averages: 2024 rates for 2024 wage data and 2025 rates for 2026 minimum wages, the latest full year available.^[9] Exchange rates move, so dollar figures are approximate.
• Latin American wages. This edition shows statutory minimum wages for Mexico, Colombia, and Brazil. National surveys of average pay by occupation in those countries use definitions that do not line up with the BLS and PSA surveys, so we have left them out rather than mix measures.
• No client data. Nothing here comes from Rekruuto placements or clients. Dollar figures are rounded to the nearest dollar.

Sources

1. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), national estimates, May 2025. Annual median wage, all U.S. employers. Pulled from the BLS public data API (series OEUN…13).
2. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, June 2026 (USDL-26-1494), Table 5, June 2026, released September 9, 2026. Full-time private industry workers, all and by occupational group. All full-time: $54.00 total compensation and $36.97 wages and salaries per hour worked.
3. Philippine Statistics Authority, 2024 Occupational Wages Survey, August 2024, released November 2025. Average monthly wage rate (basic pay plus allowances) of full-time, time-rated workers in establishments with 10 or more workers.
4. National Wages and Productivity Commission (Philippines), NCR daily minimum wage rates, Wage Order No. NCR-28, Effective September 26, 2026. Non-agriculture rate. Wage Order NCR-27 is in litigation; its second tranche is not in force.
5. Comisión Nacional de los Salarios Mínimos (Mexico), Diario Oficial de la Federación, Resolución que fija los salarios mínimos generales y profesionales a partir del 1 de enero de 2026, Published December 9, 2025; in force January 1, 2026. General minimum wage zone. The northern border zone rate is higher.
6. Government of Colombia, Decreto 1469 de 2025 and Decreto 0159 de 2026 (salario mínimo legal mensual 2026), 2026. Monthly minimum wage, excluding the separate transport allowance (Decreto 1470 de 2025).
7. Presidência da República (Brazil), Decreto nº 12.797, de 23 de dezembro de 2025, In force January 1, 2026.
8. U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, Federal minimum wage, 2026. Many states and cities set a higher minimum.
9. World Bank, Official exchange rate, local currency per US$, period average (PA.NUS.FCRF), 2024 and 2025 annual averages.
10. World Bank, GDP per capita, current US$ (NY.GDP.PCAP.CD), 2025.