Costs · salaries
What overseas talent actually costs per month
Forget '80% savings' as an abstraction — here are the concrete advertised monthly ranges, by role, with sources.
Numbers checked July 2026.
| Role | Monthly range | Where the number comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Data entry | $600–$900 | Somewhere.com advertised placed range |
| Live chat / customer support | $700–$1,100 | Somewhere.com advertised placed range |
| Backend developer | $2,300–$4,200 | Somewhere.com advertised placed range |
| General VA (Philippines, self-serve job board) | ~$400–$1,000 (commonly cited) | Third-party reviews of OnlineJobs.ph listings — treat as indicative, not verified |
| Overall placement spread | $600–$4,200 | Somewhere.com; savings advertised at 63–78% vs US equivalents |
What drives the spread
Three variables move the number more than anything else. Country: Philippine salaries generally price below Latin American ones for equivalent roles; LatAm's premium buys US-hours timezone overlap, which matters for phone-heavy and collaborative work. Channel: agency placements skew higher than self-serve job-board hires for the same role — partly better candidates, partly that agencies anchor salaries high enough to keep placements sticky (their guarantee is on the line). Seniority and English: near-native English plus a specialized skill (development, accounting, design) is what moves a role from the $700 band into the $2,000+ band.
Common questions
How much does a full-time overseas hire cost per month?
Advertised full-time placement ranges run roughly $600–$4,200/month depending on role, seniority, and country. Entry-level roles (data entry, chat support) cluster at $600–$1,100; specialized and senior technical roles reach $2,300–$4,200. Job-board self-serve hiring in the Philippines commonly lands lower than agency placements for equivalent roles.
How much cheaper is that than hiring in the US?
Agencies advertise savings of roughly 60–80% versus equivalent US salaries. As one benchmark, SHRM's most recent published average cost just to recruit a US hire is about $5,475 — before any salary is paid. Treat exact savings percentages as marketing claims that depend heavily on which US salary you compare against.
Do I pay taxes and benefits on top?
In the common direct-contractor model, you pay the monthly rate and the contractor handles their own local taxes. If you want them treated as a legal employee in their country (with statutory benefits), you'd use an employer-of-record, which adds a platform fee — see our compliance guide.
Is it fair to pay these rates?
These are competitive full-time salaries in the local markets — often above local office equivalents, which is why supply is deep. Paying at or above the top of the local band buys you retention; squeezing the bottom of the band is how you end up rehiring in six months.
Sources
- Somewhere.com — How it works — role-level placed salary ranges and savings claims
- OnlineJobs.ph — pricing — subscription cost for the self-serve route