Public salary report · Latin America · 2026
A public look at what full-time blockchain and AI/ML engineers earn in Colombia, Mexico, Brazil and Argentina, and what a US company pays all-in through Teilur. Built from our 2026 salary table, then checked against BLS, LaPieza, Revelo and NBS. No email wall.
USD / month · Four LATAM markets · 80% of what you pay goes to the talent
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Sources
This is not a scraped average. Every number below has a named origin.
- Teilur 2026 salary table (primary). Talent pay in USD/month for Colombia, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, United States. All-in on this site = talent lower band × 1.25, rounded to $50 (a flat 20% of what you pay). These are the numbers we quote on /hire and /roles.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 15 May 2026). Software developers (SOC 15-1252) median $135,990/year, about $11,300/month. Data scientists (SOC 15-2051) median hourly $57.80, about $10,000/month. bls.gov
- LaPieza, Hire AI/ML Engineers from Latin America: The 2026 Guide (11 Aug 2026). Country table for junior/mid/senior MLE in Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Brazil. Figures they label fully loaded (compensation + EOR + benefits). blog.lapieza.io
- Revelo, Hire Software Developers in Latin America: The Complete 2026 Guide (20 Jul 2026). General software (not AI-only) across Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Peru. Annual USD, remote US-facing roles. Sources they cite: Glassdoor, Salary.com, industry surveys 2025 to 2026. revelo.com
- Nearshore Business Solutions, Hire Blockchain Developers in Latin America (2025 benchmarks). LATAM blockchain monthly/annual ranges vs US. nearshorebusinesssolutions.com
How to read them together: BLS is US employer-reported wages. LaPieza and NBS are vendor placement ranges (often fully loaded). Revelo is general software, useful as the floor under AI and blockchain. Teilur is what we will quote you, with the 80/20 split visible. We do not average these into a fake “LATAM index.”
| Country |
Mid-Level (3-5 years) |
Senior (5-8+ years) |
Specialized (AI/ML/Arch) |
| Brazil |
$4,500 - $6,000 |
$7,500 - $10,500 |
$11,500+ |
| Mexico |
$4,800 - $6,500 |
$8,000 - $11,000 |
$12,000+ |
| Colombia |
$4,000 - $5,500 |
$7,000 - $9,500 |
$10,500+ |
| Argentina |
$3,800 - $5,200 |
$6,500 - $9,000 |
$10,000+ |
| Feature |
Teilur Talent |
Deel (EOR Model) |
| Pricing Structure |
Transparent 80/20 Split |
Flat Fee / Markups |
| Talent Visibility |
Direct access to salary data |
Cost usually bundled |
| Retention Strategy |
Fair-pay & culture-focused |
Compliance-focused |
| Geographic Depth |
LATAM Specialists |
General Global Coverage |
| Seniority Level |
Monthly Total Cost (USD) |
Annual Total Cost (USD) |
Experience / Profile |
| Mid-Level |
$4,000 – $6,000 |
$48,000 – $72,000 |
3–6 years; Strong English; FinTech or Cloud focus. |
| Senior |
$6,300 – $9,600 |
$75,600 – $115,200 |
6+ years; Lead experience; Architecture & Mentorship. |
| Specialized (AI/ML) |
$9,200 – $13,800 |
$110,400 – $165,600 |
Experts in LLMs, Data Engineering, or Cybersecurity. |
| Seniority Level |
Monthly Total Cost (USD) |
Annual Total Cost (USD) |
Experience / Profile |
| Mid-Level |
$3,800 – $5,800 |
$45,600 – $69,600 |
3–6 years; Independent; Full-stack or Backend focus. |
| Senior |
$6,200 – $9,500 |
$74,400 – $114,000 |
6+ years; Lead experience; Architecture & Mentorship. |
| Specialized (AI/Cloud) |
$9,000 – $13,500 |
$108,000 – $162,000 |
Experts in AI Integration, AWS/Azure, or Cybersecurity. |
| Feature |
Nearshore |
Offshore |
EOR (Employer of Record) |
Direct Hire |
| Time Zone |
Same/Overlap (±2 hrs) |
Significant Gap (+10 hrs) |
Varies by location |
Local to HQ |
| Speed to Hire |
1–3 Weeks |
2–4 Weeks |
2–6 Weeks |
2–4 Months |
| Operational Control |
High (Real-time) |
Medium (Asynchronous) |
Low (Legal focus) |
Maximum |
| Compliance Risk |
Managed by Partner |
High (Variable) |
Zero (Legal Shield) |
Internal Responsibility |
| Cost |
Mid-range |
Lowest |
Moderate (Fees apply) |
Highest (Tax + Benefits) |
The LATAM range, before the country table
Mid-level, full-time, USD / month, across Colombia, Mexico, Brazil and Argentina:
AI / ML engineer
- Talent pay: $4,125 to $7,875
- You pay Teilur (all-in, from the country floor): $5,150 to $5,950
- US median, same table: $12,500 · BLS software-developer median: about $11,300 · BLS data-scientist median: about $10,000
Blockchain developer
- Talent pay: $3,750 to $7,250
- You pay Teilur (all-in, from the country floor): $4,700 to $5,450
- US median, same table: $11,875 · NBS US mid-level equivalent they cite: about $130,000 to $165,000/year
Mexico is the high end of our LATAM band. Colombia and Argentina share the floor. Brazil sits in between.
Chile, Peru and Uruguay are part of Latin America. They are not rows in the Teilur 2026 table, so they are not in our numbers. Revelo’s 2026 software guide does publish Peru for general developers (mid $39,000 to $63,000/year). We will not invent a Teilur blockchain or AI number for a country we do not price.
Hire across LATAM: Start hiring →
| Model |
Time to Hire |
Cost Structure |
Compliance Risk |
Operational Complexity |
Scalability |
| Employer of Record (EOR) |
Days |
Predictable fee |
Low |
Low |
High |
| Contractors |
Immediate |
Low upfront |
High |
Low initially, high later |
Low |
| Legal Entity |
Weeks–Months |
High upfront + ongoing |
Low |
High |
High |
|
Seniority
|
Total Monthly Payment Range
|
|
Mid-Level (Tactical Execution)
|
$4,375 – $6,000
|
|
Senior (Strategic Leadership)
|
$7,500 – $10,000
|
|
Specialized (AI/ML/Cybersecurity)
|
$11,000+
|
| Seniority Level |
Monthly Total Cost (USD) |
Annual Total Cost (USD) |
Experience / Profile |
| Mid-Level |
$4,200 – $6,200 |
$50,400 – $74,400 |
3–6 years; Strong English; Independent contributor. |
| Senior |
$6,500 – $9,800 |
$78,000 – $117,600 |
6+ years; Lead experience; Systems Architecture. |
| Specialized (AI/ML) |
$9,500 – $14,000 |
$114,000 – $168,000 |
Deep expertise in LLMs, MLOps, or Cloud Security. |
Table: AI / ML, Teilur 2026
One band: Machine Learning Engineer = AI Developer = AI/ML Developer. USD / month. Talent pay. All-in = lower × 1.25.
Mid-level
| Country | Talent lower | Median | Upper | Teilur all-in (from lower) |
|---|
| Colombia | 4,125 | 5,500 | 6,875 | 5,150 |
| Argentina | 4,125 | 5,500 | 6,875 | 5,150 |
| Brazil | 4,625 | 6,125 | 7,625 | 5,800 |
| Mexico | 4,750 | 6,375 | 7,875 | 5,950 |
| United States | 10,000 | 12,500 | 15,000 | n/a |
Senior
| Country | Talent lower | Median | Upper | Teilur all-in (from lower) |
|---|
| Colombia | 6,250 | 8,250 | 10,375 | 7,800 |
| Argentina | 6,250 | 8,250 | 10,375 | 7,800 |
| Brazil | 6,875 | 9,125 | 11,500 | 8,600 |
| Mexico | 7,125 | 9,500 | 11,875 | 8,900 |
| United States | 13,375 | 16,750 | 20,125 | n/a |
Source: Teilur 2026 salary table. Starting-at on /hire/ai-machine-learning uses the Colombia mid lower: $5,150.
|
Seniority
|
Total Monthly Payment Range
|
|
Mid-Level (Tactical Execution)
|
$5,000 – $7,000
|
|
Senior (Strategic Leadership)
|
$8,500 – $11,500
|
|
Specialized (AI/ML/Cybersecurity)
|
$12,500+
|
EOR vs. Staff Augmentation: Key Differences
| Factor |
EOR (Employer of Record) |
Staff Augmentation (Teilur) |
| Talent Sourcing |
You provide the candidate. The EOR serves as the legal infrastructure for a hire you've already found. |
We provide the candidate. Includes proactive sourcing, technical vetting, and expert matching. |
| Cost |
Salary + platform fees + compliance. Bundled pricing often obscures the developer's actual take-home pay. |
Transparent 80/20 model. Full visibility into salaries and statutory benefits. No hidden markups. |
| Control |
Legal employment handled externally. Limited involvement in daily performance or cultural fit. |
Full control over selection. Partner supports retention and cultural integration within your team. |
| Scalability |
Best for distributed compliance across multiple jurisdictions. |
Superior for building stable, high-retention engineering hubs in Latin America. |
EOR vs. Staff Augmentation: Key Differences
| Factor |
EOR (Employer of Record) |
Staff Augmentation (Teilur) |
| Talent Sourcing |
You provide the candidate. The EOR serves as the legal infrastructure for a hire you've already found. |
We provide the candidate. Includes proactive sourcing, technical vetting, and expert matching. |
| Cost |
Salary + platform fees + compliance. Bundled pricing often obscures the developer's actual take-home pay. |
Transparent 80/20 model. Full visibility into salaries and statutory benefits. No hidden markups. |
| Control |
Legal employment handled externally. Limited involvement in daily performance or cultural fit. |
Full control over selection. Partner supports retention and cultural integration within your team. |
| Scalability |
Best for distributed compliance across multiple jurisdictions. |
Superior for building stable, high-retention engineering hubs in Latin America. |
Remote vs. Direct Hire in LATAM: Quick Comparison
| Feature |
Remote Hiring (Contractors/EOR) |
Direct Hiring (Teilur Talent) |
| Cost |
Simpler upfront, but fees can hide markups. |
Full control. Use the Teilur Salary Calculator to see real costs. |
| Compliance |
Reduces legal complexity for temporary setups. |
Deeper alignment with local labor laws, taxes, and mandatory benefits. |
| Scalability |
Better for speed and short-term flexibility. |
Aligned with global trends for stable, high-retention engineering hubs. |
| Best Fit |
Small or experimental distributed teams. |
Startups building durable presence and internal culture in LATAM. |
| Hybrid Option |
Many companies start with remote hiring and transition to a direct structure as they scale.
|
Toptal vs Teilur Talent Comparison
| Concept |
Toptal |
Teilur Talent |
| Transparency |
Pricing details are not publicly disclosed. Clients see a blended hourly rate that includes both Toptal’s fee and the freelancer’s pay. |
Fully transparent rate breakdown. Clients see exactly how much goes to the talent and how much is retained by Teilur as a service fee. |
| Commission / Markup |
Estimated at up to ~50% based on third-party reports and client testimonials. The exact markup percentage is not officially stated. |
Capped at 20%, ensuring that at least 80% of the client’s payment goes directly to the developer. |
| Monthly Subscription Fee |
$79/month, non-optional, grants access to Toptal’s vetted talent network. (Source: Toptal website). |
No subscription fees. Clients only pay when hiring or engaging talent. |
| Initial Deposit |
$500 refundable deposit required to begin a talent search. |
No upfront deposit required to start the matching process. |
| Trial Policy |
Two-week no-risk trial. Clients are billed only if satisfied with the match. |
N/A (direct matching) – Teilur focuses on pre-vetted, long-term placements with transparent trial terms discussed case by case. |
| Pricing Range (Developers) |
$60–$200+ per hour depending on experience and project complexity (includes platform markup). |
$6,000–$7,000/month for senior LATAM developers, equivalent to ~$35–$45/hour — transparent, with no hidden markups. |
| Payment Structure |
Bi-monthly invoices; payment terms like Net 10. Includes blended rate. |
Monthly invoices with clear cost breakdown (talent pay + Teilur fee). |
What other 2026 guides say (AI / ML)
LaPieza 2026: ML engineer, USD/month, fully loaded (comp + EOR + benefits)
Mid (2 to 4 years): Mexico $3,500 to $5,500 · Colombia $3,200 to $5,000 · Argentina $3,200 to $5,500 · Brazil $3,500 to $5,800
Senior (4+ years): Mexico $5,500 to $9,000 · Colombia $5,000 to $8,500 · Argentina $5,500 to $9,000 · Brazil $5,500 to $9,500
Source: blog.lapieza.io
How this sits next to Teilur: their mid band overlaps our talent pay. Their senior fully-loaded $5,000 to $9,500 matches the shape of our senior all-in ($7,800 to $8,900 from the country floor, up to the upper talent band). Different method (EOR stack vs our 20% of what you pay). Same story: AI in LATAM is a premium over general engineering, still well below US.
BLS May 2025: United States, annual, then /12
Software developers median $135,990/year, about $11,300/month. Data scientists median about $10,000/month (hourly $57.80).
Source: bls.gov
Revelo 2026: general software, not AI (the floor under this report)
Mid-level annual: Brazil $40k to $65k · Mexico $42k to $66k · Argentina $40k to $65k · Colombia $37k to $55k · Peru $39k to $63k.
Senior annual: Brazil $71k to $105k · Mexico $66k to $90k · Argentina $55k to $82k · Colombia $55k to $70k · Peru $59k to $87k.
Source: revelo.com
AI/ML should cost more than these general software bands. Our table does.
Table: Blockchain, Teilur 2026
USD / month. Talent pay.
Mid-level
| Country | Talent lower | Median | Upper | Teilur all-in (from lower) |
|---|
| Colombia | 3,750 | 5,000 | 6,250 | 4,700 |
| Argentina | 3,750 | 5,000 | 6,250 | 4,700 |
| Brazil | 4,250 | 5,625 | 7,000 | 5,300 |
| Mexico | 4,375 | 5,875 | 7,250 | 5,450 |
| United States | 9,125 | 11,875 | 14,625 | n/a |
Senior
| Country | Talent lower | Median | Upper | Teilur all-in (from lower) |
|---|
| Colombia | 5,750 | 7,625 | 9,500 | 7,200 |
| Argentina | 5,750 | 7,625 | 9,500 | 7,200 |
| Brazil | 6,250 | 8,375 | 10,500 | 7,800 |
| Mexico | 6,500 | 8,750 | 10,875 | 8,100 |
| United States | 11,875 | 14,625 | 17,500 | n/a |
Source: Teilur 2026 salary table. Starting-at on blockchain roles: $4,700.
|
Country
|
Base Salary
|
Employer Burden
|
Total Cost
|
|
Colombia
|
$5,000
|
+45%
|
~$7,250
|
|
Mexico
|
$5,500
|
+35%
|
~$7,425
|
Toptal vs Teilur Talent Comparison
| Concept |
Toptal |
Teilur Talent |
| Business Model |
Global freelance marketplace connecting clients with vetted professionals in software, design, and finance. |
LATAM-focused recruitment company connecting businesses with full-time remote developers and tech professionals. |
| Selectivity Claim |
Claims to accept less than 3% of applicants, based on its internal screening process. |
Works only with pre-vetted, bilingual professionals in LATAM, selected for technical and communication skills. |
| Recruitment Process |
Multi-stage: timed skills test → English interview → real-world project → live screen evaluation. |
Direct evaluation of experience, portfolio, and communication ability. Matches candidates by vertical (QA, Software, Cybersecurity, Data & BI) and company culture. |
| Trial or Test Period |
Offers a two-week trial, refundable if client isn’t satisfied. |
No fixed trial period — focuses on long-term retention and transparent onboarding. |
| Contract Type |
Typically weekly contracts (20 or 40 hours) with limited flexibility for short-term projects. |
Flexible monthly agreements, allowing scalability per project scope and company needs. |
| Transparency |
Pricing details not publicly disclosed. Clients see a blended hourly rate including Toptal’s markup. |
Fully transparent pricing model. Clients see how much goes to the developer and how much is Teilur’s service fee. |
| Commission / Markup |
Estimated around 40–50%, based on user reports and external reviews. |
Capped at 20%. At least 80% of client payment goes directly to the developer. |
| Initial Deposit |
Requires a $500 refundable deposit to start the search process. |
No upfront deposit required. |
| Client Support |
Account managers available during hiring and engagement. Support quality varies by project. |
Personalized support from start to finish, ensuring alignment for both client and talent. |
| Developer Pay Transparency |
Developers are contractually restricted from disclosing their actual pay rates. |
Developers know their full compensation and see transparent rate breakdowns. |
| Geographic Focus |
Global, with talent from Eastern Europe, Asia, and LATAM. |
Exclusive to Latin America, optimizing time-zone alignment and cultural fit. |
| Turnover Rate |
Not publicly disclosed. |
Reported below 15%, reflecting strong retention and satisfaction. |
| Best For |
Large enterprises or teams needing globally distributed freelance specialists. |
U.S. and international companies seeking transparent, long-term partnerships with vetted LATAM developers. |
What other guides say (blockchain)
NBS: LATAM blockchain, 2025
They place Argentina, Colombia, Brazil at $4,000 to $8,000/month. Mid-level they list $45,000 to $68,000/year (about $3,750 to $5,667/month) vs a US mid equivalent of $130,000 to $165,000/year. Senior $72,000 to $110,000/year.
Source: nearshorebusinesssolutions.com
Our mid talent band ($3,750 to $7,250 across LATAM) and all-in floors ($4,700 to $5,450) sit inside that vendor range. We publish the split; they publish a placement range.
What this means
- Price the region, then the country. Mid AI/ML through Teilur is $5,150 to $5,950 all-in depending on where the person sits. Blockchain is $4,700 to $5,450. Do not budget “LATAM” as one cell.
- AI costs more than blockchain, and both cost more than general software. Revelo’s Colombia mid software ($37k to $55k/year) is below our AI talent median ($5,500/month). That premium is the 15 to 35% AI/ML note in our 2026 table.
- US is more than double, on two independent sources. Our table: AI mid US $12,500 vs LATAM all-in from $5,150. BLS software-developer median about $11,300/month, before US benefits load.
- “Fully loaded” is not one thing. LaPieza includes EOR + benefits. Brazil CLT in Revelo is 1.6 to 1.8× base. Teilur all-in is talent × 1.25. Compare method, then compare the number.
- Senior is not the Starting-at on the site. Senior AI/ML from Colombia is $7,800 all-in. Senior blockchain from Colombia is $7,200. Protocol, MLOps or production vision should budget senior.
Methodology
Teilur figures: 2026 salary table, USD/month, four LATAM countries plus the US. All-in = round(talent lower × 1.25 / 50) × 50. 80% of what you pay goes to the talent; 20% is our fee. No subscription.
Third-party figures: copied from the pages linked above, dated 2025 to 2026. We did not re-survey Glassdoor. We did not invent Chile or Peru AI/blockchain rows.
If a role page disagrees with this report, this report wins. Tell us.
No row in our table for “Blockchain AI Engineer,” MLOps, or computer vision. Those seats follow the AI/ML family ($5,150 mid floor) or the blockchain family ($4,700) until we publish a new row.
FAQ
Is this for all of Latin America?
It is for the four markets we price: Colombia, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina. That is most US nearshore hiring. Peru appears in Revelo’s general software guide; we do not invent a Teilur AI or blockchain cell for Peru, Chile or Uruguay.
Is this what the engineer receives or what I pay?
Both. Talent pay is the engineer. All-in is what you pay Teilur.
Why cite competitors?
So you can audit us. If our floor were far from LaPieza, NBS and Revelo, the report would not be useful.
Is this gated?
No.
You can see the number. Hire the person.
Shortlist in about 5 days. Full-time, Latin America, your hours. The all-in in this report is what you pay; 80% goes to the engineer.
Start hiring →
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