Statistics
Latin America software development statistics, 2026.
A sourced reference on LATAM engineering talent: market growth, English proficiency, cost against US salaries, time zone overlap and AI adoption. Every number links to where it came from.
Updated
How to use this page
Latin America supplies a growing share of the engineers on US product teams. This page collects the figures buyers ask about most, each with its original source, so you can cite them in a business case or a vendor comparison. Third-party numbers link to the report. EnzRossi figures come from its own placement data and are labeled as such.
The LATAM software talent market
Latin America has one of the fastest-growing developer populations in the world, and English proficiency in the main hiring countries ranges from moderate to high.
| Statistic | Value | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil developer community growth on GitHub, year over year | About 27% | GitHub listed Brazil among the fastest-growing developer communities in 2024 | GitHub, 2024 |
| English proficiency, Argentina (EF EPI score, high band) | 72 / 100 | EF Education First, 2024 | |
| English proficiency, Uruguay (EF EPI score, high band) | 68 / 100 | EF Education First, 2024 | |
| English proficiency, Chile (EF EPI score, high band) | 67 / 100 | EF Education First, 2024 | |
| English proficiency, Colombia (EF EPI score, moderate band) | 64 / 100 | EF Education First, 2024 | |
| English proficiency, Brazil (EF EPI score, moderate band) | 60 / 100 | EF Education First, 2024 | |
| English proficiency, Peru (EF EPI score, moderate band) | 56 / 100 | EF Education First, 2024 |
Software development cost: LATAM vs US
US base salaries come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and EnzRossi's calculator. LATAM figures are EnzRossi all-inclusive annual rates, so they already include payroll, benefits and management.
| Statistic | Value | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| US median annual wage, software developers | $130,160 | Base salary only; benefits and overhead typically add 25 to 40% | US Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2023 |
| Senior full-stack engineer: LATAM all-inclusive vs US base salary | $98,000 vs $165,000 per year | 41% lower before US benefits and overhead are added | EnzRossi, 2026 |
| Mid-level full-stack engineer: LATAM all-inclusive vs US base salary | $70,000 vs $125,000 per year | 44% lower before US benefits and overhead are added | EnzRossi, 2026 |
| Senior backend engineer: LATAM all-inclusive vs US base salary | $95,000 vs $160,000 per year | 41% lower before US benefits and overhead are added | EnzRossi, 2026 |
| Senior mobile engineer: LATAM all-inclusive vs US base salary | $92,000 vs $155,000 per year | 41% lower before US benefits and overhead are added | EnzRossi, 2026 |
| Senior ml / ai engineer: LATAM all-inclusive vs US base salary | $110,000 vs $185,000 per year | 41% lower before US benefits and overhead are added | EnzRossi, 2026 |
| Senior tech lead: LATAM all-inclusive vs US base salary | $120,000 vs $195,000 per year | 38% lower before US benefits and overhead are added | EnzRossi, 2026 |
Time zone overlap with the United States
Offsets are standard time. Daylight saving in the US and in Chile shifts overlap by one hour part of the year; Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Uruguay and Peru do not observe it.
| Statistic | Value | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil (São Paulo), Argentina, Uruguay | UTC-3 | 2 hours ahead of US Eastern (UTC-5), 5 hours ahead of US Pacific (UTC-8) | IANA, 2026 |
| Chile (Santiago), standard time | UTC-4 | 1 hour ahead of US Eastern | IANA, 2026 |
| Colombia, Peru | UTC-5 | Same clock as US Eastern all year | IANA, 2026 |
| Overlap with a 9 to 5 US Eastern workday for a 9 to 6 LATAM workday | 6 to 8 hours | Full overlap for Colombia and Peru; 6 hours for UTC-3 countries | IANA, 2026 |
| Overlap with a 9 to 5 US Pacific workday | 3 to 5 hours | Most LATAM engineers shift their day later to cover West Coast mornings | IANA, 2026 |
AI tool adoption among developers
AI-assisted coding is now standard practice across the profession, which is why AI tool fluency is one of the five dimensions EnzRossi vets for.
| Statistic | Value | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Developers using or planning to use AI tools in their development process | 76% | Up from 70% the year before, across all regions surveyed | Stack Overflow, 2024 |
| Developers who report currently using AI tools | 62% | Stack Overflow, 2024 |
EnzRossi network and delivery metrics
Figures from EnzRossi's own placement and vetting data. The shortlist figure applies to common roles such as full-stack development.
| Statistic | Value | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| People placed with US clients since 2024 | 200+ | EnzRossi, 2026 | |
| Engineers in the vetted talent database | 3,000+ | EnzRossi, 2026 | |
| Applicants who pass the five-dimension vetting | 5% | Roughly 1 in 20 | EnzRossi, 2026 |
| Client satisfaction score | 97% | EnzRossi, 2026 | |
| Days to first candidate shortlist | 3 days | For common roles like full-stack. Other roles typically take 7 to 10 days. | EnzRossi, 2026 |
Senior LATAM engineers cost roughly 40 percent less than a comparable US base salary and share six to eight working hours a day with US Eastern teams.
Sources
- Octoverse 2024: The state of open source, GitHub (2024)
- EF English Proficiency Index, EF Education First (2024)
- Occupational Employment and Wages, Software Developers (15-1252), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2023)
- EnzRossi cost calculator, all-inclusive LATAM rates vs US base salary, EnzRossi (2026)
- Time zone offsets, IANA time zone database, IANA (2026)
- 2024 Developer Survey, AI section, Stack Overflow (2024)
- EnzRossi placement and vetting data, EnzRossi (2026)
FAQ
Questions about the data
Related
Keep reading
Custom software development cost in 2026
Real ranges by project type and how LATAM rates compare with US agencies.
PageWhy Latin America
Time zones, English, culture and technical maturity, with the data behind each claim.
ToolCost calculator
Configure a team by role and seniority and see the LATAM vs US cost side by side.
BlogLATAM developer salary guide 2026
Country-by-country salary ranges from EnzRossi placement data.
From data to a team
See what these numbers look like for your roles.
Tell us the roles and seniority you need. You get a shortlist of vetted LATAM engineers and a cost comparison for your specific team.