Most agency owners focus on salary when comparing US vs. LATAM hires. Salary is only part of the picture.
Here’s the full, honest cost breakdown — including every line item most agencies forget to account for.
The True Cost of a US Marketing Hire
Let’s take a Paid Media Manager with 3–5 years of experience in the US.
Base salary: $72,000/year
Employer payroll taxes (FICA, FUTA, SUTA): ~$6,500
Health, dental, vision insurance: $6,000–$8,000/year (employer contribution)
401(k) match (typical 4%): ~$2,900
Equipment: $1,500–$2,500 (laptop, peripherals, software)
Recruiting: $8,000–$15,000 (agency fee or in-house recruiting time)
Onboarding + lost productivity (first 60–90 days): $5,000–$10,000 estimated
Paid time off (15 days average) + holidays: ~$4,200 in salary cost
Total first-year cost: $105,000 – $130,000+
And that’s assuming no turnover. Average marketing role tenure in the US is 2.1 years. Replace them and you’re paying the recruiting and onboarding cost again.
The True Cost of a LATAM Hire via LatamForce
Same role — Paid Media Manager, 3–5 years of experience, US-time-zone aligned.
Monthly fee (all-in): $1,800–$2,200/month
What’s included: Payroll, local compliance, benefits, equipment, HR support
Recruiting fee: $0
Replacement guarantee: Free within 90 days
Annual cost: $21,600 – $26,400
Side-by-Side Comparison
| US Hire | LATAM via LatamForce | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual salary/fee | $72,000 | $21,600 – $26,400 |
| Benefits + taxes | $15,000+ | Included |
| Recruiting | $8,000 – $15,000 | $0 |
| Equipment | $1,500 – $2,500 | Included |
| Replacement cost | Full rehire | Free (90-day guarantee) |
| Total year 1 | $105,000 – $130,000 | $21,600 – $26,400 |
| Annual savings | — | $80,000 – $105,000 |
What Agencies Do with the Savings
A common pattern we see: agencies use the savings from one LATAM hire to fund a second LATAM hire — effectively doubling their team capacity for roughly the same budget as one US employee.
Others reinvest into business development, tooling, or simply improve their margins on existing retainers.
The Quality Question
The most common pushback: “Are they really as good?”
Our answer: come to your own conclusion. We’ve placed specialists who have managed $5M+/month in ad spend, led creative teams of 10+, and built automation systems from scratch. Several of our placements are now in senior or director-level roles at the agencies that hired them.
The talent exists. The question is whether you’re willing to look for it beyond your immediate geography.