Brazil vs U.S. developer rate index, 2026
Updated 9 September 2026 · Methodology published below · Figures in USD
A senior software engineer in the United States costs roughly $14,150 per month once payroll tax and benefits are included, based on the BLS median of $135,980. A dedicated senior Brazilian engineer through HireBrazilDevs is $4,900 per month. The gap is widest for scarce skills — AI / LLM engineering at 75% — and narrowest for QA automation at 58%.
By seniority
| Level | Experience | U.S. base (annual) | U.S. loaded (monthly) | HireBrazilDevs | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mid-level engineer | 3–5 years | $121,000 | $12,604 | $3,500 | −72% |
| Senior engineer | 6–10 years | $158,000 | $16,458 | $4,900 | −70% |
| Tech lead / staff engineer | 10+ years | $191,000 | $19,896 | $6,400 | −68% |
By skill — all 26 stacks, widest gap first
Savings versus a U.S. hire at senior level. Click a bar to open that skill.
Our rate does not change with the stack, so this column is really a map of where U.S. scarcity is most expensive. Compare AI / LLM engineering at 75% against QA automation at 58%.
| Skill | U.S. base (annual) | U.S. loaded (monthly) | Senior here | You save |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AI / LLM engineering | $190,000 | $19,800 | $4,900 | 75% |
| Machine learning | $184,000 | $19,150 | $4,900 | 74% |
| Data engineering | $163,000 | $17,000 | $4,900 | 71% |
| Go | $160,000 | $16,650 | $4,900 | 71% |
| Elixir | $156,000 | $16,250 | $4,900 | 70% |
| AWS | $156,000 | $16,250 | $4,900 | 70% |
| Python | $152,000 | $15,850 | $4,900 | 69% |
| Ruby on Rails | $152,000 | $15,850 | $4,900 | 69% |
| DevOps | $152,000 | $15,850 | $4,900 | 69% |
| Next.js | $150,000 | $15,650 | $4,900 | 69% |
| iOS / Swift | $150,000 | $15,650 | $4,900 | 69% |
| TypeScript | $147,000 | $15,300 | $4,900 | 68% |
| Android / Kotlin | $147,000 | $15,300 | $4,900 | 68% |
| React | $143,000 | $14,900 | $4,900 | 67% |
| Node.js | $143,000 | $14,900 | $4,900 | 67% |
| Django | $143,000 | $14,900 | $4,900 | 67% |
| Java | $143,000 | $14,900 | $4,900 | 67% |
| React Native | $143,000 | $14,900 | $4,900 | 67% |
| Salesforce | $143,000 | $14,900 | $4,900 | 67% |
| .NET | $139,000 | $14,500 | $4,900 | 66% |
| Angular | $136,000 | $14,150 | $4,900 | 65% |
| Flutter | $136,000 | $14,150 | $4,900 | 65% |
| Vue.js | $133,000 | $13,850 | $4,900 | 65% |
| Shopify | $122,000 | $12,700 | $4,900 | 61% |
| PHP / Laravel | $120,000 | $12,500 | $4,900 | 61% |
| QA automation | $112,000 | $11,650 | $4,900 | 58% |
By U.S. metro
| Metro | Market index | Local loaded (monthly) | Senior here | You save |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco, CA | 1.45× | $20,550 | $4,900 | 76% |
| Seattle, WA | 1.38× | $19,550 | $4,900 | 75% |
| Los Angeles, CA | 1.28× | $18,150 | $4,900 | 73% |
| New York, NY | 1.24× | $17,550 | $4,900 | 72% |
| San Diego, CA | 1.22× | $17,300 | $4,900 | 72% |
| Boston, MA | 1.2× | $17,000 | $4,900 | 71% |
| Washington, DC | 1.18× | $16,700 | $4,900 | 71% |
| Austin, TX | 1.12× | $15,850 | $4,900 | 69% |
| Denver, CO | 1.1× | $15,600 | $4,900 | 69% |
| Chicago, IL | 1.08× | $15,300 | $4,900 | 68% |
| Dallas, TX | 1.06× | $15,000 | $4,900 | 67% |
| Philadelphia, PA | 1.06× | $15,000 | $4,900 | 67% |
| Miami, FL | 1.05× | $14,850 | $4,900 | 67% |
| Atlanta, GA | 1.05× | $14,850 | $4,900 | 67% |
| Minneapolis, MN | 1.04× | $14,750 | $4,900 | 67% |
| Charlotte, NC | 1.03× | $14,600 | $4,900 | 66% |
| Raleigh, NC | 1.02× | $14,450 | $4,900 | 66% |
| Phoenix, AZ | 1× | $14,150 | $4,900 | 65% |
| Tampa, FL | 0.99× | $14,000 | $4,900 | 65% |
| Nashville, TN | 0.98× | $13,900 | $4,900 | 65% |
Methodology
Every U.S. figure on this page comes from one formula, applied identically everywhere:
base annual = BLS median × specialization multiplier
loaded monthly = (base annual × 1.25) ÷ 12
What is official
The anchor is the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics median annual wage for Software Developers (SOC 15-1252): $135,980, May 2025 release. Check it at the source.
What is our estimate
The specialization multipliers (for example AI / LLM engineering at 1.4×) and the metro indices (for example San Francisco at 1.45×) are our estimates, based on published salary aggregators and on the offers we see in the market. They are not official data and we do not present them as such. Substitute your own multiplier and the formula still works.
The employer burden
We add 25% to base salary for employer payroll taxes, benefits and insurance. Real burden varies by state and benefit package and can run higher. Using base salary alone would inflate our advantage, which is why we do not.
What is excluded
Equity, bonuses, recruiting fees, onboarding cost and the cost of a vacant seat while a role stays open for three months. Including them would widen the gap in our favour. This index is deliberately conservative.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a senior software engineer cost in the U.S. per month?
About $14,150 per month fully loaded, using the BLS median base salary of $135,980 plus 25% for payroll tax and benefits. Specialized roles such as machine learning and AI run meaningfully higher.
What is the hourly rate of a Brazilian developer?
Through HireBrazilDevs the engagement is monthly, not hourly, but the equivalent works out to about $22 an hour at mid-level and $31 at senior, based on 160 hours a month. Independent Brazilian freelancers on marketplaces price across a much wider range.
Why is the rate the same for every technology?
Because seniority, not stack, is what determines how much value an engineer adds and how hard they are to replace. It also removes the incentive for us to steer you toward an expensive technology.
Are these figures independently verifiable?
The anchor is: the BLS median is public and linked below. The per-skill and per-city multipliers are our estimates, labelled as such, and the formula is published so you can substitute your own numbers.
Want these numbers for your actual roles?
Send us the roles you are trying to fill and we will send back a written cost comparison against your local market — no call required.