The 15 Best Countries To Hire Remote Software Engineers In 2024

Explore the best countries to hire software engineers in 2024. We dive into remote salaries, tech expertise, and the benefits of hiring global software developers in Brazil, India, the Philippines and more.

Global HR

Marcelle van Niekerk

October 18, 2024

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Key Takeaways

Looking to hire software engineers for your team, but struggling to find enough local candidates? There are many companies in the same boat. The demand for top talent transcends industries – and country borders. Remote work has become the new norm, particularly in the tech industry, where software developers can work from anywhere with a solid internet connection. More companies are looking outside their country borders to access broader talent pools. In fact, revenue in the IT Outsourcing market is projected to reach US$541.10bn in 2024.

While it’s possible to hire anywhere, some countries stand out above the rest when it comes to the availability and quality of talent, as well as other benefits for global companies.

Here’s our shortlist of the 15 best countries for software engineers – as a global Employer Of Record, we’ve helped thousands of businesses employ international employees at Playroll. This list is based not only on research into the state of each country’s tech ecosystem, but also unique data. For each country listed, we’ve seen proven success of global companies hiring remote development teams in the region.

Below, we’ll dive into the details of our shortlist. Here’s a summary of the list, with key facts on time zone, remote software engineering salaries, and popular technologies.

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Country	Average Remote Software Engineer Salary (Per Year)	Top Technologies	Timezone
India	$48,900	Python, Java, C++, C#, JavaScript	GMT+5:30
Brazil	$63,300	JavaScript, React, Node.js, Python	GMT-3
South Africa	$68,900	JavaScript, C#, TypeScript, Python	GMT+2
Portugal	$61,600	Java, C#, PHP, JavaScript, SQL	GMT+1
The Philippines	$41,200	JavaScript, Python, PHP, Java, SQL	GMT+8
Ukraine	$59,800	JavaScript, Java, Python, C#, TypeScript	GMT+2
Argentina	$58,300	C++, C#, JavaScript, Python	GMT-3
Mexico	$64,300	JavaScript, Java, Python, SQL, C++	GMT-6 to GMT-8
The Netherlands	$75,600	Java, Python, JavaScript, Node.js, C#	GMT+1
Nigeria	$53,600	Java, Python, PHP, C#, Swift, Ruby	GMT+1
The UK	$72,100	Java, Python, Ruby, JavaScript, SQL	GMT
Poland	$71,300	Java, Python, JavaScript, SQL	GMT+1
Kenya	$51,200	JavaScript, Python, Java, C#, SQL, Go	GMT+3
Spain	$68,200	JavaScript, Python, Java, Ruby on Rails	GMT+1 (GMT+2 DST)
Canada	$90,300	JavaScript, C#, Python, Java	GMT-3.5 to GMT-8

Why Hire Remote Software Developers?

Hiring remote developers offers several benefits that are reshaping how companies build their teams. Here are key reasons why remote hiring makes sense:

More Affordable Talent: Hiring from countries with lower costs of living can reduce payroll expenses while still providing quality new team members.
Wider Talent Pools: You aren’t restricted to your local job market and can access top talent globally, helping you fulfill your urgent roles faster. This is particularly valuable in a highly competitive industry like software development.
Increased Employee Satisfaction: Remote job opportunities often boosts work-life balance and job satisfaction for employees, improving your retention rates.
A Better Brand Reputation: Hiring from diverse regions helps to grow your company’s global footprint in the long term, as well as boosts your reputation as a leading employer.

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How To Choose Where To Hire Remote Developers

Remote hiring means the world’s talent is open to you. That’s exciting – but too much choice can also be daunting. How do you decide where to place your focus? Take some time to think of your team’s unique needs, and narrow down strategic regions according to these key factors:

Skills: In your vetting process, ensure that the developers in the region you’re looking at have the hard skills you need, such as required programming languages and frameworks. Also evaluate for soft skills like the ability for project management or good communication skills in the hiring process.
Affordability: Salary bands, cost of living and requisite employer taxes all differ per region. Do your research on these costs per region to find a fit for your budget – you might even find plenty of countries that save you costs while still providing quality talent.
Time Zone Compatibility: For smoother collaboration, pick locations with overlapping work hours. Alternatively, plan asynchronous work processes and make sure that your business is aligned in following this approach to remote work.
Infrastructure & Internet Stability: Ensure the country has good internet connectivity and invests in technological infrastructure to support remote work.
Language Proficiency: Opt for countries where language barriers won't hinder communication with your remote team. This counts for both programming and spoken languages!

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Shortlist Of Top Countries To Hire Software Developers

Salary ranges displayed show a summary of average salaries spanning seniority levels. Salaries are shown in dollars. We also provide an average of remote engineer salaries in the region. Keep in mind that average remote salaries can be higher than the national average in some countries, given the fact that these developers often work for global companies.

‍Salary sources: Glassdoor; levels.fyi, arc.dev; OfferZen ; weworkremotely.com; tecla.io; devitjobs.nl

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India

It’s easy to see why so many companies hire remote developers from India, one of the most popular outsourcing destinations in the world for software engineering. This is thanks to its affordable rates and one of the largest pools of talent in the world at nearly 5 million software engineers.

Average software engineer salary: $6,000 - $40,400 p/year. The average remote software engineer salary is $48,900 p/year.
Timezone: GMT+5:30
Official Languages: English, Hindi
Top Technologies: Python, Java, C++, C#, JavaScript

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Brazil

Brazil has become a hub for tech talent, with a growing startup ecosystem and large community of developers. It has a particularly favorable time zone for North American businesses, and the largest economy in Latin America.

Average software engineer salary: $21,300 - $55,300 p/year*. The average remote software engineer salary is approximately $63,300 p/year.
Timezone: GMT-3
Official Languages: Portuguese
Top Technologies: JavaScript, React, Node.js, Python

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South Africa

Why hire remote developers from South Africa? With approximately 120 000 software developers in the country, the country boasts a growing tech ecosystem. It offers access to highly skilled software developers with a strong grasp of English, an advantageous time zone for European businesses, and low employer costs.

Average software engineer salary: $16,000 - $63,000 p/year. The average remote software engineer salary is approximately $68,900 p/year.
Timezone: GMT+2
Official Languages: English, Afrikaans, Xhosa, Zulu, and more.
Top Technologies: JavaScript, C#, TypeScript, Python

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Portugal

Portugal has become a top location for hiring skilled software engineers, with a high proportion of STEM graduates – the country has approximately 230,000 IT specialists. It’s a particularly attractive location for European companies looking for high-quality remote developers – Portugal also offers incentives for foreign investment and remote work, including digital nomad visas.

Average software engineer salary: $34,100 - $66,700 p/year. The average remote software engineer salary is around $61,600 p/year.
Timezone: GMT+1
Official Languages: Portuguese, English
Top Technologies: Java, C#, PHP, JavaScript, SQL

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The Philippines

The Philippines has a fast-growing tech industry, supported by substantial investment in education and improvements in technological infrastructure. The country’s developers are known for their fluency in English and cost-effectiveness.

Average software engineer salary: $7,900 - $26,500 p/year. The average remote software engineer salary is approximately $41,200 p/year.
Timezone: GMT+8
Official Languages: Filipino, English
Top Technologies: JavaScript, Python, PHP, Java, SQL.

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Ukraine

Ukraine is known for its high-quality developers, especially in software development and IT services, offering strong technical skills at competitive rates. The local industry is showing resilience and innovation despite the ongoing war.

Average software engineer salary: $38,400 - $66,000 p/year. The average remote software engineer salary is approximately $59,800 p/year.
Timezone: GMT+2
Official Languages: Ukrainian, Russian
Top Technologies: JavaScript, Java, Phyton, C#, TypeScript, PHP, Kotlin

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Argentina

Argentina has a healthy tech scene, with over 1000 active startups contributing to its economy. It offers talented software developers at affordable rates, making the country a particularly attractive location for North American companies.

Average software engineer salary: $21,600 - $82,500 p/year. The average remote software engineer salary is approximately $58,300 p/year.
Timezone: GMT-3
Official Languages: Spanish, English
Top Technologies: C++, C#, JavaScript, Python

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Mexico

Mexico is an ideal location for US-based companies due to its proximity, time zone compatibility, and large, technically skilled labor force – with its technology sector seeing average yearly growth rate over 10%.

Average software engineer salary: $24,600 - $87,400 p/year. The average remote software engineer salary is approximately $64,300 p/year.
Timezone: GMT-6 to GMT-8
Official Languages: Spanish, English, and more.
Top Technologies: JavaScript, Java, Python, SQL, C++

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The Netherlands

The Netherlands has a firmly established, thriving tech industry that’s rooted in entrepreneurship. Skills like data analytics and cybersecurity are seeing a boom in particular. With an educated and skilled workforce that enjoys a high quality of life, it’s a prime location for hiring experienced software engineers.

Average software engineer salary: $45,000 - $90,000 p/year. The average remote software engineer salary is approximately $75,600 p/year.
Timezone: GMT+1
Official Languages: Dutch, English
Top Technologies: Java, Python, JavaScript, Node.js, C#

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Nigeria

Nigeria has one of the fastest-growing IT markets in Africa, with a multitude of startups located in Lagos. It's becoming a leading player in Africa's software development scene, with a large, diverse workforce. The cost of hiring is also very competitive.

Average software engineer salary: $3,000 - $22,600 p/year. The average remote software engineer salary is approximately $53,600 p/year.
Timezone: GMT+1
Official Languages: English, Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo
Top Technologies: Java, Python, PHP, C#, Swift, Ruby

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The United Kingdom

The UK’s thriving tech industry employs more than 1.7m people, and has more than 150 startups that are considered unicorns with a valuation of at least $1 billion. It offers a highly skilled workforce with a strong emphasis on innovation, and English proficiency makes communication seamless.

Average software engineer salary: $87,600 - $166,290 p/year. The average remote software engineer salary is approximately $72,100 p/year.
Timezone: GMT
Official Languages: English
Top Technologies: Java, Python, Ruby, JavaScript, SQL

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Poland

Poland has one of the largest IT industries in Europe, with over 410 000 IT specialists, making it particularly attractive for European companies looking to hire high-quality remote developers.

Average software engineer salary: $47,500 - $83,000 p/year. The average remote software engineer salary is approximately $71,300 p/year.
Timezone: GMT+1
Official Languages: Polish, English
Top Technologies: Java, Python, JavaScript, SQL

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Kenya

Kenya is another growing tech hub in Africa, which is seeing significant investment in its technological infrastructure and offers affordable rates for businesses hiring remotely. In addition, its time zone overlaps with both European and American business hours. The country’s emphasis on technology education and innovation is fostering a vibrant tech ecosystem.

Average software engineer salary: $9,100 - $47,500 p/year. The average remote software engineer salary is approximately $51,200 p/year.
Timezone: GMT+3
Official Languages: English, Swahili
Top Technologies: JavaScript, Python, Java, C#, SQL, Go, Kotlin

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Spain

Spain’s technology sector is one of the fastest growing industries in Spain over the past decade, reflecting the country’s commitment to digitalization. It has over 333 000 software developers. Spain is also among the European countries that offer digital nomad visas to encourage foreign investment in the country.

Average software engineer salary: $41,000 - $76,500 p/year. The average remote software engineer salary is approximately $68,200 p/year.
Timezone: GMT+1 (GMT+2 during daylight saving time)
Official Languages: Spanish, Catalan, English
Top Technologies: JavaScript, Python, Java, Ruby on Rails

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Canada

Canada's tech industry sees rapid growth year on year – many of the world’s largest companies are established in the country. With its highly skilled workforce and many programs to support tech talent, it’s an attractive international hiring location. Compared to some other countries on this list, you will come across higher average salaries.

Average software engineer salary: $72,000 - $128,000 p/year. The average remote software engineer salary is around $90,300 p/year.
Timezone: GMT-3.5 to GMT-8
Official Languages: English, French

Top Technologies: JavaScript, C#, Python, Java

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Hire Remote Software Developers, Without The Red Tape

Hiring remote developers from any country can be complex due to shifting labor laws, tax requirements, and employment regulations. A traditional option to expand globally while staying compliant is to establish your own legal entity in the country. This can be a time-consuming and costly process, and not a viable option if you want to quickly explore new markets.

Playroll’s Employer of Record (EOR) services simplifies the process of hiring remote full-time employees, with on-the-ground experts to handle compliance with local regulations and payroll. This frees you up to hire top software engineering talent globally without the hassle of establishing your own legal entities.

Ready to hire top software talent without the complexity?

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Remote Software Engineers FAQs

What are the key factors to consider when hiring remote software developers?

When hiring remote software developers, it’s essential to evaluate skills and experience, as well as time zone compatibility for collaboration. Additionally, understanding the legal and tax requirements in their country is crucial, especially when hiring across borders.

How can I ensure compliance when hiring remote software developers from different countries?

Compliance is key when hiring internationally. To avoid issues with labor laws, misclassification, or taxes, you can consider establishing your own legal entity in the country, though this is often time-cosuming and costly. An alternative is to partner with an Employer of Record (EOR) such as Playroll, which helps to overcome many of the traditional challenges and costs of global hiring.

How do I ensure successful collaboration with remote software developers?

To ensure smooth collaboration, establish clear communication channels, set expectations for availability, and use project management tools like GitHub, Jira, or Slack.