The rise of remote work and insatiable appetite for tech talent has altered the hiring landscape. The tech talent shortage in the U.S. has also contributed to companies expanding their horizons. U.S. companies have more access to worldwide talent than ever before, and with tech talent in such high demand, a software developer salaries is a topic of much discussion, as companies seek to attract and recruit top-level talent.
So how much does a software engineer make? What are the IT engineer salary in Mexico compared to the U.S.? Rates fluctuate based on various factors including seniority, country, or state they are from, role of position in the company, company size, added benefits, and more.
Our Mexico Tech Salaries Report 2023 is an in-depth study of the unique characteristics of Mexico’s tech industry. It focuses on the nuances and trends in the competitive tech ecosystem in Mexico and Latin America. The report highlights why tech companies are looking to Latin America to fill software engineer positions.
Salaries are a major factor in how and when companies hire. CodersLink helps U.S. companies hire world-class talent in Mexico. Every year, we research the salary expectations of software engineers in the region and how they compare to the U.S.
We outline a few of them below.
The Rise of Mexican Tech Talent
In recent years, companies realized that Latin America was a hot spot for tech talent and investment. A growing number of tech startups, venture capital, and flourishing tech talent has flooded the region. Foreign and local investment has contributed to a burgeoning startup culture and tech growth.
Mexico is one of the leading talent providers in Latin America, graduating 130,000 software engineers every year. Mexico also has a diverse talent pool with a wide variety of specializations and range of experience. The most common specializations include full stack developer, backend developer, project manager, software engineer, data analysist, and tech support engineer.
In the past, we’ve delved into the various reasons why Mexico leads as Latin America’s burgeoning tech ecosystem. Below is a quick snapshot of top reasons why Mexico is a fertile tech region :
- The Mexican government has invested vast amounts of money in promoting technological development programs and improving the conditions for national and foreign companies to increase their production and innovation capacity.
- The qualified workforce in Mexico has grown three times faster than in the United States, alleviating the labor shortage in the accelerated growth of the IT industry.
- The proximity as a neighboring country has given Mexico a very competitive and unmatched advantage in the offshore market (in this case nearshore) as its cultural affinity, time zones, flights of less than 5 hours, commercial agreements—among other advantages— help to increase remote work teams or even to expand physical offices without significant complications.
- Finally, and this is closely related to wages in this country, is the affordable cost of living. Employees in cities with a higher cost of living— like Mexico City— can maintain an excellent standard of living without having to spend exorbitant amounts of money as they would in cities like San Francisco or New York.
What is the Tech Salary of a Mobile Developer in Mexico?
Mobile developers specialize in creating mobile applications. They develop applications and test and correct errors usually through the Apple, Android, or Microsoft interfaces. As mobile devices like smartphones evolve, the user experience becomes more sophisticated and the need for responsive design, advanced security measures, higher speeds, and efficiency increases.
In the United States, a mobile developer’s tech salary can vary but averages out to $8,436 per month or $101,232 per year for an intermediate mobile developer. This number only increases with more years and experience in the workforce. The high salaries can put a strain on growing companies that need to watch their operating costs but are under pressure to innovate and maintain a diligent development schedule.
Because of the cost of living in Mexico, a mobile developer has a high standard of living with a fraction of the average U.S. salary. Fluctuations exist based on experience, as you can see below. According to our 2023 survey, a semi-senior developer in Mexico (6-10 years experience) will make $4,059 USD per month and a senior mobile developer (11-15 yrs) will make $5,067 USD per month.
What is the Tech Salary of a UX/UI Designer in Mexico?
As technology advances, users expect a high-level of functionality and efficiency as they interact with different interfaces, websites, and programs. A user interface (UI) designer creates the visuals that guide a user through a path. A user experience designer (UX) focuses on how users interact with a particular interface and how design can enhance that experience.
Users’ visual expectations of any interface is high and UX/UI designers play an important role in ensuring high quality and functionality. In the United States, UX/UI designers can expect to make $76,341 according to Payscale and $98,061 according to Indeed. According to CodersLink’s latest salary report, that average for an intermediate UX/UI designer in the United States is about $6,348. The Dice Tech Salary Report cites the average U.S. salary for UX/UI at $8,521.
In Mexico, the average salary for an intermediate UX/UI designer is $3,243 and for a senior it is $4, 594.
What is the Tech Salary of a Front End Developer in Mexico?
Frontend developers are also in high demand, as they are tasked with creating the front end of the interface that users interact with. It is sometimes known as client-side development as it produces HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for websites and other web applications.
A front end developer is essential to producing products that are easy to navigate, functional, and have an organized layout to help the user as they interact with a site or program.
In the United States, frontend developers can expect to make about $9,935 per month or $119,220 per year. In Mexico, a semi-senior front end developer makes about $3,587 and a senior developer can make up to $4,108. The salary difference is almost half of what the average front end developer in the U.S. would make with less experience.
What is the Tech Salary of a Web Developer in Mexico?
A web developer is tasked with creating the infrastructure of a website. Using code, a web developer creates a website’s functionality and specific functions within a website.
Covid accelerated the digital transformation of many companies and organizations. This transformation meant that companies needed to build functional websites that provided their users with necessary information and services.
In the United States, a web developer makes an average salary of $77,200 according to U.S. News. Glassdoor cites the web developer salary in 2022 at $111,867 total pay and $72,452 base pay. According to CodersLink research, an intermediate web developer in the U.S. will make about $8,171 per month.
In Mexico, web developers will enjoy an above-average-living making about half as much. A Mexican web developer with 6-10 years of experience (semi-senior) will make about $3,351 while a web developer with 11-15 years of experience (senior) will make $4,324.
Software Developer Salaries in Light of the Tech Talent Shortage
Today’s hiring landscape indicates that companies are engaged in a fierce war for talent. The demand for tech talent is so high, that the U.S. does not graduate enough engineers to fill all the open positions. A late 2022 Gartner survey indicated that 86% of CIOs faced fierce competition for qualified candidates. In addition to that, U.S. employers are concerned about attrition rates and retaining the talent they manage to find in this competitive market.
With the rise of remote work and digital nomads, hiring in places like Latin America has skyrocketed. Not only is the region brimming with talent, it has growing investment interest and demand.
Software developer salaries are among the highest in any industry and they fluctuate based on several factors including: seniority level, experience, specialization, region, etc.
With today’s dynamic work landscape, companies can build remote tech teams and experience the benefits of hiring remote developers or setting up a remote team in Mexico.
Build Elite Teams with Mexico’s Top Tech Talent
Since the 1960s, major U.S. companies have set up shop in Mexico, paving the way for various of its tech hubs. In the last twenty years, Mexico has invested in its tech sector and succeeded in creating a tech-savvy culture eager to produce innovative products. The IT engineer salaries in Mexico’s most popular tech hubs are up to 80% less than in the U.S., which gives the country a competitive edge.
Tech giants like Google have opened up engineering centers in Mexico, expanding their operations to America’s southern neighbor. Other big companies like Pinterest, expanded their teams in Mexico by opening up satellite offices.
Learn more about how CodersLink will expand your tech team in Mexico.
