Cost & Pricing

What does it really cost to hire a software developer in the Philippines?

24 June 2026 · 5 min read

In short

A software developer in the Philippines typically costs between USD 1,500 and 4,000 per month in gross salary depending on seniority and specialism, plus roughly 11 to 16 percent in statutory employer costs, plus an EOR fee if you use one. That is up to 70 percent below the equivalent US, UK, or Australian hire.

Software salaries in the Philippines are not what they were five years ago. Global demand has pushed them up, especially for senior and specialist engineers. Here is a realistic 2026 picture of the true cost.

Salary ranges by seniority

Junior developers typically start around USD 1,000 to 1,500 per month. Mid-level developers run roughly USD 1,800 to 3,000. Senior and specialist engineers, particularly in high-demand areas, can command USD 3,000 to 4,500 or more. These are gross monthly figures.

The statutory add-on

On top of gross salary, employer contributions to SSS, PhilHealth, and Pag-IBIG, plus 13th-month pay, add roughly 11 to 16 percent depending on seniority. A USD 2,500 per month developer costs about USD 2,800 fully loaded before any employment fee.

The employment fee

If you employ through an employer of record, add a flat monthly per-seat fee for compliant employment. If you run your own entity, spread the setup and running cost across your team instead.

How it compares

Even fully loaded, a strong Philippine developer typically costs up to 70 percent less than the equivalent hire in the US, UK, or Australia, where fully loaded costs routinely exceed USD 100,000 to 150,000 per year for mid to senior engineers. For a full side-by-side, see the real cost of hiring in the Philippines vs hiring at home.

The number that matters

Compare fully loaded cost to fully loaded cost, not salary to salary. When you do, the Philippines remains one of the best value markets in the world for software talent.