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Buyer guide · Choosing a marketBest Countries to Hire Remote Workers: How to Choose
There is no single best country to hire remote workers. The right one depends on the hours you need covered, the languages your customers speak and the role. This guide compares the markets we recruit in most, Latin America, Morocco, Egypt, the Philippines and Eastern Europe, on the five things that decide it.
Short answer: For live overlap with the US working day, start in Latin America: Mexico and Colombia share US hours, and Argentina and Brazil are one to two hours ahead of New York. For English plus French, Morocco. For US night shifts or 24/7 coverage, the Philippines. For UK or European hours, Morocco, Egypt or Eastern Europe. Then test every candidate’s English yourself, because national averages vary widely.
See this chart as a table
| If you need… | Start with |
|---|---|
| Live US-day overlap + Spanish | Mexico, Colombia, Argentina |
| Live US-day overlap + Portuguese | Brazil |
| UK or European hours + French | Morocco |
| UK or European hours, English only | Morocco, Egypt, Eastern Europe |
| US night shift or 24/7 coverage | Philippines |
| Developers | Argentina, Brazil, Eastern Europe |
1. Start with the hours you need covered
Time zone is the first filter because it decides whether your hire works a normal day or a night shift. Night shifts are normal in some markets, such as the Philippines’ outsourcing industry, but they narrow your pool everywhere else. Roles that need live back-and-forth with you or your customers, like sales, support and dispatch, benefit most from overlap. For a deeper comparison, read nearshore vs offshore staffing.
See this chart as a table
| Market | UTC offset (standard) | US Eastern 9–5 falls at (local) |
|---|---|---|
| Mexico (Mexico City) | UTC−6 | 08:00–16:00 |
| Colombia (Bogotá) | UTC−5 | 09:00–17:00 |
| Argentina (Buenos Aires) | UTC−3 | 11:00–19:00 |
| Brazil (São Paulo) | UTC−3 | 11:00–19:00 |
| Morocco | UTC+0 (all year since Sept 2026) | 14:00–22:00 |
| Egypt | UTC+2 | 16:00–24:00 |
| Romania / Bulgaria | UTC+2 | 16:00–24:00 |
| Philippines (Manila) | UTC+8 | 22:00–06:00 |
2. Check English, then test it
The EF English Proficiency Index ranks 123 countries by the scores of adults who take its test. It’s a useful first signal, but it measures the average test-taker, not the people applying for English-speaking remote jobs, which is why we test written and spoken English for every candidate.
See this chart as a table
| Market | EF EPI 2025 score | Global rank (of 123) |
|---|---|---|
| Romania | 605 | #11 |
| Poland | 600 | #15 |
| Argentina | 575 | #26 |
| Philippines | 569 | #28 |
| Morocco | 492 | #68 |
| Brazil | 482 | #75 |
| Colombia | 480 | #76 |
| Egypt | 458 | #89 |
| Mexico | 440 | #103 |
| Global average | 488 | – |
Want to run your own check? Our guide on how to test a remote hire’s English includes CEFR levels by role and a four-step test.
3. Match the other languages your customers speak
A bilingual hire can be worth more than a second hire. Typical language mixes in the markets we recruit in:
| Market | English | Spanish | Portuguese | French | Arabic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico | ✓ | ✓ | – | – | – |
| Colombia | ✓ | ✓ | – | – | – |
| Argentina | ✓ | ✓ | – | – | – |
| Brazil | ✓ | – | ✓ | – | – |
| Morocco | ✓ | – | – | ✓ | ✓ |
| Egypt | ✓ | – | – | – | ✓ |
| Philippines | ✓ | – | – | – | – |
Typical patterns; we test every language a role needs. Bilingual roles: bilingual customer support, bilingual agents in Mexico, French-English support in Morocco.
4. Compare pay for your role, not the country
Within the markets we recruit in, pay for the same role usually differs by a few hundred dollars a month. The bigger difference is against a US hire: clients typically save 72% compared with hiring in the US.
See this chart as a table
| Market | Bookkeeper (USD/month) | Receptionist / VA (USD/month) |
|---|---|---|
| Egypt | $1,000–$1,300 | $900–$1,100 |
| Morocco | $1,200–$1,600 | $1,000–$1,300 |
| Philippines | $1,200–$1,600 | $1,000–$1,300 |
| Latin America | $1,000–$1,600 | $1,000–$1,800 |
Estimate your own role in the overseas hiring cost calculator, and see what agencies charge in recruitment placement fees.
“Founders often ask which country is cheapest. The better question is which country lets this person work the hours and speak the languages the job needs. Get that right and the savings follow.”
Jesse Wright, Co-Founder, Talentige5. Fit the market to the role
Sales and SDRs
Morocco, Argentina and Mexico are our main SDR markets. SDRs by country → · Time-zone overlap planner →Customer support
Latin America for Spanish, Morocco for French, the Philippines for overnight. Remote customer support →Developers
Argentina, Brazil and Eastern Europe. Remote developers →Bookkeeping and finance
Latin America on US hours, plus Morocco, Egypt and the Philippines. Bookkeepers in Latin America →Executive and virtual assistants
Strong English and long experience supporting US businesses in the Philippines. EAs in the Philippines →Dispatch
Day, night and weekend coverage for trucking and field service. Remote dispatchers → · Philippines →Quick market finder
Tick what your hire needs
A starting point only, based on the time-zone and language patterns in this guide. We recommend a market on a free call once we know the role.
Where we’ve hired most
Experience in a market matters: it shapes how fast you get a shortlist and how well candidates are tested. Our most-hired markets:
See this chart as a table
| Market | Talentige hires |
|---|---|
| Morocco | 500+ |
| Philippines | 500+ |
| Latin America | 500+ |
| Egypt | 250+ |
Five practical checks before you commit
- Holidays: will your hire follow your holiday calendar or local holidays?
- Payment: can you pay in your currency without a local entity? See how to pay international employees.
- Contract: contractor or employee, and what the agreement covers. See international contractor agreements.
- Equipment and internet: who provides the laptop, headset and backup connection.
- Overlap rules: agree core hours in writing before the start date.
For the full process from job brief to first day, read how to hire international employees.
Not sure which market fits your role?
Tell us the role, hours and languages. We’ll recommend a market and send a shortlist of tested candidates in 5–8 days.
Book a free hiring call →Pay nothing until you hire
Choosing a first country without boiling the ocean
Most companies should not open six countries at once. Start with the market that matches your hours and languages, prove the seat, then expand. Morocco, Argentina, Mexico, Colombia, Egypt and the Philippines cover most first-hire patterns we see.
See this chart as a table
| Factor | Illustrative weight |
|---|---|
| Time-zone overlap | 25 |
| Languages | 20 |
| Role talent depth | 20 |
| Pay band fit | 15 |
| English screening comfort | 12 |
Use the market finder above with your role type. For SDRs specifically, go deeper on hire an SDR by country. For a planning tool, try the time-zone overlap planner.
What “tested” means before you interview
- Role-specific work samples (live cold calls for SDRs, reconciliations for bookkeepers, coding tests for developers).
- Written and spoken English at the level the seat needs — plus Spanish or French when required.
- Hours agreed in writing.
Pay nothing until you hire. Shortlist in 5–8 days and hire in 1–2 weeks for most non-developer seats; developer roles often need about 20 days.
Questions about choosing a country for remote hiring
What is the best country to hire remote workers from?
It depends on the hours and languages the role needs. Latin America is best for live overlap with the US day, Morocco for English plus French, the Philippines for US night shifts and 24/7 coverage, and Morocco, Egypt or Eastern Europe for UK and European hours.
Which country has the best English for remote work?
Among the markets in this guide, Romania (605), Poland (600), Argentina (575) and the Philippines (569) have the highest EF English Proficiency Index 2025 scores. National averages don’t tell you about an individual, so test every candidate.
Which countries share US time zones?
Mexico (UTC−6) and Colombia (UTC−5) share the US working day, and Argentina and Brazil (UTC−3) are one to two hours ahead of New York. None of them uses daylight saving time, so the gap shifts by an hour when US clocks change.
Is it cheaper to hire in Asia or Latin America?
For the same role, pay in the markets we recruit in usually differs by a few hundred dollars a month. For example, a bookkeeper typically earns $1,200–$1,600 a month in the Philippines and $1,000–$1,600 across Latin America through Talentige.
Where should I hire French-speaking remote workers?
Morocco. Many Moroccan professionals work in English and French, and Morocco keeps GMT (UTC+0) all year, so one hire can cover European mornings and North American afternoons.
Do I need a company in the country to hire there?
Not if you hire through a recruitment partner that handles the contractor agreement and international payment, or through an employer of record. Compare the options in EOR vs staffing agency vs Upwork.
How long does it take to hire in another country?
With Talentige, you get a shortlist of tested candidates in 5–8 days and usually hire in 1–2 weeks.
Country guides
Sources
- EF Education First, EF English Proficiency Index 2025 (123 countries and regions) and country fact sheets: Romania 605 (#11), Poland 600 (#15), Argentina 575 (#26), Philippines 569 (#28), Morocco 492 (#68), Brazil 482 (#75), Colombia 480 (#76), Egypt 458 (#89), Mexico 440 (#103); global average 488. ef.com/epi · full report (PDF)
- timeanddate.com time zones for Mexico City, Bogotá, Buenos Aires, São Paulo, Casablanca, Cairo, Bucharest and Manila. timeanddate.com; Morocco’s return to GMT year-round on 20 September 2026 (Decree No. 2.26.530). timeanddate.com news
- Talentige placement data (October 2026): 1,750+ hires since 2015, including 500+ in Morocco, 500+ in the Philippines, 500+ across Latin America and 250+ in Egypt; typical monthly pay ranges by role and market; clients typically save 72% vs. a US hire; shortlist in 5–8 days.
Should I hire in two countries at once?
Only if you have two clearly different needs (for example Eastern-time Spanish outbound and French closers). Otherwise prove one seat first.
Which country is cheapest?
Pay bands overlap by role. Choose on hours and languages first; we confirm the band for your job description on the intake call.