Latin America’s Dollar-Earning Tech Workers Bet On AI Skills To Protect A 66% Pay Premium

Latin America tech workers contracted by U.S. clients earn 66% more than they would at local companies and 63.4% see AI skills as the way to keep that pay, according to a survey of 1,197 contractors by Higlobe.

Key Takeaways

• Contractors average $4,822 a month, with Brazil highest at $5,329
• AI and automation rank as the top skill priority for 63.4% of those surveyed
• 70.6% work with only one client and 52% are software engineers
• 15.4% hold no bachelor’s degree, while 41.8% have 11 years or more of experience

Working with U.S. clients is the norm for 87% of respondents, the payments company reported.

Nearly 65% expect their compensation to rise this year.

Where The Money Is

Brazil led the four countries surveyed at $5,329 a month, against a regional average of $4,822.

Contracts won through LinkedIn and referrals carried the highest average monthly income of any channel at $5,060. Those two channels account for 82.5% of the agreements signed by top earners.

Why AI Tops The Skills List

Mastering AI and automation is the priority for 63.4% of respondents, who see it as their main tool to stay competitive and raise dollar earnings.

AI has become the primary asset for contract retention and pay growth in hard currency, said Teymour H. Farman-Farmaian, chief executive and co-founder of Higlobe.

“The global market has matured, and artificial intelligence has become the primary asset for contract retention and salary growth in hard currency,” Farmaian added.

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One Client, One Paycheck

Most of that income rests on a single relationship. Higlobe found 70.6% of contractors work with only one client.

Software engineering leads the roles at 52%, followed by marketing at 7.5%, design at 6.9%, data and analytics at 6.7% and product and project management at 6.6%.

Experience Over Degrees

A bachelor’s degree is not a requirement for 15.4% of the workforce, a group that includes bootcamp graduates and self-taught workers.

Years on the job count for more. The survey found 41.8% have 11 years or more of experience and 34.5% have six to 10 years, putting 76.3% at six years or more.

Higlobe conducted the survey in April 2026 among professionals in Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and Colombia. The company is a U.S. fintech founded in 2020 that processes payments for overseas contractors.

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