7 Best LatAm Recruitment Agencies

Software engineers remain in high demand, with employment expected to grow 15% between 2024 and 2034, much faster than the average for all occupations, the Bureau of Labor Statistics finds. Yet it’s becoming increasingly difficult—and expensive—to find the right skills in the US.

Recruiting LatAm professionals is a popular alternative. Whether you’re a startup or a long-established enterprise, LatAm recruitment offers a reliable and affordable way of connecting skilled engineers with companies in need of top talent.

But where do you find quality nearshore software developers? 

Here, we’ve rounded up the top recruiters for building LatAm engineering teams and hiring full-time or contract developers, no matter what your niche.

Why LatAm Recruitment?

Latin America is a booming market for software developers. As of 2023, there were 500,000 developers in Brazil, 220,000 in Mexico, 115,000 in Argentina, and 62,000 in Colombia, according to Statista.

But sheer volume isn’t a reason alone to turn to LatAm recruitment.

The region is steadily becoming a go-to place for innovation, as evidenced by startup investment growing by 14.3% in 2025. Latin American countries are investing heavily in tech education to produce a large pool of qualified computer science and engineering graduates. For example, Chile devised a National Plan for Digital Languages to encourage students to focus on tech and related fields.

There are also logistical reasons for recruiting LatAm professionals. The median salary for software developers in the region is ~$99,300, considerably lower than the US’s average of $182,500. Time zone alignment is another important factor.  Countries in Latin America have significant overlap in working hours with the US, making communication and collaboration more fluid. Many software developers in the region have strong English proficiency and cultural affinity with US businesses as well.

These and other qualities make LatAm tech recruiting appealing for small and larger companies alike. 

Top Recruiters for Building LatAm Engineering Teams or Hiring Developers

1. Terminal

Terminal is one of the top picks for recruiting LatAm professionals in Mexico, Colombia, Chile, and Costa Rica. Along with Latin America, the company focuses on recruiting from Europe and Canada, regions known for quality tech talent. Terminal’s regional experts know these locations inside and out and establish strong talent pipelines.

Only 7% of candidates pass its rigorous vetting process, which leverages a combination of AI for speedier recruitment and matching and human expertise to ensure fit. Employers can hire contractors, full-time developers, and teams for a wide range of roles through Terminal.

A perk of sourcing talent through Terminal is that you have the option of using the talent marketplace as your Employer of Record (EoR), so you don’t have to navigate the often-complex local hiring regulations or handle the HR and admin burden. Terminal is also affordable, with talent costing up to 40% less than US developers, and a 14-day risk-free trial is available.

2. Turing

Turing is an AI-based recruitment platform with more than 1 million developers from over 140 countries, including several countries in Latin America. The recruiting firm uses an automated vetting process that focuses on speed in matching. It matches according to project requirements and skills.

Turing focuses on long-term and full-time engagements, meaning it’s not an ideal platform for shorter-term, contract work. A major drawback to using Turing is that the platform is less personal and largely powered by AI. That means candidate matching is not as tailored to your business as Terminal, for example, although you can receive a free trial period to test out developers.

Another significant downside is the price. Typically, hourly rates are around $100–200, with many sitting at the higher end of this range. Turing’s fee on top of the developer’s rate is baked into the final price, which is often too expensive for startups and SMBs. While it provides some support for managing employees, some clients say it is difficult to communicate with the company and its customer service team.

3. Adecco

A huge staffing group, Adecco recruits for “workforce solutions” across numerous fields and roles. The recruiting company has longevity on its side, with roughly 30 years in business. It provides outsourcing and career services and performs recruitment for temporary and permanent staffing. Using AI and on-site HR professionals, Adecco leverages multiple channels to source candidates.

One of Adecco’s main drawbacks is that it casts a wide net. It’s not strictly specialized in tech; its industries span everything from manufacturing and marketing to logistics and transportation. Moreover, its pool of candidates extends all over the world, meaning it lacks regional focus.

Like many other recruiting agencies, Adecco isn’t transparent about its pricing. It also has high placement fees and charges additional fees for hiring contract professionals full-time.

4. Revelo

Revelo specializes in recruiting LatAm professionals in the tech sector. It pre-vets candidates and handles admin like payroll, compliance, and benefits for organizations. Although it sources developers from across Latin America, it focuses heavily on Brazil.

Revelo does not disclose its pricing. However, some reviews complain that there are high service fees on top of developer fees, and you must continue to pay these service fees upfront for a full year if you choose to hire a developer full-time. There is also an initial cost on top of this.

Another downside to relying on Revelo is that there are few senior developers in its network, with the agency mainly sourcing junior talent. Perhaps it’s unsurprising, then, that there are complaints about its less thorough and rigorous vetting process. Moreover, the hiring timeline can be lengthy.

5. Andela

Specializing in Africa and LatAm recruitment, Andela is an expansive network that places developers with companies, who behave as team members. The recruitment firm performs vetting, including administering an AI-driven English proficiency exam, live technical interviews, and coding challenges.

While pricing is not transparent on Andela’s website, reviews say rates are set by developers and can be as high as $15,000+ per month. The platform also charges an additional $50,000 fee for converting a developer hired through Andela to a full-time member of your team (which is only allowed after a year), and you’re required to replace that developer with another Andela hire.

Despite its focus on long-term hiring, there are several complaints of high turnover. Another drawback is that developers are officially Andela contractors, rather than employees of your company, which can be challenging in terms of management.

6. Tecla

Offering staff augmentation, custom development, and nearshore teams, Tecla exclusively recruits professionals in Latin America through a blend of AI and regional talent acquisition teams.  Pricing is relatively affordable, with rates varying by role and seniority. For example, pricing for a senior AI developer is around $9,400 per month. Tecla also acts as an EOR. 

Tecla lacks a specific tech focus, with roles across fields like marketing and sales in addition to software development. Hiring timelines vary, and there are some complaints that they can be overly long. Plus, Tecla is not for companies looking for short-term work, concentrating on long-term hires. Some reviews also mention that Tecla can be difficult to navigate.

7. BairesDev

One of the most well-known LatAm tech recruiting companies, BairesDev offers a range of options, including staff augmentation, dedicated teams, and end-to-end outsourcing.  The company’s main strength is its rigorous vetting process, which includes technical tests, English proficiency evaluations, and coding interviews.  It understands Latin America well and mainly concentrates its hiring on the region. Reviews also praise its project management.

Despite its strengths, there are some drawbacks. For one, you can’t interview developers directly, which can lead to mismatches. Pricing is one of the biggest concerns. The cost structure is not transparent, and many clients complain that fees are quite steep, particularly compared with its competitors.

Additionally, hiring timelines can be lengthy, and there can be high turnover, leaving some clients in a lurch. BairesDev’s salesy tactics have also drawn criticism.

How to Choose a LatAm Recruiting Agency

1. Determine Your Requirements

Why do you need software developers? Determine the skill sets and roles you want. Perhaps you’re looking for a web developer to build your website from the ground up or need a specialized AI engineer build a cutting-edge chatbot. Maybe you’re in the market for a full-time developer to join your team or want to offload projects to independent and fully functioning teams.

Many LatAm recruitment agencies offer different models, such as full-time developer hiring, staff augmentation, temporary placements, and outsourced software development teams. Before you determine which firm is best for you, you must think about what, exactly, you need from the engagement. 

2. Establish Evaluation Criteria

Create unique methods of evaluating each LatAm recruiting agency on your list. While cost is important, go beyond the price tag. Often, if you consider your budget alone, you end up with poor-quality software developers—and you’ll ultimately pay more to fix shoddy work in the long term. Instead, think in terms of quality and value.

Also, consider that some recruitment agencies allow you to interview and evaluate candidates directly, while others don’t. If this is important to you for gauging fit, that’s something you’ll want to keep in mind as you’re establishing criteria.

Another factor to think about is the hiring timeline. If you want to hire as fast as possible, as many organizations do, then note that as a point of assessment.

3. Research the Agencies

Starting with the LatAm tech recruiting agencies on this list, research your options. Examine processes for vetting candidates to determine whether they meet your criteria. You should also look at customer success stories/testimonials and references from organizations in your industry that have worked with engineers from the agency, attesting to the quality of work and the recruitment process.

Consider factors like English proficiency assessments, whether they provide employer of record (EOR) services to handle compliance and legal requirements, onboarding support provided, and specializations.

Conclusion: What’s the top LatAm Recruiting Agency?

While there are many options for recruiting LatAm professionals, Terminal stands out for its rigorous vetting process, low costs, and flexibility. Terminal also offers full-service options, acting as your EOR and taking the admin burden off your plate. That means access to top talent and no HR and compliance headaches—a win-win.

FAQ

Why hire developers from LatAm?

There are significant advantages to hiring developers from Latin America, including time-zone alignment, lower prices, and quality developers.

How do I choose the right LatAm recruitment agency?

When you’re looking for the best LatAm recruitment agency for your organization, consider the agency’s vetting process, specializations, testimonials/reviews, and budget.

What are the best recruiting agencies for engineering teams in Latin America?

Many top LatAm recruitment agencies allow you to hire full teams in addition to hiring individual developers. Terminal is one of the best options, offering access to teams along with full-time or contract engineers.