Brasilia time is UTC-3 all year, so developers in Sao Paulo and Florianopolis get 7 to 8 hours of workday overlap with US Eastern and 4 to 5 with US Pacific. Brazil is the largest country in Latin America and Portuguese is the working language at home, so you interview for English directly. Plugg clients such as SingleOps have hired engineers in Brazil, with no local entity required.
- Tech hubs
- Sao Paulo, Florianopolis
- Time zone
- Brasilia time is UTC-3 all year. Brazil dropped daylight saving time in 2019. Western states are one to two hours behind.
- English
- Brazil scored 482 on the 2025 EF English Proficiency Index, ranking 75th of 123 countries against a global average of 488. That national score covers the whole population, and developers are a self-selected group, so test English directly in your interviews. Plugg screens candidates for advanced-level English communication.
- Universities
- Major engineering programs include the Universidade de Sao Paulo (USP), the Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), the Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC) and the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ).
- More from Plugg
- Plugg's Brazil country guide
Time-zone overlap with the US
| US time zone | US standard time (about Nov to Mar) | US daylight time (about Mar to Nov) |
|---|---|---|
| US Eastern | 7 hours (2 hours ahead) | 8 hours (1 hour ahead) |
| US Central | 6 hours (3 hours ahead) | 7 hours (2 hours ahead) |
| US Mountain | 5 hours (4 hours ahead) | 6 hours (3 hours ahead) |
| US Pacific | 4 hours (5 hours ahead) | 5 hours (4 hours ahead) |
Overlap assumes a developer workday of 9am to 6pm local time and a US workday of 9am to 5pm local time.
Developer costs in Brazil
These are Latin America benchmarks from Plugg, not Brazil-only quotes. Country-level rates move with city, seniority and demand, so use the table as a planning range and request rates for your role.
| Role (Senior) | US monthly median cost | Latin America monthly median cost | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| React developers | $22,000 | $7,000 | $15,000 |
| Python developers | $15,200 | $6,200 | $9,000 |
| Backend developers | $15,200 | $6,200 | $9,000 |
| Node.js developers | $22,000 | $7,000 | $15,000 |
| DevOps engineers | $19,000 | $7,500 | $11,500 |
| Data engineers | $24,000 | $8,500 | $15,500 |
| QA engineers | $14,000 | $5,000 | $9,000 |
How we calculated these numbers
What the figures are. Monthly cost for a senior-level hire, in US dollars. The US column is what the employer pays each month for a US hire, and the Latin America column is what a comparable hire in Latin America costs each month. The figures come from Plugg Technologies.
Difference. We subtract the Latin America figure from the US figure. Multiply it by 12 for a rough yearly saving.
These figures are illustrative, based on typical senior-level ranges, and are not a quote. Your actual number depends on the role, seniority, stack and country. Request developer rates for a real number.
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Request Developer RatesBrazil is the biggest country in Latin America, which makes it a deep place to find developers once you account for language and local rules. This page covers the time zone, English, talent hubs, hiring rules and costs, and links to the roles Plugg fills there.
Why hire developers in Brazil
- Scale. Brazil is the largest country in Latin America by population, so the hiring pool is big. Depth matters when you need to hire a team and not just one person.
- A working day that overlaps the East Coast. Brasilia time is UTC-3 all year, because Brazil dropped daylight saving time in 2019. That is one to two hours ahead of US Eastern, so mornings overlap and the afternoon is shared. Western states are one to two hours behind Brasilia time.
- Two distinct hubs. Sao Paulo is the large commercial and tech center, with USP and UNICAMP nearby. Florianopolis, home to UFSC, is a smaller city with a growing software community.
- Proven with Plugg clients. Jordan Krey, VP of Engineering at SingleOps, hired engineers in Brazil and Mexico, including Rails developers and QA engineers.
Talent strengths
Plugg's own Brazil placements show the range. SingleOps built part of its engineering team across Brazil and Mexico, and Jordan Krey names Rails engineers and a QA engineer among the hires. Ask Plugg which hub fits your stack, because Sao Paulo and Florianopolis draw different employers and mixes of talent.
Hiring considerations
Hiring directly in Brazil usually means a local entity, payroll registration and compliance with the CLT, Brazil's labor code. Plugg handles employment, payroll and tax compliance, so you do not need a local entity.
Two things are worth knowing even when a partner handles employment. Brazilian employees receive a 13th-month salary each year and 30 days of paid vacation with an added vacation bonus, and employers also pay into the FGTS, a mandatory severance fund, so total cost sits well above base pay. Brazilian courts also look at the substance of a work relationship and not only the contract label, which is why engaging a full-time developer as an independent contractor (a PJ arrangement) can create liability. Confirm current rules with Brazilian labor counsel for your situation.