Pick your country, your client's country, your role, and seniority. Get a defensible hourly range anchored to US market benchmarks and local market multipliers.
A senior software engineer in India billing a US client should charge $35–$55/hr — 35% of the US benchmark — based on market data from Toptal, Upwork, and Glassdoor 2024.
Market estimates from Toptal/Upwork rate surveys and public salary data. Actual rates vary by experience, portfolio, and negotiation.
We start with the US median total compensation for the selected role and seniority (sourced from Levels.fyi and Glassdoor 2024 survey data), convert it to an hourly equivalent, then multiply by a country-specific market rate factor.
The market factor reflects what talent in that country typically bills US/EU clients, based on aggregated Toptal, Upwork, and local job board data. The displayed range is ±15% around the calculated market center. Use the low end when breaking into a market; the high end when you have a strong portfolio and referrals.
| Country | Mid (2–5 yrs) | Senior (5–9 yrs) | Staff (9+ yrs) |
|---|---|---|---|
| India | $20–$30/hr | $35–$55/hr | $45–$65/hr |
| Philippines | $22–$34/hr | $30–$46/hr | $38–$58/hr |
| Poland | $40–$60/hr | $52–$78/hr | $62–$94/hr |
| Ukraine | $30–$46/hr | $42–$62/hr | $52–$78/hr |
| Colombia | $26–$38/hr | $36–$54/hr | $46–$70/hr |
| Brazil | $24–$36/hr | $34–$52/hr | $44–$66/hr |
| Portugal | $40–$60/hr | $52–$78/hr | $62–$94/hr |
Rates for Software Engineer role billing US clients. Use the calculator above for other roles and client countries. Market data from Toptal/Upwork surveys, Glassdoor 2024. Updated January 2025.
Estimates only — not financial or tax advice. Rates vary by portfolio, niche, client relationship, and negotiation. Currency rates are approximate. See methodology.