Most companies still underestimate how much engineering costs actually vary depending on:
• Local vs Remote hiring
• Seniority level
• Stack specialization
• AI/Automation experience
• DevOps/Cloud capability
• Architecture & leadership responsibilities
So I built something to help founders, startups, agencies, and businesses estimate it more realistically.
🚀 Filipino Developer Cost Calculator
https://devwithzach.com/filipino-developer-cost-calculator
The calculator gives estimated cost ranges for:
✅ Junior to Senior Engineers
✅ Full-Stack Developers
✅ Frontend / Backend Engineers
✅ DevOps & Cloud Engineers
✅ AI / Automation Engineers
✅ CTO / Lead-Level Roles
✅ Local PHP rates vs USD remote contractor pricing
This is especially useful for:
• Startups planning their first hires
• Businesses outsourcing to the Philippines
• Agencies building offshore teams
• Founders estimating MVP development costs
• Companies comparing local vs global hiring costs
• Teams planning AI & automation implementation
One thing I’ve seen over the years:
The Philippines is no longer just a “cheap outsourcing destination.”
The local engineering ecosystem has evolved significantly.
Top Filipino engineers today are:
• building global SaaS platforms
• leading distributed engineering teams
• architecting enterprise systems
• deploying AI workflows and automations
• handling DevOps & cloud infrastructure
• working directly with international startups and enterprises
And because of remote work normalization, compensation expectations are rapidly changing.
A Senior Engineer in the Philippines today can easily command:
💰 ₱120k–₱300k+ locally
💰 $4k–$10k+ remotely for international clients
AI-focused and architecture-focused roles can go even higher.
The goal of this calculator isn’t just pricing.
It’s to help businesses:
• set realistic budgets
• understand market rates
• avoid underestimating engineering costs
• plan scalable teams properly
• understand the value behind experienced engineering talent
Whether you’re hiring locally or building a global remote team, having realistic compensation expectations matters.
Curious to hear:
How are engineering costs changing in your company or market right now?
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