Remote Hiring Salary Benchmarks: India and Philippines 2026
F5 Hiring Solutions 2026 salary benchmarks: full-stack developers from India start at $375/week, AI/ML engineers at $500/week, customer support from the Philippines at $375/week, and executive assistants at $400/week — all all-inclusive with HR, equipment, and management included. These benchmarks reflect F5's Pune and Manila talent pools as of Q1 2026.
In summary
F5 Hiring Solutions 2026 salary benchmarks: full-stack developers from India start at $375/week, AI/ML engineers at $500/week, customer support from the Philippines at $375/week, and executive assistants at $400/week — all all-inclusive with HR, equipment, and management included. These benchmarks reflect F5's Pune and Manila talent pools as of Q1 2026.
2026 Remote Hiring Salary Benchmarks: India and Philippines
These benchmarks reflect F5 Hiring Solutions' current placement rates as of Q1 2026, based on active placements across Pune, Rajkot, and Manila. All rates are all-inclusive — covering salary, HR and payroll processing, India/Philippines labor compliance, F5-provided equipment, daily We360 monitoring, and weekly F5 MyApp performance reports.
Engineering Roles — India (Pune and Rajkot)
| Role | Mid-Level (2–4 yr) | Senior (4–7 yr) | Staff/Lead (7+ yr) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full-Stack Developer | $375–$475/week | $475–$575/week | $575–$650/week |
| Backend Developer | $375–$475/week | $475–$550/week | $550–$600/week |
| Frontend Developer | $375–$450/week | $450–$525/week | $525–$575/week |
| AI/ML Engineer | $500–$650/week | $650–$800/week | $800–$950/week |
| DevOps/Cloud Engineer | $425–$550/week | $550–$650/week | $650–$750/week |
| QA Engineer | $375–$425/week | $425–$475/week | $475–$550/week |
| Mobile Developer (iOS/Android) | $400–$500/week | $500–$600/week | $600–$700/week |
| Data Engineer | $450–$550/week | $550–$700/week | $700–$800/week |
Construction and Engineering Roles — India
| Role | Entry (2–4 yr) | Experienced (4–7 yr) | Senior (7+ yr) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construction Estimator | $375–$475/week | $475–$575/week | $575–$700/week |
| CAD Drafter (AutoCAD) | $375–$450/week | $450–$525/week | $525–$600/week |
| Revit/BIM Specialist | $400–$500/week | $500–$575/week | $575–$650/week |
| Civil Engineering Technician | $375–$475/week | $475–$550/week | $550–$600/week |
| Structural Analysis Support | $400–$500/week | $500–$600/week | $600–$700/week |
| Construction Document Controller | $375–$450/week | $450–$525/week | — |
Creative and Design Roles — India
| Role | Mid-Level | Senior | Lead/Art Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| Graphic Designer | $375–$450/week | $450–$525/week | $525–$575/week |
| Video Editor | $375–$450/week | $450–$500/week | $500–$550/week |
| 3D Rendering Artist | $400–$500/week | $500–$575/week | — |
Finance and Operations Roles — India
| Role | Rate Range |
|---|---|
| Financial Analyst | $400–$650/week |
| Bookkeeper | $375–$525/week |
| Insurance Specialist (claims, UW support) | $375–$575/week |
| Legal Assistant | $375–$475/week |
| Document Review Specialist | $375–$500/week |
| Medical Billing Specialist | $375–$525/week |
| Prior Authorization Specialist | $375–$525/week |
Support and Operations Roles — Philippines (Manila)
| Role | Entry (1–3 yr) | Experienced (3–6 yr) | Senior (6+ yr) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Customer Support Agent | $375–$425/week | $425–$475/week | $475–$500/week |
| Virtual Assistant | $375–$400/week | $400–$450/week | $450–$475/week |
| Executive Assistant | $400–$475/week | $475–$525/week | $525–$575/week |
| Legal VA | $375–$425/week | $425–$475/week | — |
How These Rates Compare to U.S. Equivalents
| Role (India, mid-level) | F5 Annual Cost | U.S. Annual (fully loaded) | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full-Stack Developer | $22,100 | $156,000 | $133,900 |
| DevOps Engineer | $24,700 | $163,800 | $139,100 |
| AI/ML Engineer | $29,900 | $200,200 | $170,300 |
| Data Engineer | $26,000 | $163,800 | $137,800 |
| Philippines Customer Support | $20,800 | $67,600 | $46,800 |
| Philippines EA | $23,400 | $97,500 | $74,100 |
U.S. costs: base salary × 1.3 benefits multiplier + $15,000 recruiting fee amortized over 2 years.
What These Benchmarks Don't Include
F5's all-inclusive rate does NOT include:
- Software licenses specific to the client (Adobe CC, Autodesk, specialized industry tools)
- Apple Developer Account or Google Play Console fees for mobile developers
- Cloud infrastructure costs (AWS, GCP, Azure — these are client account costs)
- Overtime or weekend work beyond the standard 40-hour week (available at a defined premium)
Everything else — salary, employer taxes and contributions, equipment, monitoring, HR management, and replacement — is covered in the weekly rate.
View all available roles and current rates or contact F5 to discuss your specific hiring needs and get a tailored cost estimate.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the 2026 benchmarks for remote developers from India? Full-stack: $375–$650/week. Backend: $375–$600/week. AI/ML: $500–$950/week. DevOps: $425–$750/week. All all-inclusive.
What are the benchmarks for Philippines support roles? Customer support: $375–$500/week. Virtual assistants: $375–$475/week. Executive assistants: $400–$575/week.
What factors drive rate differences within the same role? Seniority, tech stack specificity, domain expertise, and verifiable U.S. project experience.
How do rates compare to 2023? 8–15% higher across most categories. AI/ML roles up 18–25% due to LLM skill premiums.
Are rates negotiable? F5 rates reflect market rates. Adjusting seniority expectations is more effective than negotiating below market for a given level.
How do these compare to Upwork? Upwork full-time India developer costs $1,680/week with platform fee. F5 equivalent: $375–$650/week — 60–75% less expensive.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the 2026 salary benchmarks for remote developers from India?
Full-stack developers: $375–$650/week. Backend developers: $375–$600/week. Frontend developers: $375–$575/week. AI/ML engineers: $500–$950/week. DevOps engineers: $425–$750/week. QA engineers: $375–$550/week. Mobile developers: $400–$700/week. Data engineers: $450–$800/week. All rates all-inclusive through F5 — HR, equipment, and monitoring included.
What are the 2026 benchmarks for non-technical remote roles from India?
Construction estimators: $375–$700/week. CAD/BIM specialists: $375–$600/week. Graphic designers: $375–$575/week. Video editors: $375–$550/week. Insurance specialists: $375–$575/week. Financial analysts: $400–$650/week. Bookkeepers: $375–$525/week. Legal assistants: $375–$475/week.
What are the 2026 benchmarks for remote roles from the Philippines?
Customer support agents: $375–$500/week. Virtual assistants: $375–$475/week. Executive assistants: $400–$575/week. Legal VAs: $375–$475/week. All rates through F5, all-inclusive with HR, equipment, and management.
What factors drive rate differences within the same role category?
Four factors: (1) seniority — years of experience and depth of independent ownership capability, (2) tech stack specificity — AI/ML engineers with LLM/RAG experience command premiums over classical ML, (3) domain expertise — fintech or healthcare domain knowledge versus general, (4) U.S. project experience — professionals with verifiable U.S. client experience are priced higher than those with only India-market experience.
How do 2026 India remote benchmarks compare to 2023 rates?
Rates have increased 8–15% across most categories since 2023, driven by strong demand for remote talent and competition from U.S. companies hiring India-based professionals directly. AI/ML roles have seen the largest increases (18–25%) due to LLM/RAG skill premiums. Construction and insurance roles have been more stable (5–8% increase).
Are these rates negotiable or fixed?
F5's rates reflect the market rate for the candidate's seniority and skill level — they are not arbitrary markups. Negotiating below market rate for a specific candidate means competing with other F5 clients who are willing to pay market. For roles where budget is constrained, F5 recommends adjusting seniority expectations rather than attempting to underpay at a given seniority level.
How do these benchmarks compare to Upwork or Toptal rates?
Upwork's full-time equivalent cost for an India developer at $35/hour is $1,400/week plus the 20% client fee ($1,680/week total). F5's equivalent dedicated developer costs $375–$650/week all-inclusive — 60–75% less expensive than full-time Upwork, with dedicated accountability and HR included. Toptal's curated developer rates start at $60/hour ($2,400/week) — significantly more expensive than F5 for comparable seniority.