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.