Key takeaways:
- When you can’t compete with the larger hiring budgets of competitors, you need to expand your search beyond the overpriced US market to Latin America, where sales professionals with the same skills expect 30–60% less compensation.
- The best LatAm SDRs have natural sales instincts, speak fluent professional English, work during standard US business hours, and are motivated to prove themselves rather than coast on entitlement.
- Companies hiring LatAm sales talent see measurable advantages: 2-month ramp times instead of 6+ months, 20% attrition instead of 70%, and consistent quota achievement.
You don’t need a $150K+ budget to hire a killer SDR. You just need to know where to look.
While better-funded competitors overpay for candidates, you can hire sales talent in Latin America who will deliver results for half the cost.
While Your Competitors Overpay, You Can Out-Hire Them
Startups and mid-sized companies can’t match the hiring budgets of enterprise competitors. The gap shows up fastest in sales, where well-funded firms build large domestic teams and drive up salaries across the board.
But a limited budget doesn’t have to limit your ability to compete. Many growing companies are winning by building distributed sales teams with skilled professionals in Latin America who bring the same experience, drive, and communication skills as U.S. hires.
They’re hiring sales professionals who sound like they’re calling from down the road but who happen to expect 30–60% less than their US counterparts. Not because they’re worth less. But because they live in markets where your budget goes further.
And this means you can build a larger, more experienced sales force that can outproduce anything your well-funded competitors put together.
What top LatAm SDRs bring to the table
The region’s best sales professionals are known for qualities that companies say are increasingly hard to find in the U.S. market: resilience, adaptability, and a strong work ethic.
They understand that sales is about persistence. It’s about making calls, following up, and creating momentum. Many have prior experience selling to U.S. buyers, which means they’re familiar with American business norms and communication styles.
Fluent, professional English is the standard among top candidates. When prospects pick up the phone, they hear confidence and clarity, not the hallmarks of an offshore call center. As one U.S. company leader put it,
From day one, the talent was extremely sharp and ramped very quickly.
These professionals also tend to see remote roles with U.S. companies as career accelerators, not placeholders. That hunger to prove themselves translates into faster ramp times and lower attrition—two of the biggest cost drivers in any sales organization.
The cost advantage of hiring sales talent in Latin America
Salary data shows why this strategy has caught on so quickly. A senior SDR in the U.S. typically earns a $76,000–$90,000 base salary before commissions. In Latin America, the same experience level averages $30,000–$42,000 base.
Those savings compound when you consider performance metrics. Companies hiring LatAm SDRs report ramp times of two months instead of six, turnover rates around 20% instead of 70%, and more consistent quota attainment.
It’s important to emphasize that this isn’t about undercutting talent. It’s about market efficiency. Because professionals in Latin America live in regions with lower living costs, U.S. employers can offer competitive local salaries that still represent meaningful savings. The result is a win-win: employees earn more than they would locally, and employers can finally afford the team they need.
So while your competitors spend $150K+ on one US hire, you can build a team of 2–3 experienced LatAm professionals for the same budget. Or match their team size at half the cost and reinvest those savings into better tools, training, benefits, and growth.
Your bigger competitors can’t match that combination of speed, performance, and cost efficiency, hiring only in the US.
How the smartest companies approach hiring LatAm sales talent
The teams that turn nearshore hiring into a real advantage share a few things in common: they focus on performance, treat people like real teammates, and think beyond cost.
They don’t rely on perks to attract real performers
You don’t need kombucha on tap or Friday half-days and branded hoodies to build a top-tier sales team.
The best reps aren’t choosing jobs based on lifestyle perks. They’re looking for roles where they can earn more by doing more. A clear comp plan, commission upside, and growth path will beat free swag every time.
Many companies promote top performers into account management or business development leadership roles. These internal pipelines reduce the need for external recruiting and keep institutional knowledge in-house.
They don’t try to save 70+%
The goal isn’t to save as much as possible. The goal is to hire the top performers you need to grow your business—the kind of A-players who would be out of reach if you only hired in the U.S.
Companies that treat nearshore hiring purely as a cost-cutting exercise end up with high turnover and inconsistent results. The ones that win use the cost advantage to compete for better talent, paying competitively enough to attract and retain top performers while still achieving a meaningful reduction in overall payroll costs.
Underpaying leads to turnover. Fair compensation leads to stability.
They treat LatAm hires like full team members
The best teams build a strong sales team culture regardless of where their reps are based. They run the same trainings, include remote reps in strategy, and set clear, aggressive targets. And as a result, they get distributed teams that outperform purely local ones.
When people feel connected to the mission and invested in outcomes, they stay longer and perform better.
Creating a sense of connection across borders takes intention. It starts with clear communication and consistent processes, but it’s also about building belonging into daily routines: shared wins, joint meetings, and visible recognition. These small habits are what help remote hires feel like part of the team and keep engagement high over time.
Why Working with the Right Partner Changes Everything
Once you decide to expand your search to Latin America, you have two choices:
- spend months learning the markets yourself, or
- work with specialists who can get you results immediately.
You could certainly figure out LatAm hiring on your own. But do you have months to learn the markets, test your assessment methods, and refine your approach while your territories sit empty?
Working with a partner like Near shortcuts the process.
- We’re on the ground in Latin America. We know what salary levels attract top talent, how to properly assess cultural fit, and which candidates have the skills to succeed with US companies.
- We pre-screen for what matters most. Before you spend time on interviews, we’ve already tested their English fluency, sales instincts, and ability to integrate with your team. You get candidates who can handle objections and close meetings, not just make calls.
The difference between finding good LatAm talent and finding game-changing LatAm talent is working with people who know exactly what to look for and where to find it.
Final Thoughts
You don’t beat bigger budgets by trying to match them. You beat them by being more strategic about where you invest.
While competitors fight over entitled, expensive candidates, you can build a high-performing sales team with professionals who have the hunger, skills, and work ethic to drive results.
The companies winning this game understand that the best sales talent isn’t limited by geography, and the best hiring strategies aren’t limited by local salary expectations.
Jake Breuner, VP of Sales at AvantStay, discovered this when he was under pressure to drive $20M in new ARR. US candidates were demanding too much money and delivering too few results.
His first LatAm hire, Simon, became such a benchmark that he was promoted to BD Manager and now manages a team of 10. According to Jake,
Hiring from Latin was our backup plan. Now it’s our primary plan.
See the full AvantStay case study to discover exactly how their VP of Sales built a high-performing team that added $20M in ARR, reduced attrition from 70% to 20%, and cut ramp times from 6 months to 2, while saving 65% on hiring costs compared to US talent.
Or schedule a free, no-commitment consultation call to discuss how we can help you hire top pre-vetted LatAm SDRs.
Frequently Asked Question
How can I pay LatAm sales reps?
Many companies worry about the logistics of paying international contractors or employees, but it's actually straightforward with the right setup.
You have two main options: work with a recruitment and staffing partner like Near that handles all payroll and compliance for you, or use an Employer of Record (EOR) service like Deel that manages international payments and legal requirements.
If you're hiring through Near we can handle contracts, onboarding, invoicing, and monthly payroll with full transparency.
The key is choosing a solution that handles the complexities of international compliance, tax requirements, and currency conversion so you can focus on building your team rather than wrestling with payment logistics.
How long does it take to hire a LatAm sales rep or SDR?
The timeline is much faster than most companies expect.
With Near, after an initial kickoff call with your dedicated recruiter so they can understand your needs, you’ll have a shortlist of pre-vetted candidates within three days. These aren't random resumes. They're professionals we've already screened for skill, experience, cultural fit, and English proficiency.
You can interview all candidates for free, with no upfront costs or commitment. Most of our clients make a hire within three weeks from start to finish.
Compare that to the typical 6+ months it takes to find and hire top sales reps in the US market, and you can see why companies are making this switch. You're saving money and you're saving time and getting your territories covered faster.
How much does it cost to hire LatAm SDRs?
Base salary expectations vary by experience level, but all represent significant savings compared to US rates:
- Junior SDR (0-2 years): $18,000 – $24,000 annually (vs. $43,000 – $66,000 in the US)
- Mid-Level SDR (2-5 years): $24,000 – $30,000 annually (vs. $66,000 – $76,000 in the US)
- Senior SDR (5+ years): $30,000 – $42,000 annually (vs. $76,000 – $90,000 in the US)
These figures represent base salaries before commission structures. You're looking at up to 64% cost savings without sacrificing talent quality.
The key is offering competitive compensation for the local market while still achieving meaningful savings for your business. Companies that try to save 70%+ typically struggle with retention, while those aiming for 30–60% savings build stable, high-performing teams.
To see how to structure a winning compensation plan, download AvantStay's proven SDR compensation framework that helped their team hit quota in 60 days while adding millions in ARR. Get the complete compensation plan with benchmarks and incentive structure.
What should I look for when hiring an SDR?
The most successful SDR hires combine hard skills (CRM proficiency, prospecting tools, cold calling) with crucial soft skills like resilience, communication, and adaptability. You also need to evaluate cultural fit, set realistic activity expectations, and structure compensation that attracts performers.
The key is having a systematic evaluation process that goes beyond reviewing resumes. Use role-playing exercises, ask strategic questions about their sales approach, and assess their ability to handle rejection and maintain consistent activity.
For a complete breakdown of essential skills, interview questions that reveal top performers, and common hiring mistakes to avoid, see our comprehensive guide: How to Hire a Sales Development Representative (SDR).
Do LatAm sales reps have accents?
Yes, many LatAm sales professionals have accents. But Spanish accents are widely accepted in the US market and don't impact sales performance.
The US has the second-largest Spanish-speaking population in the world. A Spanish accent doesn't make prospects hang up or question credibility. What matters is English fluency, communication skills, and the ability to handle objections and build relationships.
The key is proper evaluation during the hiring process. With Near, you see and hear candidates before interviewing. There are no surprises about communication quality.
Your prospects care about one thing: whether your SDR can solve their problems and move their business forward. Performance trumps geography every time.
For a deeper dive into this question, plus other common concerns like cultural fit, team dynamics, and compensation structures, read our complete guide: “Do LatAm Sales Reps Have Accents?” and Other Questions Sales Leaders Ask.
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