How a Marketing Agency Hired an Accountant in Latin America for $2,500 per Month

A growing marketing agency had one person handling its entire accounting function: accounts payable, accounts receivable, the general ledger, and month-end close, all without a finance team around her. She had been doing the job for years and knew the agency's systems inside out, but she didn't have a formal accounting background, and she was leaving the company in about three weeks.

The agency needed a replacement who understood GAAP to clean up and maintain audit-ready books, had at least some exposure to US tax rules, and could still function as a team of one while the agency figured out its next move: bringing on a fractional CFO to handle forecasting and strategy, once the day-to-day accounting was in stronger hands.

A US-based accountant with that profile typically earns around $77K a year, and for a company this size, that was hard to justify for a role that was being deliberately scoped down from the strategic work a CFO would eventually own. 

So the agency came to Hire With Near to hire finance and accounting talent in Latin America, landing on an accountant who could run the books solo and hand off cleanly once a CFO came on board.

Why Did the Agency Look to Latin America for Its Accounting Hire?

The agency had already worked with staffing partners in Asia to fill other roles, and the experience taught it something it will never forget: a finance function that needs to answer questions from the US team in real time doesn't work well across a 12-hour gap. Questions about a reconciliation or a client invoice can't wait until the next business day.

That pushed the search toward nearshore staffing in Latin America, where working hours line up with US business hours and a question sent in the morning gets answered before lunch. 

Cost was part of the calculation too, but not the deciding factor. The agency was already trying to keep this hire lean on purpose, since it was actively working to separate tactical accounting work from the higher-level financial strategy a future CFO would own. 

Latin America allowed the agency to staff the tactical role well without overpaying for scope it didn't need yet.

What Does an Agency-Level Accountant Hire From Latin America Look Like?

Going in, the agency needed a senior, independent hire who could sit at the table for financial decisions and handle bookkeeping, reconciliations, and GAAP-aligned reporting. 

The company also expected the hire to be based in Colombia or Peru, the two countries it had considered for other roles. However, the strongest candidate Hire With Near found was based in Mexico. 

She matched every requirement on the list: experience with US-based clients, GAAP-aligned reporting, working hours that align closely with the agency's Eastern time zone, and, notably, direct experience with the kind of accounting that agencies specifically need. 

Managing books for an agency means running what amounts to several small companies under one roof: every client account carries its own P&L and its own balance sheet. That's a different skill than single-entity accounting, and it's one relatively few accountants have on their resume. 

Hire With Near prioritized finding the person who fit the role over sticking to the countries the search had originally assumed, and the agency was on board once it saw how the profile fit. 

The hire brought full-cycle accounting experience: accounts payable and receivable, general ledger management, bank and intercompany reconciliations, and hands-on administration of QuickBooks Online, along with the reporting platforms agencies use to track billing across client accounts. 

Related reading: Best Countries to Hire Remote Accountants for US Companies 

An Accountant Who Could Own the Books Alone, at $2,500 a Month vs. $6,414 for a US Hire

The hire took over the full accounting cycle on her own: books, reconciliations, and month-end close, with the outgoing employee staying on part-time for a short transition period to hand off institutional knowledge.

At $2,500 a month, or $30,000 a year, versus roughly $6,414 a month for a US-based equivalent, the agency now has GAAP-aligned books managed by someone who can operate independently, without the overhead of a full US salary for a role it was deliberately scoping down. 

That salary frees up budget and bandwidth for the agency's next hire: a fractional or full-time CFO to handle forecasting and financial strategy once the accounting foundation is solid.

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Salary Benchmarks: Finance and Accounting Roles in Latin America

According to Hire With Near’s salary benchmarks for accounting roles in Latin America:

For the most up-to-date figures, see Hire With Near's US vs Latin America Salary Guide.

Actual compensation depends on experience, scope, and country. We will give you a specific range at the start of a search.

Why Does Latin America Work for Marketing Agency Finance Hiring?

Marketing agencies expanding into Latin America for finance roles tend to hit the same four questions: can candidates handle multi-client accounting, do they already know GAAP and US tax basics, do their hours overlap with the US team, and does the cost make sense for a role meant to stay lean. 

Latin America answers all four.

Agency accounting is a distinct skill in steady supply across Latin America

Tracking separate P&Ls and balance sheets for every client account is different from bookkeeping for a single business, and candidates who have done that kind of work are easier to find across Latin America's accounting market than the job title alone suggests.

GAAP and US tax exposure are common credentials, not rare ones

Many Latin American accountants have trained or worked directly with US clients, which means GAAP-aligned reporting and a working knowledge of US tax concepts come standard rather than requiring extensive ramp-up.

As Lucas Stepanenko, Hire With Near's Sourcing Manager for Finance and Accounting, puts it: 

LatAm finance professionals have strong academic training and a lot of exposure to Big Four firms. That gives them experience with international markets and makes them very well versed in key accounting standards like US GAAP and IFRS, which are among the most common requirements we see from our clients — Lucas Stepanenko, Hire With Near's Sourcing Manager for Finance and Accounting

Working hours overlap enough for real collaboration

An accounting hire based in Latin America is available during the same core hours as a US-based finance team, so questions about an invoice or a reconciliation get answered the same day instead of waiting for the next business cycle.

You can see how time zones overlap in the table below:

Note: Most Latin American countries don’t observe Daylight Saving Time, so these times shift by one hour outside of March–November, when the US reverts to standard time.

The cost structure supports staged hiring

Agencies that want to separate tactical accounting from strategic finance work, ahead of bringing on a CFO, can staff the tactical role at a salary that makes sense while they build toward that next hire. 

If that next step is a full-time or fractional CFO, Hire With Near also runs executive search for finance leadership roles.

Marketing agencies can hire their finance team the same way they hire everything else

Agencies already using Latin America to staff creative and account talent don't need a separate playbook for finance. Hire With Near supports hiring in the marketing industry and can apply the same nearshore hiring model to the accounting function behind the work.

Related reading: “Do They Know QuickBooks?” and Other Questions Finance Leaders Ask About Hiring Accountants in Latin America

How to Hire an Accountant Through Hire With Near

To hire an accountant in Latin America through Hire With Near, the process is simple and moves quickly. Most companies hire a candidate within 7–21 days. Here's how it works:

1. Kickoff call: We start by understanding what the role needs to cover: the accounting cycle tasks, the systems the hire will work in, and how much GAAP and US tax exposure the role requires. From there, we build or refine the job description together.
2. Sourcing and screening: We source candidates from across Latin America and run them through our screening process before you ever see a resume: English proficiency, experience verification, and a review of the specific accounting or bookkeeping systems the role requires.
3. Agency-specific vetting: For agency-specific accounting hires, we also screen for experience managing multiple client entities, since that's a different skill than single-business bookkeeping.
4. Interview and offer: You interview a shortlist of finalists, we handle the offer and onboarding logistics, and you decide whether to pay the hire directly or run payroll and compliance through us.

There's no retainer and no fee until you hire.

If you need to hire an accountant and want to know exactly what that role costs in the country you want to hire from, book a free discovery call today. Our team will give you specific salary ranges and answer all your questions.

In the meantime, check our “How to Hire Accountants in Latin America” guide. We share the must-have skills, compensation, and how to avoid common mistakes.