Offshore hiring costs: a budget guide for Australian businesses

“How much does it cost to hire in the Philippines?” is a fair question. It just needs a little more detail before the answer becomes useful. A junior admin role, an experienced video editor and a finance specialist do not share one salary.

This guide explains the cost categories and Team Hatch’s current public fees. It is a planning guide, not an individual salary quote or legal or tax advice. Figures below are in Australian dollars. Team Hatch service prices are ex GST and per offshore team member.

Put these five lines in your budget

1. Salary or agreed pay: based on the role, experience, responsibilities and hours.
2. Recruitment: a one-off placement fee if a provider is finding and placing the person.
3. Employment costs: applicable benefits, contributions, leave and other obligations for the agreed arrangement.
4. Employment administration: an EOR service fee if you use an Employer of Record.
5. Operating costs: software seats, equipment, secure access, payment or foreign-exchange charges and your onboarding time.

Ask which costs are estimates, which are fixed fees and which can change. If a provider presents one monthly total, request the breakdown. If another presents salary only, add the missing categories before comparing them.

What are Team Hatch’s current fees?

Fees checked on 4 October 2026 against Team Hatch’s pricing page. Refer there for current inclusions and to the agreed terms for your engagement. Hatch Hire includes a six-month replacement guarantee, subject to its terms.

Hatch Compliance is available alongside Hire or as EOR-only support for someone you have already sourced. No recruitment fee applies when Team Hatch is not recruiting. SOS, our Philippines EOR partner, is the legal employer and administers employment and payroll; Team Hatch coordinates invoicing and support.

A worked example, with the exclusions visible

Suppose an agreed role has an illustrative salary of A$2,000 per month. That is a planning assumption used on our pricing page, not a market average or a salary promise.

Neither subtotal is an all-in employment cost. Statutory benefits, other employment costs, tools, equipment, payment costs and any required deposit remain additional. GST treatment differs by line; do not apply one blanket percentage to the salary and assume it is correct. Confirm the itemised invoice and arrangement.

Use the Philippines EOR cost calculator to explore the extra employment-cost lines, then obtain a role-specific quote. Calculator outputs are estimates and exchange rates can change.

Compare like with like

If you are weighing local and offshore options, use the same hours, seniority and responsibilities on both sides. Compare total costs over the same period. Keep one-off placement fees separate from recurring costs so year two does not accidentally include a second recruitment charge for the same placement.

Also compare the support you receive. Recruitment, employment administration and day-to-day management are different services. A lower number is not useful if it leaves out something your business requires.

Check the cash flow, not just the annual total

Ask when the recruitment payment is due, when payroll is funded, whether a security deposit applies and what happens to it at the end. Check notice, replacement and cancellation terms. A refundable deposit is still cash you need available, even though it is not the same as a permanent fee.

Get a useful budget before you recruit

Bring a clear role, expected hours, tools and must-have skills to the conversation. If the work is occasional, compare task-based Flex with a dedicated Hire. If it is an ongoing role, we can help scope it and explain a realistic salary range and hiring process.

The goal is to add capacity you can sustain, with every cost visible before you commit.