What Latin American recruiting agencies charge.
Seven vendors that place Latin American professionals with US companies, their published prices and models, and who each fits. Every number links to the vendor’s own page. Checked November 2, 2026.
Published pricing, .
Where a vendor publishes no price, the table says so. We have not estimated anyone’s rate.
| Vendor | Model | Published price | Fits | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HireLATAM | Flat one-time placement fee | $3,500 per hire: $500 to start the search, $3,000 when you hire. Optional payroll admin at $149 a month.Guarantee: 90 days (6 months with the payroll add-on) | One hire on a fixed budget, where the fee should not grow with the salary. | hirelatam.com/pricing, checked November 2, 2026 |
| South | One flat monthly rate (pay and South’s fee together), or a one-time headhunting fee | No price published. “Rates vary by role and seniority”, confirmed per role.Guarantee: 120 days, free second search | Full-time hires where you want payroll and compliance off your desk and one monthly invoice. | hireinsouth.com/pricing, checked November 2, 2026 |
| Near | One-time direct-hire fee, or a monthly staffing invoice (salary plus Near’s fee) | No fee published; quoted on a call. Publishes salary ranges by role, salary only.Guarantee: 180 days on direct hire; the whole engagement on staffing | Teams that want to choose between owning the hire and outsourcing payroll, and want to see what the hire earns. | hirewithnear.com/pricing, checked November 2, 2026 |
| Athyna | All-in hourly rate (pay, sourcing, vetting, support and payroll) | No rate card published. Homepage examples of placed roles: Executive Assistant $18 an hour, Client Success Manager $24, Project Manager $23.Guarantee: None stated | Teams that think in hourly cost and want payroll handled, with nothing paid before a hire. | athyna.com · athyna.com/comparison/athyna-vs-hirewithnear, checked November 2, 2026 |
| LatHire | Fixed one-time direct-hire fee, or an all-in monthly staffing rate (contractor of record) | Staffing: $1,899 a month average per hire, all fees included. Direct-hire fee not published.Guarantee: 30-day risk-free trial on direct hire; replacement at any time on staffing | Roles budgeted at about $2,000 a month all-in. | lathire.com/pricing, checked November 2, 2026 |
| Virtustant | All-in hourly rate, month to month, no placement fee | From $7 an hour (virtual assistant, customer service) to $8.50 (executive assistant, bookkeeper). Keeps $1 of every $10 billed.Guarantee: Lifetime replacement, unlimited | Assistant and support roles where flexible hours matter more than seniority. | virtustant.com/pricing, checked November 2, 2026 |
| Vela | One-time placement fee; headhunted, already employed professionals | 20% of year-one base, charged when your hire starts. A $1,000 deposit starts the search and credits to the fee. $36,000 base → $7,200.Guarantee: 90 days, no second fee | Senior operating seats (customer success, operations, project management, executive support, account management) you plan to keep. | hirevela.com/faq, checked November 2, 2026 |
Three ways to pay.
Most of the difference between these vendors is not the number. It is when you pay, for how long, and who employs the person.
A one-time placement fee. HireLATAM ($3,500 flat), Vela (20% of year-one base) and the direct-hire options at Near, LatHire and South. You pay once and employ the person yourself, as a contractor or through an employer of record.
A monthly fee on top of pay. Near’s staffing model invoices salary plus its fee each month. The firm employs the person and handles payroll and compliance, and you pay for as long as they work.
One all-in rate. South (monthly), Athyna (hourly), LatHire (monthly) and Virtustant (hourly) quote one number that already includes pay, fee and payroll. Simple to budget; the share that reaches the hire is not shown, except at Virtustant, which says it keeps $1 of every $10.
To compare a one-time fee with a monthly one, put both over the same period. The placement fee vs staffing markup calculator shows year one, year three and the month the monthly model passes the fee.
Sources.
- HireLATAM: hirelatam.com/pricing
- South: hireinsouth.com/pricing
- Near: hirewithnear.com/pricing
- Athyna: athyna.com
- athyna.com/comparison/athyna-vs-hirewithnear
- LatHire: lathire.com/pricing
- Virtustant: virtustant.com/pricing
- Vela: hirevela.com/faq
Every source checked November 2, 2026. Vendors change their pricing; the link is the authority.
Search terms
- Day 7First vetted profile
- 21 daysThree vetted candidates
- 20%Of year-one base, when your hire starts. A $1,000 deposit credits to it.
- 90 daysReplacement at no charge
Questions.
Short answers. The long ones happen on the call.
How much do Latin American recruiting agencies charge?
It depends on the model. HireLATAM publishes a flat $3,500 per hire. Vela charges 20% of year-one base, once. LatHire publishes a $1,899 monthly average all-in for staffing, and Virtustant publishes all-in hourly rates from $7. South, Near and Athyna publish no price and quote per role. Checked November 2, 2026.
What are the three pricing models?
A one-time placement fee (flat or a share of salary), after which you employ the person; a monthly markup or fee on top of the person’s pay, where the firm employs them; and an all-in monthly or hourly rate that bundles pay, fee and payroll into one number.
Which vendors publish their prices?
HireLATAM, LatHire (staffing), Virtustant and Vela publish numbers. South, Near and Athyna do not; South and Near confirm a rate per role, and Athyna shows example hourly rates for placed roles.
How should I compare quotes from different models?
Turn each into total cost over the time you expect to keep the hire, one year and three. A one-time fee looks large in month one and small by year three; a monthly fee does the opposite. The placement fee vs staffing markup calculator does this for any salary.
Where does Vela fit?
Vela charges more up front than a flat-fee recruiter on most salaries, because it headhunts senior professionals who already have a job rather than drawing from a pool. 20% of year-one base, a $1,000 deposit credited to it, three vetted candidates in 21 days, a 90-day replacement, and no monthly fee.
Related guides.
- Placement Fee vs Staffing MarkupA one-time fee or a monthly markup: a calculator, the break-even month, and when staffing is the better buy.
- South AlternativesWhere South wins, and six other ways to hire in Latin America, priced where the vendor publishes a price.
- Athyna AlternativesWhere Athyna wins, and six other ways to hire in Latin America, priced where the vendor publishes a price.
- All hiring guidesEvery comparison and every seat we search for.
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