How Much Does It Cost to Hire Remote Staff? A Realistic Breakdown for SMEs (2026)

Hiring the right people is one of the biggest challenges for all businesses. Limited budgets, small internal HR teams, and the pressure to grow quickly often make hiring expensive.

Linkers was founded by recruitment leaders with over 10 years of experience in building teams for growing companies. We’ve worked inside fast-scaling startups and SMEs ourselves — so we understand the real constraints: limited budgets, urgent hiring needs, and the pressure to grow without burning cash.

That’s why this guide is not theoretical. It’s a realistic cost breakdown based on what SMEs actually pay when building remote teams.

 

The Typical Structure of an SME Team

Most SMEs follow a similar organisational structure:

• Admin & Operations
• Marketing & Business Development
• Sales
• Finance / Inventory / Support
• Design & Creative

While founders and managers focus on growth, revenue, and strategy, hiring and HR quickly become a bottleneck:

• Recruiting takes time
• Good candidates are expensive
• Wrong hires are costly

This is where remote staffing becomes a strategic advantage.

 

How Much Does It Cost to Hire Locally? (US & UK)

Let’s start with reality.

If you are based in the US or UK, these are typical monthly salary ranges (excluding benefits, taxes, office space, and recruitment costs):

Role	Local Monthly Cost
Admin Assistant	$2,000 – $3,000+
Marketing Executive	$3,000 – $4,500+
Sales Representative	$3,000 – $5,000+
Designer	$3,000 – $4,000+

And this is just the base salary. In reality, employers also pay:

• Payroll taxes
• Insurance & benefits
• Equipment & office costs
• Recruitment agency fees

For many SMEs, one local hire can easily cost $4,000–$6,000+ per month in total.

 

The Real Cost of Hiring Remote Staff

Remote hiring changes the economics completely.

At Linkers, we work with talent across three core regions:

 

• • The Philippines
  • South Africa
  • Myanmar

These regions offer strong English skills, cultural compatibility, and excellent value for SMEs.

 

Typical Monthly Remote Salaries (Through Linkers)

Role	Myanmar	The Philippines	South Africa
Admin	$350	$500	$500–$550
Marketing	$600–$900	$800–$1,200	$1,000–$1,400
Sales	$700–$1,000	$900–$1,500	$1,200–$1,800
Designer	$700–$1,100	$900–$1,400	$1,200–$1,800

In most cases, SMEs save 60% to 80% compared to local hiring.

But more importantly, they can build full teams instead of single hires.

 

Role-by-Role Cost Breakdown for SMEs

1. How much does a Remote Admin or Virtual Assistant hire cost?

Typical tasks:

• Inbox and calendar management 
• CRM updates 
• Data entry and reporting 
• Customer support 

Local cost: $2,000+ per month
Remote cost: $350–$550 per month

This is usually the first role SMEs outsource because it delivers immediate ROI.

 

2. How much does a remote Marketing & Business Development hire cost?

Typical tasks:

• Social media management 
• Content creation 
• Campaign execution 
• Lead generation 

Local cost: $3,500+ per month
Remote cost: $800–$1,200 per month

Remote marketers allow SMEs to stay visible and competitive without hiring a full in-house team.

 

3. How much does a remote Sales Representative cost?

Typical tasks:

• Prospecting and outreach 
• CRM management 
• Follow-ups and demos 
• Pipeline reporting 

Local cost: $4,000+ per month
Remote cost: $900–$1,500 per month

Many SMEs now build entire remote sales teams at the cost of one local hire.

 

4. How much does a remote Designer & Creative Role cost?

Typical tasks:

• Branding and social content 
• Website design 
• Marketing assets 
• UI/UX support 

Local cost: $3,500+ per month
Remote cost: $900–$1,400 per month

This gives SMEs access to professional design without agency-level fees.

 

Cost Is Important — But Not the Only Factor

While cost savings are significant, the cheapest option is not always the best.

Successful remote hiring depends on:

• Talent quality 
• English proficiency 
• Time zone overlap 
• Cultural fit 
• Retention and engagement 

This is where many SMEs struggle when they try to hire alone through job boards or freelance platforms.

 

Why SMEs Choose Boutique Partners Like Linkers

Large outsourcing firms focus on volume. Marketplaces focus on speed.

At Linkers, we take a boutique approach:

• Hand-picked, pre-vetted talent 
• Focus on long-term retention 
• Cultural and communication fit 
• Dedicated account management 
• Ongoing performance support 

We don’t just fill roles — we build remote teams that actually scale with your business.

 

Final Thoughts: Is Remote Hiring Worth It for SMEs?

For most small and medium-sized businesses, the answer is clear:

Remote staffing allows you to:

• Reduce costs dramatically 
• Access global talent 
• Scale faster without fixed overhead 
• Focus on growth, not HR headaches 

The key is not just hiring remotely — but hiring the right way, with the right partner.

Thinking About Hiring Remote Staff?

If you’re an SME exploring remote hiring, Linkers offers a free consultation to help you:

• Identify the roles you need 
• Estimate realistic budgets 
• Choose the best countries for your business 
• Build a remote team that lasts 

Remote hiring isn’t just about saving money. It’s about building smarter teams. Let’s talk now!