Nearshore staffing and recruitment in Mexico
Hire in Mexico: the largest nearshore talent pool, one border away.
Mexico is the largest source of nearshore talent for US companies and the closest. Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey are on UTC−6 all year, Monterrey to Austin is a two-hour flight, and decades of trade under NAFTA and the USMCA mean Mexican professionals in finance, engineering and operations already work with US standards. nearshore.now employs your Mexican hires locally; you manage the work.
Mexico at a glance.
- Capital
- Mexico City
- Talent hubs
- Mexico City, Guadalajara, Monterrey, Querétaro
- Time zone
- UTC−6, all year
Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey stay on UTC−6 all year since Mexico abolished daylight saving time in October 2022. They match Chicago in the US winter and Denver in the US summer. - Language
- Spanish. English tested live for every candidate.
- Currency
- Mexican peso (MXN). You are invoiced in US dollars.
- Population
- about 130 million
- Flights
- Monterrey to Austin, about 2 h; Mexico City to Dallas, about 2 h 30 min; Guadalajara to Los Angeles, about 3 h 20 min; Mexico City to New York, about 5 h.
- Overlap with US
- Eastern: 7 h in summer, 8 h in winter; Central: 8 h in summer, 9 h in winter; Mountain: 9 h in summer, 8 h in winter; Pacific: 8 h in summer, 7 h in winter. Working day 9:00–18:00 in both places.
Three reasons US companies hire in Mexico.
- 01
Scale. With about 130 million people and the largest economy in Spanish-speaking Latin America, Mexico has more engineers, accountants and bilingual professionals than any other nearshore country.
- 02
Familiarity with the US. Thirty years of integrated supply chains mean Mexican accountants know US GAAP, Mexican engineers have worked for US firms in Guadalajara, and Mexican managers have run US-facing operations.
- 03
Distance. Monterrey to Austin is about two hours in the air; Mexico City to Dallas about two and a half. You can fly in for a morning meeting and be home for dinner.
English
English is strong among professionals in Monterrey, Guadalajara and Mexico City, particularly in engineering and finance, where many have worked for US companies. As everywhere, we test it live before shortlisting anyone.
- Mexico City UTC−06:00 –:––
- Guadalajara UTC−06:00 –:––
- Monterrey UTC−06:00 –:––
- New York UTC−04:00 –:––
- Chicago UTC−05:00 –:––
- Denver UTC−06:00 –:––
- Los Angeles UTC−07:00 –:––
The roles Mexico is strongest for.
Software engineers
Guadalajara hosts engineering centers for Intel, Oracle, IBM and many US startups.
Hire software engineers FINFinance & accounting
Big Four offices and USMCA trade mean broad US GAAP experience.
Hire finance & accounting EAExecutive assistants
Central time and a large bilingual professional pool.
Hire executive assistants ITIT support
Deep bench of certified administrators in all three hubs.
Hire it supportWhat employing someone in Mexico involves.
You do not need to know any of this to hire. We employ your Mexican hire under local law through our entities and partners and send you one invoice in US dollars. It is here so you know what your fee covers.
- Legal workweek: 48 hours maximum, with a 40-hour reform under discussion.
- Aguinaldo: a mandatory year-end bonus of at least 15 days of salary, paid by December 20.
- Paid vacation: 12 days in the first year, rising by two days each year, after a 2023 reform.
- Mandatory social security (IMSS) and profit sharing (PTU) for employees.
Questions about hiring in Mexico.
Other countries
01What time zone is Mexico City in?
Mexico City is on UTC−6 all year. Mexico abolished daylight saving time in 2022, so it matches Chicago in the US winter and Denver in the US summer. Border cities such as Tijuana still follow US time changes.
02Is Mexico cheaper than Colombia for nearshore hiring?
Costs are similar for most roles and vary more by city and seniority than by country. Mexico tends to be the better choice when you need scale or Central time; Colombia when you need Eastern time. We quote both on the call.
03Do Mexican professionals work under contracts or as employees?
As employees, under Mexican labor law, through our local entity or partner. Mexico regulates outsourcing strictly, so we structure every placement to comply.
04Can I hire in Mexico without a local entity?
Yes, through nearshore staffing: nearshore.now employs the professional under Mexico’s labor law and you pay one monthly invoice in US dollars. If you already have an entity or employer of record in Mexico, use nearshore recruitment instead: we run the same search and vetting, and you hire directly for a one-time fee.
Your first hire in Mexico could start next month.
Twenty minutes with us. No commitment. We’ll tell you if nearshore is right for the role.
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