Hire and pay employees in India from the US, without an Indian entity
SynkPay becomes the legal employer of your India hire for a flat US$349 a month — employment contract, payroll, Provident Fund, income tax and compliance, run through our own Indian entity. Your hire works on your product and reports to your team. You pay one USD invoice a month, with no deposit.
- Salary
- US$3,491
- Employer statutory
- US$120
- SynkPay fee
- US$349
- Total this month
- US$3,960
Example: an engineer in Bengaluru on ₹40 lakh a year.
- Contract signed
- Payroll and PF set up
- Ready to start
- Invoiced in USD
- No salary deposit
- Onboarding in 1 business day
- IP assigned in every contract
- Real people, no bots
All prices on this page are US dollars.
Cost
What does a US company pay to employ someone in India?
Your monthly cost is the salary, the employer contributions Indian law requires, and our flat fee. There is no percentage markup, so the fee stays at US$349 whether you hire a junior developer or a team lead.
| Annual salary in India | Salary / month | Employer statutory | Total / month, incl. US$349 fee | Total / year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ₹20 lakhMid-level engineer (3–5 yrs) | US$1,746 | US$77 | US$2,172 | US$26,064 |
| ₹40 lakhSenior engineer (6–10 yrs) | US$3,491 | US$120 | US$3,960 | US$47,520 |
| ₹60 lakhStaff / Tech Lead (10+ yrs) | US$5,237 | US$163 | US$5,749 | US$68,988 |
Statutory costs (Provident Fund, a monthly gratuity provision for budgeting, and related charges) are at 2026 rates forKarnataka; gratuity is invoiced only when it falls due. Converted at the rate of 27 August 2026. Try any salary and state in the India employee cost calculator.
Compared with hiring locally
The same engineer, the US vs India
US companies typically save 60–80% per hire on an India hire. A senior engineer at US$36,800–US$58,300 loaded in Bengaluru replaces a US$161,000 hire in the US. For the full breakdown of both sides, see the India vs US engineer cost breakdown.
| Role | US, loaded | Bengaluru, loaded | Saved per hire |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mid-level engineer (3–5 yrs)₹15–25 lakh in India | ~US$126k | ~US$20.7k–US$31.4k | ~US$94.4k–US$105k (75–84%) |
| Senior engineer (6–10 yrs)₹30–50 lakh in India | ~US$161k | ~US$36.8k–US$58.3k | ~US$103k–US$124k (64–77%) |
| Staff / Tech Lead (10+ yrs)₹50–75 lakh in India | ~US$197k | ~US$58.3k–US$85.1k | ~US$112k–US$139k (57–70%) |
US loaded cost is base salary plus employer Social Security, Medicare, unemployment insurance and health cover; a high-cost metro runs higher again. Base salaries are Robert Half 2026 Salary Guide figures and the health cover is the KFF 2025 employer survey average. Recruitment fees are excluded on both sides, converted at INR 95.47 per USD as of 27 August 2026. Check your own with the India employee cost calculator.
Billing
How billing works for a US company
- Your US companyPays one USD invoice
- SynkPay invoiceStart of each month
- SynkPay India entityPayroll, PF and tax
- Your employeePaid in rupees
One USD invoice a month
Salary, employer contributions and the US$349 fee on a single invoice in US dollars at the start of each month. You don't need an Indian bank account.
No US sales tax added
The invoice comes from SynkPay's Indian entity, so no US sales tax is added to it.
No salary deposit
Some global platforms hold a month or more of salary per employee. We don't hold any, so that cash stays in your runway.
Salary in rupees, fee in dollars
Your employee is paid in rupees, so the dollar value of their salary moves with the exchange rate. Our US$349 fee doesn't.
Working hours
Working-hours overlap with your India employee
India is 9½ to 13½ hours ahead of the US, depending on the coast and the season. A standard India day barely touches the US working day, so most US teams either work asynchronously with a short daily handover or agree a later shift for their India hire.
| Your time zone | Employee's hours | In your local time | Overlap with 09:00–17:30 |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York, summer (EDT) | Standard India day09:30–18:30 IST | 00:00–09:00 | None |
| Afternoon India shift14:00–23:00 IST | 04:30–13:30 | 4.5h | |
| US-hours India shift18:30–03:30 IST | 09:00–18:00 | 8.5h | |
| New York, winter (EST) | Standard India day09:30–18:30 IST | 23:00–08:00 | None |
| Afternoon India shift14:00–23:00 IST | 03:30–12:30 | 3.5h | |
| US-hours India shift18:30–03:30 IST | 08:00–17:00 | 8h | |
| San Francisco, summer (PDT) | Standard India day09:30–18:30 IST | 21:00–06:00 | None |
| Afternoon India shift14:00–23:00 IST | 01:30–10:30 | 1.5h | |
| US-hours India shift18:30–03:30 IST | 06:00–15:00 | 6h | |
| San Francisco, winter (PST) | Standard India day09:30–18:30 IST | 20:00–05:00 | None |
| Afternoon India shift14:00–23:00 IST | 00:30–09:30 | 0.5h | |
| US-hours India shift18:30–03:30 IST | 05:00–14:00 | 5h |
Working hours, not support hours. Evening and night shifts are set in the employment contract; some Indian states add conditions for night work, such as transport. Reach us on WhatsApp, phone or email — real people, no bots.
Contracts
Contracts, IP and data
IP assigned to your company
Every contract includes a written assignment of the employee's work to your company, plus confidentiality and non-solicitation terms — the paper trail investors ask for in due diligence. How IP protection works.
Employee, not contractor
Your hire is a full employee of SynkPay's Indian entity, with Provident Fund, gratuity and income tax handled. That avoids the misclassification risk of paying a long-term contractor — see the IRS test for employee or independent contractor status.
Data and security terms
India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act applies to personal data handled in India. If your customer contracts require security or confidentiality terms for everyone with access, tell us at onboarding.
Roles
Roles US companies hire in India
US startups and software companies mostly hire engineering and operations roles in India, often starting with one or two people.
Software engineers
Backend, frontend, mobile, QA and DevOps engineers joining a US product team.
Customer support
Support and success roles on an evening India shift to cover the US morning.
Data and analytics
Data engineers and analysts working on handover-friendly, asynchronous projects.
Finance and operations
Accounting, bookkeeping and back-office roles supporting a US finance team.
Already paying a developer in India as a contractor? Moving them onto SynkPay's payroll makes them a properly employed member of your team with a contract that protects your IP. See when to switch a contractor to an EOR, and compare the numbers in the India vs US engineer cost breakdown, or read how to pay a developer in India legally.
How it works
From first call to first payday
- 01
Tell us about the role
Share the role, salary and start date for your India hire.
- 02
We issue the contract
An Indian employment contract with IP assignment to your company.
- 03
Onboarded in 1 business day
Payroll, Provident Fund and tax set up once we have their details. What onboarding needs.
- 04
You manage the work
Your hire works with your team; we run payroll and compliance every month.
Included
What the US$349 fee covers
One fee per employee per month, any salary, no deposit. Full detail on our pricing page.
- Compliant employment contracts
- Monthly payroll processing
- Statutory benefits (PF, ESI, gratuity)
- Tax filing & compliance
- HR documentation & support
- Employee onboarding
- Dedicated HR/payroll specialist
- Human support on WhatsApp, phone and email
Compared
SynkPay compared with global EOR platforms
It's important to know, when building a team in India, that the fee and the deposit are the visible difference — and who actually employs your hire is the one underneath it.
- Flat dollar fee, no deposit
- One USD invoice a month at a flat fee that doesn't move with the salary, issued by our Indian entity — no US sales tax, and no month of salary held back.
- We own the Indian entity
- SynkPay has run its own Indian entity since 2016, so your hire is employed by us directly and the IP assignment sits in a contract we write, not a partner's.
- Real people across the gap
- India runs nine and a half to thirteen and a half hours ahead of you, so shifts, payroll and escalations go to real people on WhatsApp, phone and email.
| Provider | India EOR fee / month, as published | Salary deposit |
|---|---|---|
| SynkPay | US$349 flat | None |
| Deel | US$599 plus an India surcharge | Usually 1 month's salary |
| Remote | US$599 (annual plan) or US$699 | Case by case |
| Oyster | US$599 to US$699 | Not published |
Provider prices from each provider's public pricing page, checked July 2026.
Fit
Who this is for
A good fit
US startups and companies hiring one or more full-time people in India.
Teams moving a long-term India contractor onto proper employment.
Founders who want India hires without registering an Indian entity.
Not a fit
Employees based in the US, including W-2 hires.
Hires in countries other than India.
Short freelance projects that don't need an employee.
We employ people in India only. We don't employ, pay or run payroll for anyone based in the US.
Questions US companies ask
Can you employ someone in the US?
No. SynkPay employs people in India only, through our own Indian entity. US-based staff stay on your own US payroll; we handle the India side.
Which currency is the US$349 price in?
It is US dollars (USD). US$349 per employee per month is the price the rest are set from; other countries are billed a fixed local amount set from it. US companies are invoiced the US$349 itself.
How much does it cost a US company to employ someone in India?
The employee's salary, the employer contributions Indian law requires, and SynkPay's flat US$349 a month per employee. For a ₹40 lakh salary in Karnataka that comes to about US$3,960 a month all-in. The India employee cost calculator works it out for any salary and state.
How much cheaper is a senior engineer in India than in the US?
About 64–77% per hire. A senior engineer in Bengaluru on INR 30–50 lakh a year lands at roughly US$36,800–US$58,300 all-in, against US$161,000 for the US equivalent once Social Security, Medicare, unemployment insurance and health cover are added.
Can we pay in US dollars?
Yes. You get one USD invoice at the start of each month covering salary, employer contributions and the US$349 fee.
Is US sales tax added to your invoice?
No. The invoice is issued by SynkPay's Indian entity.
Is there a salary deposit?
No. There is no deposit and no setup fee, and the engagement runs month to month.
Can our India hire work US hours?
Yes, if agreed in the employment contract. An afternoon India shift gives about 4.5 hours with New York in summer; a US-hours shift gives about 8.5 hours, most of the East Coast day. Night work comes with extra conditions in some states, such as transport.
Is our IP protected?
Yes. Every SynkPay employment contract assigns the employee's work to your company and includes confidentiality and non-solicitation terms.
Is support handled by real people?
Yes. You and your employee reach our team on WhatsApp, phone and email. No bots and no ticket queue.
How fast can someone start?
Onboarding takes one business day once we have the candidate's details.
Hiring in India from the US?
Book a free call. We'll talk through your role, the cost in US dollars and how quickly your hire can start.