Now hiring: What Deel’s data says about global compensation trends

TOGETHER WITH

All around the world. Taking your business abroad? Learn about global compensation trends and strategies on the rise in Deel’s 2025 Global Compensation Report. Inside, you’ll get the scoop on new specialized roles, diversified compensation packages, hiring international contractors, + more. Get your copy.

Creating a powerhouse workforce means you have to think outside the box and beyond borders. For businesses expanding internationally for the first time, compensation is top of mind.

Of course, compensation is more than just a line item in your budget. It’s a tool that can help your business stay competitive in a dynamic global marketplace. But to hire the best and brightest from around the world, you need to make informed and equitable decisions about compensation.

With data contributions from Carta, Deel’s 2025 Global Compensation Report analyzes compensation trends around the world in emerging and developed economies. Inside, you’ll learn about:

• major shifts in global talent markets
• new specialized AI roles
• how employers use equity to attract top talent

Here’s what you need to know.

Let’s talk compensation

Canada, the US, and the UK continue to lead the world in overall median compensation, with Germany and the Netherlands following closely behind. While salaries range from $100k in the Netherlands to $150k in the US, the pay in specialized roles is getting an even bigger boost.

As AI conversations shift from theoretical to practical in the marketplace, organizations are creating AI roles that specialize in specific functions, from finance to HR to product. Deel reports that AI and machine learning roles’ total compensation is at a 20%–25% premium and rising, with top-tier (or 90th percentile) salaries growing faster than the median global pay, indicating more competition for top talent.

Despite the increase in specialized roles in the marketplace and the growing demand for AI, the global economy is still contending with inflation. To keep costs manageable, businesses are getting creative. Some have switched to one-time lump-sum payments instead of compounding base salary increases, especially in hyperinflation markets like Turkey and Argentina. Other businesses are diversifying compensation packages with equity.

The equity shift

Since 2021, Deel’s Global Compensation Report found that equity has appeared frequently in compensation packages for highly skilled technical talent. Median equity grants, or shares of ownership, help HR move beyond fixed salaries and attract talent without overextending payroll.

To hire in new countries, HR leaders must first establish market-specific benchmarks for the countries they plan to hire in. To attract top talent in every community, HR needs to tailor equity packages to local norms and expectations. Carta’s data contributions found that while the US continues to lead in equity-package size (followed by Canada and France), the UK and the Netherlands have trended down. But in emerging markets like Brazil and India, Deel found that equity is increasingly valued as part of the total compensation package.

Finding the best team doesn’t stop at compensation. It means reaching out to underrepresented populations to help diversify the workforce.

Closing the gap

Creating a well-rounded team starts with a hiring strategy designed to target diverse candidates. Deel’s research found that the gender pay gap is more pronounced in tech and product roles than it is in sales, with median pay of $88k for men and $62k for women.

But there’s still a lack of women representation in leadership positions across tech, product, and sales functions. Deel reports that HR is looking to close the gender gap in both pay and leadership by targeting women candidates.

Encouraging diverse opinions means searching beyond FTEs. While the US and Germany are still largely dominated by an FTE-heavy workforce, the number of contracted workers began to rise this year in the Netherlands, the UK, Spain, and Canada. Deel attributes this growth in part to remote work’s continuing popularity and new visa types created for freelance workers.

For HR leaders looking to round out their teams with contractors, countries like Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina provide strong, high-quality talent pools that are still growing.

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The global market is more competitive than ever, and it’s on HR to find new ways to hire and retain top talent.

Whether you’re looking to expand your team at home or need a little help going global, Deel has your back. Deel helps businesses hire FTEs and contractors in 150+ countries. It takes care of the hiring and onboarding processes with payroll, tax, and compliance solutions built into one platform—so your team can get to work ASAP.

Learn how businesses around the world are leveraging compensation to bring the best and brightest onboard in Deel’s 2025 Global Compensation Report.