What is included in the US$190/month SOS EOR fee?
| Category | Included in SOS EOR fee |
| Legal employment setup | Local Philippines employment structure through SOS |
| Employment contracts | Locally aligned employment documentation |
| Payroll processing | Monthly salary processing and payroll coordination |
| Payslips | Compliant payslip generation |
| Statutory administration | SSS, PhilHealth, Pag-IBIG coordination and remittance administration |
| 13th month handling | Accrual and payroll treatment support |
| HR records | Employee records and payroll documentation |
| Benefits administration | Setup and changes for selected benefits |
| Reporting | Monthly payroll summary and finance exports |
| Account support | Dedicated Philippines-based Success Manager |
| Standard onboarding | Employee data intake, contract issuance, payroll setup |
| Standard offboarding | Employment exit administration and payroll coordination |
What is not included?
Some costs are billed separately because they depend on the employee’s role, salary, benefits package, or your company’s choices.
| Cost | How it is handled |
| Employee salary | Pass-through cost |
| Employer statutory contributions | Pass-through cost |
| HMO / private health benefits | Optional add-on or pass-through |
| Allowances | Added only if approved |
| Equipment or software | Pass-through or separately arranged |
| Visa or permit government fees | Pass-through if applicable |
| Hardware, bank, wire, or third-party fees | Pass-through if applicable |
| Non-standard legal work | Quoted separately if required |
| Enhanced reporting | Optional add-on |
| After-hours scheduled callbacks | Optional add-on |
| HRIS/accounting mapping | Optional add-on |
There are no FX markups, no setup fees, and no exit fees in the standard SOS EOR pricing model.
EOR pricing formula in the Philippines
Use this formula when modelling your monthly cost:
Monthly EOR cost =
gross monthly salary
+ employer statutory costs
+ 13th month accrual
+ selected benefits
+ approved allowances
+ EOR fee
For SOS:
Monthly SOS EOR cost =
gross monthly salary
+ employer statutory costs
+ 13th month accrual
+ selected benefits / allowances
+ US$190
Example EOR cost tables
These examples are for planning only. Actual costs depend on salary, benefits, statutory contribution calculations, exchange rates, and role-specific allowances.
Example 1: Virtual Assistant
| Cost item | Example |
| Gross monthly salary | US$900 |
| 13th month accrual | US$75 |
| Employer statutory costs | Calculated based on current contribution rules |
| HMO / benefits | Optional |
| Allowances | Optional |
| SOS EOR fee | US$190 |
| Estimated monthly total | Salary + employer costs + benefits + US$190 |
Example 2: Customer Support Agent
| Cost item | Example |
| Gross monthly salary | US$1,200 |
| 13th month accrual | US$100 |
| Employer statutory costs | Calculated based on current contribution rules |
| HMO / benefits | Optional |
| Shift allowance | If applicable |
| SOS EOR fee | US$190 |
| Estimated monthly total | Salary + employer costs + benefits + US$190 |
Example 3: Developer or Technical Role
| Cost item | Example |
| Gross monthly salary | US$2,500 |
| 13th month accrual | US$208 |
| Employer statutory costs | Calculated based on current contribution rules |
| HMO / benefits | Optional |
| Equipment / allowance | If applicable |
| SOS EOR fee | US$190 |
| Estimated monthly total | Salary + employer costs + benefits + US$190 |
Salary and total-cost planning table
| Role type | Typical salary range/month | Typical fully loaded EOR planning range |
| Virtual assistant | US$700–US$1,400 | US$900–US$1,700+ |
| Customer support agent | US$800–US$1,500 | US$1,000–US$1,900+ |
| Executive assistant | US$1,200–US$2,200 | US$1,500–US$2,600+ |
| Bookkeeper | US$1,000–US$2,000 | US$1,300–US$2,400+ |
| SDR / sales support | US$1,200–US$2,500 | US$1,600–US$3,000+ |
| Data analyst | US$1,500–US$4,500 | US$1,900–US$5,200+ |
| Developer / technical role | US$1,800–US$5,500+ | US$2,300–US$6,500+ |
The EOR fee is only one part of the total cost. Salary, benefits, 13th month, and statutory costs are what determine the final monthly invoice.
Local vs global EOR pricing in the Philippines
| Factor | Local Philippines EOR | Global EOR platform |
| Best for | Philippines-only or Philippines-heavy hiring | Multi-country hiring |
| Typical pricing | Lower monthly admin fee | Higher monthly admin fee |
| Support | Local and hands-on | Centralised and platform-led |
| Payroll detail | Philippines-specific | Standardised globally |
| 13th month support | Localised | Should be supported, but confirm |
| HMO / benefits | Locally tailored | Depends on provider package |
| HRIS integrations | Usually lighter | Usually stronger |
| Best buyer | Startup, SME, scaleup, offshore team | Multi-country company or enterprise |
Choose a local Philippines EOR if the Philippines is your main hiring market.
Choose a global EOR platform if you need one provider across several countries and value platform consistency more than local cost efficiency.
SOS fee positioning
SOS is positioned for companies that want local Philippines EOR depth, predictable pricing, and hands-on payroll support.
| Item | SOS pricing position |
| EOR admin fee | US$190 per employee/month |
| Pricing model | Flat monthly fee |
| Setup fee | None |
| Exit fee | None |
| FX markup | None |
| Best fit | Philippines-only or Philippines-heavy hiring |
| Salary dependency | Fee does not rise as salary increases |
| Main advantage | Predictable local EOR cost with Philippines payroll support |
This makes SOS especially cost-effective for mid-level and senior roles, because the EOR fee does not increase as salary increases.
Flat fee vs percentage-of-salary EOR pricing
Some EOR providers charge a flat fee. Others charge a percentage of payroll.
Flat-fee pricing
Example:
EOR fee = US$190 per employee/month
Best for:
- predictable budgeting
- CFO forecasting
- mixed-salary teams
- mid-level and senior roles
- avoiding EOR fee increases when salaries rise
Percentage pricing
Example:
EOR fee = 10–15% of monthly salary
Best for:
- lower-salary roles where the fee remains small
- short tests
- small teams with junior roles
Watch-out:
- the fee rises as salary rises
- senior roles become more expensive
- annual salary increases increase provider fees
Example comparison
| Gross salary/month | 12% EOR fee | SOS flat fee |
| US$1,000 | US$120 | US$190 |
| US$2,000 | US$240 | US$190 |
| US$3,000 | US$360 | US$190 |
| US$5,000 | US$600 | US$190 |
A percentage model may be cheaper for very low salaries. A flat fee is usually more predictable and often cheaper as salaries increase.
What should your EOR invoice show?
A clear Philippines EOR invoice should separate salary, statutory costs, benefits, and provider fees.
| Invoice line | Why it matters |
| Employee salary | Shows base pay |
| Employer statutory costs | Shows required employer-side costs |
| 13th month accrual | Avoids year-end surprises |
| Benefits / HMO | Shows selected employee benefits |
| Allowances | Shows internet, WFH, shift, or role-specific payments |
| SOS EOR fee | Shows provider admin fee |
| One-time costs | Shows approved add-ons or pass-throughs |
| Total monthly cost | Shows finance the full monthly amount |
Avoid EOR quotes that show only a vague “all-in” number without line-item detail.
Hidden EOR fees to check before choosing a provider
When comparing EOR providers in the Philippines, ask about:
- setup fees
- onboarding fees
- exit fees
- offboarding fees
- deposits
- FX markups
- wire fees
- payroll correction fees
- extra payroll run fees
- contract-change fees
- benefits markups
- HMO admin fees
- equipment fees
- minimum headcount
- minimum contract term
- contractor-conversion fees
- after-hours support fees
- custom reporting fees
SOS’s standard model is designed to keep pricing simple:
US$190 per employee/month, plus salary, statutory costs, and approved pass-throughs.
What affects EOR cost in the Philippines?
1. Salary level
Higher salaries increase statutory cost, 13th month accrual, and total monthly cost.
2. Benefits and HMO
Adding HMO or dependent coverage increases total cost but can improve retention.
3. Shift schedule
Night shift, weekend work, holiday coverage, or 24/7 support may require allowances or premiums.
4. Role type
Technical, finance, leadership, and customer-facing roles usually cost more than entry-level admin roles.
5. Currency and FX
Salaries and statutory costs are usually calculated in PHP. International clients may be invoiced in USD, AUD, GBP, or another agreed currency.
6. Provider model
Local EOR, global EOR, outsourcing, staff leasing, direct hire, and contractor models all produce different cost structures.
EOR pricing vs other hiring models
| Hiring model | Cost structure | Best for | Watch-out |
| Local EOR | Salary + employer costs + flat EOR fee | Hiring employees in the Philippines without a local entity | Provider fee applies monthly |
| Global EOR | Salary + employer costs + global platform fee | Multi-country hiring | Higher cost for Philippines-only teams |
| Contractor | Invoice or retainer | Short-term, independent work | Misclassification risk if employee-like |
| BPO / outsourcing | Bundled seat or service fee | Managed service delivery | Less direct control over staff |
| Own entity | Salary + local HR/payroll/entity costs | Large long-term teams | Setup, compliance, accounting, HR overhead |
EOR is usually the best fit when you want employees, direct control, and local compliance support without setting up a Philippine entity.
EOR pricing for contractor-to-employee conversion
Many companies use EOR because they already have Filipino contractors who now work like employees.
A good EOR conversion quote should include:
- final contractor invoice date
- first payroll date
- gross salary
- expected net pay
- statutory contribution setup
- 13th month treatment
- benefits or HMO
- payslip process
- employment contract
- worker communication support
- proof pack preparation
For the full conversion guide, read:
Convert Contractors to Employees Philippines
Onboarding timeline
Once documents are complete, go-live can be fast.
A typical EOR onboarding flow:
| Step | What happens |
| Consultation | Confirm role, salary, start date, and employment scope |
| Commercial paperwork | Finalise EOR agreement and required documents |
| Employee data intake | Collect employee details, IDs, tax/government information, and bank details |
| Contract issuance | Prepare and issue local employment documents |
| Payroll setup | Add employee to payroll calendar and statutory workflow |
| Go-live | Employee starts and appears in the next payroll cycle |
Typical go-live can be as fast as 3 business days once documents are complete, with the first pay run landing in the next scheduled payroll cycle.
Why companies choose SOS for EOR pricing in the Philippines
Companies choose SOS when they want:
- a flat US$190 per employee/month EOR fee
- local Philippines employment support
- payroll and payslip administration
- SSS, PhilHealth, and Pag-IBIG coordination
- 13th month handling
- benefits and HMO coordination
- clear monthly invoices
- no FX markup
- no setup fee
- no exit fee
- direct local account support
- contractor-to-employee conversion support
SOS is built for companies that want to hire in the Philippines without paying global-platform pricing for countries they do not use.