Nearshore Engineers' Tech Stacks in LATAM

Latin America's engineering market is no longer "up-and-coming"—it's here. For U.S. startups and scaleups, the nearshore region now offers senior product builders across modern web, cloud, data/ML, and mobile stacks, with time-zone alignment and material cost advantages.
TL;DR
If you're considering a LATAM hiring strategy, here's the short version: prioritize TypeScript/JavaScript, Python, Java/JVM, SQL (Postgres/MySQL) with Redis, and cloud-native (AWS/GCP, Terraform, Kubernetes). Those skills map directly to what global developer ecosystems are shipping—and what LATAM engineers already practice daily.
Why LATAM right now

Two macro shifts make nearshore hiring especially attractive this year.
First, language trends have tilted decisively toward typed and production-ready stacks. GitHub's Octoverse shows Python overtook JavaScript in 2024 and, more recently, TypeScript rose to #1 in 2025 as teams leaned into typed contracts for AI-assisted workflows. That aligns perfectly with modern front-end (Next.js/React) and Node back-ends favored by product teams.
Second, developer upskilling remains relentless. The 2024–2025 Stack Overflow surveys continue to rank JavaScript/TypeScript, Python, and SQL at the top for usage and learning—signaling a deepening global pool you can tap into nearshore. In practice, we see LATAM engineers applying those skills to ship customer-visible features quickly while keeping CI/CD, testing, and security at parity with U.S. teams.
Core stacks you’ll encounter when hiring nearshore in LATAM

TypeScript & JavaScript (Next.js, Node.js)
Expect full-stack TS with Next.js (App Router, RSC/Server Actions), typed API contracts (tRPC/GraphQL), and repo discipline (Turborepo/Nx, ESLint/Prettier). The trend toward TypeScript as the most-used language on GitHub in 2025 mirrors what we see on the ground: teams want safer code and better DX under AI assistance.
Screening tip
Ask for examples of Server Actions, schema validation (Zod), and edge runtimes (Vercel/Cloudflare).
Python (Data/ML + back-end)
Python remains the connective tissue of data pipelines, analytics, and MLOps. It surged in 2024 Octoverse rankings due to AI work and continues to dominate data stacks. Look for Airflow/dbt/PySpark plus FastAPI, with observability (OpenTelemetry) wired into EKS/Cloud Run.
Java & JVM (Spring/Kotlin)
Fintechs and compliance-heavy sectors across Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, and Chile rely on JVM services for scale and reliability. A strong LATAM résumé here mentions Spring Boot + Kafka, Postgres, and Terraform-backed delivery on EKS/GKE; increasingly, Kotlin is used for new services.
SQL + Caching (Postgres/MySQL + Redis)
Most nearshore teams are building transactional products; SQL mastery is non-negotiable. Probe for indexing, query plans, and multi-region read-replica patterns, plus Redis strategies for hot paths. (Stack Overflow tech sections show SQL's continued ubiquity.)
Cloud-native (AWS/GCP, Kubernetes, Terraform)
IaC-driven, containerized delivery is now table stakes for nearshore teams. Ask for stories about cost-aware autoscaling, error/perf budgets, and GitHub Actions + ArgoCD pipelines. The broader open-source trendlines in Octoverse and SO surveys support ongoing investment in cloud tooling and reliability engineering.
Country-level snapshots
Brazil — hire TypeScript/Java/Python engineers. Strong enterprise + fintech footprint; active open-source participation and cloud adoption.
Mexico — hire Node/TypeScript/JVM and cloud/platform engineers. Significant U.S. market exposure with modern web back-ends.
Argentina — hire Python/TypeScript/React engineers. High English proficiency and a deep startup culture; strong data/ML talent.
Colombia & Chile — hire Java/.NET/TypeScript engineers. Enterprise scale plus modern FE; rising Terraform/Kubernetes adoption.
Uruguay & Costa Rica — hire seasoned product pods. Smaller markets with dense senior talent and mature security/compliance baselines.
If you're building country-specific landing pages, weave these stack terms into your H2s (e.g., "Hire nearshore TypeScript developers in Mexico" or "Brazil JVM engineers for fintech scale"). That GEO intent converts.
Pro tip
EF's EPI fact sheets help validate English proficiency claims for your target markets.
Market signals: demand, remote readiness, and cost
Multiple industry snapshots point to durable demand for remote engineers across the Americas. Terminal's State of Remote Engineering (2025) and hiring trend posts emphasize flexibility, remote-first process, and structured interviews—which aligns well with nearshore models. The Financial Times also captured how the region's outsourcing leaders scaled post-2020 as remote work became normalized for U.S. clients.
On cost, nearshore remains compelling versus U.S. onshore while preserving overlap and collaboration. Various nearshore talent roundups summarize the efficiency case (time-zone sync, agile rituals, and fewer coordination costs than typical offshore).
Best practice
Use paid trial sprints to validate velocity and fit before scaling beyond your first hire.
Sources
Stack Overflow Developer Survey 2024 & 2025 (technology/language trends)
GitHub Octoverse 2024 & 2025 (language shifts to Python → TypeScript #1)
Coursera Global Skills Report (skills momentum by region/country)
EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (country fact sheets)
Revelo & Terminal LATAM hiring trend materials (regional depth and remote readiness)
Financial Times: How Latin America became a hotspot for US tech outsourcing