Hiring Freelancers in the US vs the EU: What B2B Teams Need to Know
2026-04-18 · 6 min read
Rates
US senior freelance developers command $100–$200/hour. EU rates run 20–40% lower for equivalent seniority, especially outside Paris/London/Berlin.
Contracts and IP
Work-for-hire assignments are simple in the US. In the EU, moral rights and specific IP clauses matter — always use a written contract that explicitly assigns IP.
Time zones
EU freelancers give US East Coast teams 5 hours of overlap. If you're on the US West Coast, prioritize freelancers willing to work afternoons/evenings CET.
Payments
Shahnaz Connect handles this: we accept USD, EUR, and GBP, and pay out in local currency to Stripe-supported countries, with manual rails for the rest.