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Understanding the International Salary Structure

International workers face unique financial realities—varying costs of living, diverse job roles, and long-term financial planning needs like retirement and college savings.


Salary Models
Needs-basedBased on your family’s financial needs in your location.
Market-basedBased on the job itself, regardless of personal needs.
Reliant's Hybrid Model

We blend both approaches, creating a recommended household budget that considers:

  • Your family situation
  • Your location’s cost of living
  • Your role and tenure

This helps determine a maximum salary that’s fair and sustainable. This

Note

This explains our new hybrid approach to setting International Salaries, for those who have begun utilizing our new Support Goal Worksheet. If you have a current needs-based salary and would like to move toward this structure, please contact international@reliant.org.

For international employees, we recognize that there is a vast difference in cost of living across the international cities where our workers live and minister. We recognize that workers have varying job roles and responsibilities that are worthy of unique compensation. We also recognize that while you will live in a different country, you are still an American that will need to retire, send kids to college, etc.

There are two types of salary structures that most employers utilize. One is a needs-based salary, by which you calculate your overall needs within the area you are going to work for the entirety of your family. The other is a market-based salary by which you are simply paid for the work you do regardless of family situation or needs. The majority of jobs in America are a market-based salary. Missions agencies and some other institutions utilize the needs-based salary. There are positives and negatives to both avenues. We won’t get into those at this time, but our team is happy to dialogue with you if desired. 

We have developed a hybrid of the two whereby we assess provide your needs based on your family dynamic and location, while taking into consideration tenure and role to provide a “recommended household budget.” This provides for you a max salary that is equitable to the role and tenure of your job, but also considers the cost of living in your city and your family dynamic.

Keep in mind that this is not a required salary, but rather is a way to take the guesswork out of determining the needs based salary that Reliant International Workers have traditionally had to determine on their own. 

Reliant International’s salary structure balances these realities in a way that we believe will ensure all our workers have what they need to thrive in their specific locations and uphold equitable compensation metrics.

The following page will guide you through how we determine your monthly salary.

it’s a helpful starting point to reduce guesswork and ensure consistency across international roles.

Reminder: This section only covers your salary. Your support goal also Note: This is only relating to your actual salary. Your support goal, which includes ministry expenses, benefits, and admin fees, is the total amount per month that you will need to raiseadministrative fees.


Determining Your Monthly Salary

For To determine a fair and comparable salary for international workers, we are utilize the same Reliant US staff levels as our starting point. In collaboration with your supervisor, we will determine what job level is appropriate for your position and where on the salary range for that level makes sense based on tenure and performance. This number provides us a starting place, whereby we will make adjustments based on begin with the appropriate U.S. Reliant salary level based on your job role, tenure, and performance. This serves as our baseline. We then adjust that salary—broken into three segments—according to the cost of living in the location that you are serving in.To make the adjustment to a comparable salary in the location a Reliant international worker is serving, we are going to break the appropriate US Reliant Salary into 3 segments and make adjustments accordingly: your ministry location.

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Segment #1: U.S. Base Salary

Your base salary is based on Reliant’s U.S. staff levels and remains the same regardless of where you serve internationally. It reflects shared financial realities for American workers—such as saving for retirement, college, and other long-term needs—that apply no matter your location. This will automatically increase by 5% for every year of tenureThe first ⅓ is the US base salary. This segment will be the same for someone in an expensive context vs a less expensive context. This segment factors in that no matter where you live there are aspects of being an American that will be the same across the board.


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The second ⅓ is the cost of living adjustmentSegment #2: Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA).

We take ⅓ one-third of your base salary and multiply by adjust it using a COLA percentage. This segment will be considerably higher for someone going to an expensive context and considerably lower for someone going to a less expensive location. This number is based on 3 cost of living websites that we average out and then round upadjustment reflects the cost of living in your ministry location—higher for expensive cities, lower for more affordable ones. The COLA percentage is based on an average from three cost-of-living websites, and we round the final number up to ensure adequate coverage.


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Segment #3: Housing and Utilities

This portion of your salary is based on the real The last ⅓ is for the actual cost of housing and utilities that the Intl Worker will be paying. This in your ministry location. It helps account for drastic significant differences in housing differences expenses across locations regions and reflects the differing unique needs of a each family unit. This is also in line with the approach aligns with typical American budget, in which Housing is 30-35% of an American’s budgetbudgeting, where housing costs generally make up 30–35% of monthly expenses.

Examples:


  1. In the first column you see the ⅓ categories.
  2. In the second column you can see the breakdown of those 3 categories for the US salary (annually).
  3. In the third column you see an example of Vietnam, which has a lower cost of living than the US:
    1. US Base ⅓ Segment - On the first line you see that their US salary base segment of the salary is the same, because this will stay the same no matter where they are in the world.
    2. Cost of Living Adjustment ⅓ Segment - In the second line you see the cost of living adjustment segment. Vietnam is a 50% COLA adjustment, so instead of that being $833 it’s $417 for this segment.
    3. Housing ⅓ Segment - In the third line you see the actual housing cost segment. In Vietnam, housing is oddly expensive, so it’s $1,000 for this segment instead of $833. 
  4. In the fourth column you see an example of Japan, one of the more expensive countries we work in.
    1. On the first line you see that their US salary base segment of the salary is the same, because this will stay the same no matter where they are in the world.
    2. In the second line you see the cost of living adjustment segment. Japan is a 150% COLA adjustment, so instead of that being $833 it’s a $1,250 for this segment.
    3. In the third line you see the actual housing cost segment. In Japan, the actual housing cost is $1,250, so for this segment we are putting $1,250 towards salary instead of $833 as we would in the US.
All this comes to a different total for each location. Same type of person, same tenure, same type of job, but different total because of the Cost of Living and housing costs in that actual location

Each location results in a different total salary—even for workers with the same role, tenure, and family situation—because of differences in cost of living and housing expenses.

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titleA Single Worker Living Overseas

So let’s Let’s look at an example of a new Reliant International Worker, who is single, and has an overseas job that is equivalent to a Reliant US Worker that U.S. worker who would make $30,000/year or $2,500/monthly in the USU.S. The table shows the monthly salary breakdown. Below the table you’ll see an explanation of each column and line:



Single PersonUS Salary
US (100% COLA)

Vietnam Salary
(50% COLA)

Japan
(150% COLA)

Segment #1: US Base

$833

$833

$833

Segment #2: COLA

$833

$417

$1,250

Segment #3: Housing

$833

$1,000

$1,250

Total Gross Salary

$2,500

$2,250

$3,333

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titleBreakdown of the Chart


title

Table 2 - Total


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titleA Married Couple living Overseas

For a married couples, we determine a household salary, based on individual staff levels, COLA, and joint housing costs. In Table 2, Spouse 1 would make $36,000 in the US based on staff level and Spouse 2 would make $54,000 in the US based on staff level. This is a combined annual salary of 90$90,000, or $7500 $7,500 per month.

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Household Salary

Household Salary

Total

US Salary
(100% COLA) 

Vietnam Salary
(50% COLA)

Japan Salary
(150% COLA)

Segment #1: US Base

$2,500

$2,500

$2,500

Segment #2: COLA

$2,500

$1,250

$3,750

Segment #3: Housing

$2,500

$2,000

$3,000

Totals

Total Gross Salaries

$7,500

$5,750

$9,250


We

will

typically divide the household salary based on each spouse’s staff level. If both

spouses

are at the same level,

the split is

it’s a 50/50

.In this case, Spouse 1's staff level accounts for 40% of the base salary, and Spouse 2's staff level accounts for 60%. Their salary would be split 40/60. If they were living

split. If one spouse’s role accounts for more of the salary—say 40/60—the split reflects that. For example, in Japan, Spouse 1

would

might receive

$3700

$3,700 and Spouse 2

would receive

$5,550.

We’re also happy to adjust the percentage split if needed—just let us know. Some couples choose a different breakdown for tax reasons or other personal preferences.


Adding Auxiliary Monthly Expenses

$150
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Children's Education/Childcare - You may take a stipend equal to the actual cost of enrolling your children in school, homeschooling your children overseas, or obtaining childcare in order for both spouses to fulfill ministry responsibilities.

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Special Medical Allowance - For ongoing medical or mental health needs, you may include a monthly amount to offset the cost, especially if costs are increased as a result of an overseas assignment.Because this is not eligible as a reimbursement, we must include it in your salary. 


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Student Loan Payments - Because many of our workers have obtained professional degrees, yet have sacrificed a more profitable career to serve overseas, they may receive an additional amount per month to cover outstanding student loan payments.


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Local Health Insurance Premium - For workers who serve in a country that offers a national health insurance plan, any associated premiums may be included as an additional salary item. For those on Reliant's health insurance, this premium will be added to your monthly support goal later in the worksheet and will come directly from one’s MTD account, not your salary.


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Taxes in Country of Service - While most international workers will be exempt from federal income tax, many will owe taxes in the country where they are living an working. You should work with your supervisor to estimate taxes you might owe. If they will be quarterly or annual payments, estimate the cost per month for budgeting purposes.


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Ministry Expense Bonus - Full-time workers (30+ hours) may take up to $600/month to cover ministry expenses including local travel, meals and hospitality, internet service, and other miscellaneous items. Part-time workers may take up to $300/month.


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Monthly Cell Phone Bonus - Full-time workers (30+ hours) may take up to $100/month to cover their cell phone bill. This is a separate line item on your paystub and is considered non-taxable income.


Examples
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titleA Single Worker living in Vietnam

Based on the above example in Table 1, where the starting monthly salary is $2250

Monthly SalaryChildren Ed
Medical
Taxes
Student Loans
Local Health
Taxes
Student Loan Payments

Ministry Expense Bonus

Gross Monthly Income
$2250NA
$100
$300NA
$300

$250

$200$3,000

Click the images below to see how it works out on the spreadsheet.

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titleMarried Couple living in Japan

Based on the above example in Table 2, where the starting household salary is $9,250/month.

Auxiliary Expenses are divided between each spouse based on portion of total salary.

Total Monthly Salary

Children Ed
Medical
Student LoansLocal HealthTaxesMinistry Expense Bonus

Spouse 1 Gross Monthly Income

Spouse 2 Gross Monthly Income

$9,250$500
NA
NA$500$500$600$4,540$6810

Click the images below to see how it works out on the spreadsheet.

Image RemovedImage RemovedImage Added


Accepting Your Salary

This worksheet calculates the salary that we believe will allow you to thrive on the field, be adequately compensated for your job role, and make provisions for the future. Because all international workers are support-based, we offer you the freedom of accepting a lower salary. The support goal worksheet will default to accepting the total salary. If you want to take a lower salary, please choose that from the dropdown menu and enter a new amount below check the box next to "I will choose a lower salary" and enter your desired amount.

Paycheck Calculator

Please use the tab "Paycheck Calculator" to determine what your Net Pay will be after Federal Tax deductions and 401k 403b Contributions. We have factored these into our Base Salaries and you are responsible for understanding your Tax Withholding. You must update your W-4 to notify Reliant of any changes.