Cost to hire in Spain

What does an employee in Spain actually cost?

Employer contributions in Spain add up to 30.65% of gross pay before caps.

Figures last verified September 7, 2026. Rates change, usually at the start of a tax year. Every source is linked at the bottom of this page so you can check us. Confirm with a licensed adviser before committing to a hire.

Gross monthly salary

Line	Rate	Applied to	Annual

Show the formula

annualGross = monthlySalary × instalmentsPerYear

for each statutory contribution:
    base   = min(annualGross, statutory cap)
    amount = base × rate

totalEmployerCost = annualGross + Σ amounts

Rates and caps come from the sources cited below. Nothing else is added.

The contributions, line by line

These are the statutory employer-side charges, and they sit on top of gross salary. The employee's own deductions come out of that gross figure and are not an additional cost to you.

Contribution	Employer rate	Cap
Common contingencies Applies up to the maximum monthly contribution base of €5,101.20 (2026).	23.60%	€5,101 / month
Unemployment Rate shown is for indefinite contracts. Temporary contracts pay more.	5.50%	€5,101 / month
Wage Guarantee Fund (FOGASA)	0.20%	€5,101 / month
Vocational training	0.60%	€5,101 / month
Intergenerational Equity Mechanism (MEI) Employer share of the 0.90% MEI for 2026; the employee pays 0.15%.	0.75%	€5,101 / month

A worked example

At a gross monthly salary of €4,000, an employer in Spain pays €62,712 per year in total: €48,000 in salary across 12 instalments, plus €14,712 in contributions. That is a multiplier of 1.31× the quoted salary.

Change the salary in the calculator above to run your own figure. The example and the calculator use the same code.

Salary instalments

Spanish contracts commonly quote 14 payments ("14 pagas"), but this normally divides the SAME annual salary into fourteen instalments rather than adding two months of pay. Treating it as extra cost overstates the total by about 17%. Confirm whether a quoted figure is annual or monthly.

Leave you must budget for

Statutory paid leave is 22 working days, alongside roughly 14 public holidays. Statutory minimum is 30 calendar days, which works out to 22 working days.

Paid leave is not a separate line of cost, since it is time not worked inside a salary you are already paying. It does change effective cost per working day, which matters when you compare countries.

Where this gets it wrong

Occupational accident and illness (AT/EP) contributions are additional and vary by business activity. They are not included in the rates above.
All rates shown assume an indefinite contract under the General Regime. Temporary contracts carry higher unemployment rates and a surcharge.
Collective bargaining agreements (convenios) can add obligations above the statutory floor, and they are sector- and region-specific.
This model covers statutory employer contributions. It does not price benefits you choose to offer, recruitment, equipment, or the fee an employer-of-record provider charges on top.

Sources

Last verified September 7, 2026.

Tell me when Spain rates change

We re-check Spain's statutory rates each tax year and correct this page. Leave an address and we will tell you when a number here moves.

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