Minimum wage (SMI) and average salary in Spain 2026

With the cost of living as it is, your finances can have a big impact on your quality of life.

Luckily, workers in Spain earn a reasonable living. The country has the seventh-highest minimum salary in Europe, which the government adjusts annually. For many expats, managing finances also involves sending money internationally or handling multiple currencies efficiently.

So, what is the minimum wage, and which sector offers the highest average salary? Are you paid enough, or is it time to contact your union representative?

Continue reading for more on the topic, including the following:

• What is the minimum wage in Spain in 2025?What counts toward the minimum wage?CCT: Exclusions to the minimum wageApprentices, interns, and trainees

• What counts toward the minimum wage?

• CCT: Exclusions to the minimum wage

• Apprentices, interns, and trainees

• What is the average salary in Spain?Average salary by sector in SpainAverage salary by city in SpainWhat are the highest-paying jobs in Spain?Salary checker in Spain

• Average salary by sector in Spain

• Average salary by city in Spain

• What are the highest-paying jobs in Spain?

• Salary checker in Spain

• The gender pay gap in Spain

• Salaries and wages for expats in Spain

• What to do if you’re paid below the minimum wage?

• Useful resources

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What is the minimum wage in Spain in 2025?

Legally, all workers in Spain are entitled to the minimum wage (Salario Mínimo Interprofesional – SMI), regardless of their age, gender, or employment contract.

The country first introduced the minimum wage under General Francisco Franco’s regime in 1963. Nowadays, the Council of Ministers (Consejo de Ministros) reviews the salary level each year based on various factors, including national productivity and employment rates.

In 2025, the minimum wage in Spain for a full-time job is as follows:

Paid out

Minimum wage

Yearly

€16,576

12-monthly

€1,381

14-monthly

€1,184

Hourly

€8.87

Comparatively, Spain sits comfortably in the mid-range of minimum wages in the European Union (EU), similar to Slovenia. Luxembourg pays workers nearly double, and employees in Ireland, the Netherlands, and Germany earn almost a third more. Meanwhile, workers in Albania, Montenegro, and Serbia are paid up to two-thirds less than Spanish employees.

The cost of living in Spain

What counts toward the minimum wage?

In Spain, the statutory minimum wage applies only to monetary payments (in Spanish). In-kind benefits cannot reduce a salary below the minimum. Similarly, overtime payments, profit shares, and end-of-the-year bonuses do not count toward the minimum salary.

CCT: Exclusions to the minimum wage

It is very common for Spanish industries to have a collective bargaining agreement (convenio colectivo de trabajo, CCT) in place. These agreements are negotiated between employers and labor unions, and cover employment issues like wages and workers’ rights. In 2018, around 80.10% of all employment in Spain was subject to a CCT.

When your work falls under a collective agreement, you could benefit from a higher minimum salary. That’s because a person’s gross income cannot be below the minimum wage; if you’re paid less, your contract will be nullified.

You can check your employment contract to see if a collective labor agreement applies.

Employment contracts in Spain

Apprentices, interns, and trainees

Students who receive on-the-job training must receive some form of payment for their work. This compensation should match the statutory minimum wage of regular employees in Spain (but in proportion). As such, the amount can vary depending on the training program, the industry, and the applicable CCT.

Under Spanish labor laws, student work hours may not exceed 65% during the first year and 85% during their second year. If there isn’t a collective labor agreement in place, their salaries may not be lower than 60% in the first year and 75% in the second year.

Salaries must always be proportional to the hours that the student works.

Spanish employment law and labor rights

What is the average salary in Spain?

Despite the minimum wage, workers generally earn a higher monthly salary. According to official government data, the average salary in Spain was roughly €26,900 in 2022. Meanwhile, in 2023, Statista set the average gross income at €30,655 per year (i.e., €2,555 per month).

Of course, salaries differ greatly depending on the job, but also experience, location, and education level. Sometimes wages also include benefits, like housing and transport.

Average salary by sector in Spain

As is usual, gross wages also vary greatly by sector. This is because certain industries require more skills, experience, and education and therefore offer better pay. According to Talent (2025), the median salary across some of the main job sectors in Spain are:

Job sector

Average monthly salary

Banking and finance

€2,087

Childcare and education

€2,430

Construction and maintenance

€1,834

Engineering

€2,726

Healthcare and social services

€2,506

Hospitality and travel

€1,690

Information technology

€2,371

Journalism and translation services

€1,750

Retail and customer service

€1,660

Transportation and manufacturing

€1,760

Many minimum-wage workers work in the Spanish service sector. According to official government data, people working in accommodation and food services earned roughly €14,809 per year (2021).

Average salary by city in Spain

As with most countries, location matters to your expected income as well. Usually, the more populated the area, the higher the average salary. In Spain, wages are higher in the north and center and more modest in the south.

According to Statista (2023), the highest average salary across the regions can be found in:

Autonomous community

Average gross income

Basque Country

€18,189

Madrid

€16,817

Navarra

€16,599

Catalonia

€15,830

Asturias

€15,432

Aragon

€14,810

La Rioja

€14,184

Cantabria

€14,162

Balearic Islands

€14,139

Castile y Leon

€14,124

Workers earn the least in Murcia and Extremadura, where the average annual salary is €11,314 and €11,363, respectively.

What are the highest-paying jobs in Spain?

Unfortunately, there’s no real fast way to earn lots of money. Some of Spain’s most lucrative job opportunities require specialized qualifications, skills, and experience.

Highest-paying fields and jobs include healthcare (e.g., surgeons), law (e.g., judges), and management (e.g., CEO, CFO, and CTO), with salaries ranging from €71,000 to €171,000 per year.

How to find a job in Spain

Salary checker in Spain

There are numerous online platforms to see what your profession will likely pay in Spain. Here are a couple of salary checkers to help you:

• Glassdoor

• Paylab

Alternatively, you can use this salary calculator to see if your gross salary complies with Spanish law.

multi-currency account

Multi-currency services give expats an easy way to manage money across borders. You can open an EUR account with local account details to receive your salary, pay bills, and make transfers without hidden fees.The the multi-currency service multi-currency account lets you hold and convert over 40 currencies, send money to more than 140 countries, and spend in 150 countries with the multi-currency debit card. Keep your currencies in one place, convert them instantly and receive international payments in over 20 currencies with your multi-currency account details, all in one secure app.

The gender pay gap in Spain

In 2021, Spain still had a gobsmacking gender pay gap of 18.4%. That same year, the country introduced labor reforms to address the disparity, and indeed, the situation has improved. Women now earn 6.7% less than men, according to the WEF 2024 Global Gender Gap Report.

The gap is disproportionately higher in the private sector than in the public sector. In 2022, Eurostat reported a 12.8% difference for private companies and 8.2% for public entities.

One reason for the gender wage gap is women’s overrepresentation in underpaid social sectors, such as education, healthcare, retail sales, and customer service. Spain also lacks female representation in senior, managerial, and decision-making roles; only 17.6% of companies have a female top manager, and just 35.7% of management staff are female (WEF, 2024).

Business school Estade notes that Spanish women also still battle the gender stereotypes. Women and girls are often underestimated and believed to have ‘different abilities’. As such, they often face stigma and unconscious biases in hiring and promotion practices. Add your business to our directory.

The government has introduced many measures and labor reforms to tackle gender inequality in the workplace. For example, businesses with 50 or more workers must create and implement an equality plan. Similarly, large listed companies must have at least 40% of either gender on their boards of directors by mid-2026.

Salaries and wages for expats in Spain

Labor law doesn’t differentiate between Spanish citizens and foreign nationals. Employers must legally pay you the minimum income as set by the government or collective bargaining agreement.

As an expat working in Spain, you’ll likely face additional financial considerations beyond your salary. Many foreign workers need to send money internationally, whether to support family back home, maintain savings in their home country, or manage financial obligations across borders. Understanding your options for international transfers can help you keep more of your hard-earned money.

When sending money from Spain to another country, some providers charge high fees and use exchange rates that include a markup above the mid-market rate, the mid‑market exchange rate (the rate you see on Google or financial news sites). These hidden costs can significantly reduce the amount that reaches your recipient.

Services like the multi-currency service offer an alternative approach, using the mid-market exchange rate and charging transparent fees for international transfers from EUR to other currencies. For expats who regularly manage money in multiple currencies, the multi-currency service also offers a multi-currency account that allows you to hold and convert between different currencies as needed, with fees shown upfront. This can be particularly useful if you’re earning in euros but have expenses or savings in another currency. There may be a different set of rules for non-taxpaying residents who are employed by an international company in Spain.

How to get a work visa in Spain

If you’re a non‑tax resident employed by an international company in Spain, consult official guidance or a qualified advisor for your specific obligations.

What to do if you’re paid below the minimum wage?

Depending on the situation, there are several courses of action to fix a low salary. For example, if you earn less than the minimum wage in Spain, you can file a complaint with the Labor and Social Security Inspection (LSSI, Inspección de Trabajo y Seguridad Social). They will assess your case, and fine or prosecute your employer if found negligent.

You can also seek advice from your trade union representative. The Spanish Constitution guarantees the right to strike, though only unions can officially call strikes affecting an entire sector.

However, if your wages are lower than those of your colleagues or industry peers, you should contact your HR department or union rep to see if something can be done. You can also take the matter to the Arbitration Office (Instituto de Mediación, Arbitraje y Conciliación) if you find you are paid less due to discrimination.

After that, you can escalate the wage dispute to the Labor Court (Magistratura de Trabajo). If your case is successful, your employer will have to remedy the situation. If the judge rules against you, you can take the case to the High Court of Justice (Tribunal Superior de Justicia) and, eventually, the Supreme Court (Tribunal Supremo). Some labor cases can also be presented to the Constitutional Court (Tribunal Constitucional).