Spain’s Minimum Wage in 2026: Monthly, Hourly and Net Pay

Spain’s minimum wage in 2026 is €1,221 a month in 14 payments, or €17,094 a year for full-time work, set by Royal Decree 126/2026 and backdated to January 1, 2026. Spread over 12 payments it is €1,424.50 a month. Domestic workers paid by the hour must get at least €9.55 per hour worked, as of November 2026.

What is the minimum wage in Spain in 2026?

The salario mínimo interprofesional (SMI, the national minimum wage) is set each year by royal decree. For 2026, Royal Decree 126/2026 was published in the BOE on February 19, 2026, came into force the next day and applies from January 1 to December 31, 2026. Employers had to pay any shortfall for January and February backdated. The increase is 3.1% on 2025.

The figures refer to the legal full-time working week. Part-time workers are entitled to the same amounts in proportion to their hours.

What is the difference between 14 and 12 payments?

Most Spanish salaries are quoted as a yearly total paid in 14 installments: 12 monthly payslips plus two extra payments (pagas extraordinarias), usually in summer and at Christmas. A minimum-wage worker paid this way receives €1,221 in each of the 14 payments.

Many employers instead spread the two extra payments over the year (pagas prorrateadas). The yearly total is the same, €17,094, but each of the 12 payslips shows €1,424.50. When you compare a job offer with the minimum wage, always compare the annual gross figure, because a monthly number on its own does not tell you whether extras are included.

What does the minimum wage look like after deductions?

The SMI is a gross amount. Two things come off it: your Social Security contributions and, in some cases, income tax withholding.

Social Security. As of 2026, an employee on a permanent contract pays about 6.5% of the contribution base: 4.70% for common contingencies, 1.55% for unemployment, 0.10% for vocational training and a small share for the intergenerational equity mechanism (MEI). The base includes the prorated extra payments, so for a full-time minimum-wage job it is €1,424.50 a month.

These are illustrations, not payroll calculations. Fixed-term contracts carry a slightly higher unemployment rate, and your payslip may differ.

Income tax (IRPF). The government approved in February 2026 a tax deduction of up to about €591 so that people earning only the minimum wage pay no income tax for 2026. The deduction shrinks for higher earnings and disappears at about €20,000 of employment income. Congress validated it in March 2026 as part of Real Decreto-ley 5/2026. Your employer may still withhold a small amount each month depending on your personal circumstances; you recover it through the deduction when you file your 2026 tax return in spring 2027. Our guide to filing your tax return in Spain explains how.

Who must be paid at least the minimum wage?

Every employee in Spain, of any nationality, with a legal employment contract. That includes:

• full-time and part-time staff, in proportion to hours worked;
• temporary and seasonal workers, using the daily rate above for contracts of up to 120 days with the same employer;
• domestic workers, including cleaners, carers and nannies employed by a household, at €9.55 per hour worked when paid by the hour.

Collective agreements (convenios colectivos) for many sectors set higher minimums than the SMI, so check the agreement that applies to your job. Self-employed workers (autónomos) are not covered, because they are not employees.

The decree also allows compensation and absorption: if your total yearly pay, including bonuses and supplements, already exceeds €17,094, your employer does not have to raise it. If it falls below, the employer must make up the difference. Our overview of employee rights in Spain covers holidays, working hours and other basics.

How does the minimum wage compare with average pay in Catalonia?

Catalan salaries are above the Spanish average. In the National Statistics Institute’s Annual Wage Structure Survey for 2024, published on May 28, 2026, the figures were:

The average is pulled up by high earners, which is why the median (half of workers earn more, half less) is much lower. These are 2024 figures, the latest INE published as of November 2026. Set against Barcelona rents, a single minimum-wage income is tight: see our guide to the cost of living in Barcelona.

What can you do if you are paid less?

1. Check your payslip (nómina) and contract: compare the annual gross pay with €17,094 for full-time work, or the proportional amount for your hours.
2. Ask your employer in writing to correct the pay and the backdated amount.
3. Contact a trade union or a labor lawyer (abogado laboralista) for advice on your case.
4. You can file a complaint with the Labor and Social Security Inspectorate (Inspecció de Treball de Catalunya), which handles labor inspection in Catalonia.

Claims for unpaid wages have time limits, generally one year, so do not wait. For individual cases, get advice from a union or a licensed professional.

Bottom line

When you get a job offer, ask for the gross annual figure and the number of payments, then check it against €17,094 and against your sector’s collective agreement, which is often higher. If you earn close to the minimum, keep your 2026 payslips: you will need them to make sure the income tax deduction comes back to you in the 2027 tax return.

FAQ

Will the minimum wage rise in 2027?

Any change needs a new royal decree, usually approved early in the year after talks with unions and employers. Until it is published in the BOE, the 2026 amounts stay in force.

Is the €9.55 hourly rate the minimum for all part-time jobs?

No. The €9.55 figure is specifically for domestic workers paid by the hour. Other part-time employees are paid the monthly SMI in proportion to their hours.

Does Catalonia have its own minimum wage?

No. The SMI is national and the same in every region. Catalan collective agreements can set higher minimums for particular sectors.

Is the minimum wage paid before or after tax?

The €1,221 is gross. Social Security and any income tax withholding come off it.