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Jobs in Spain (2026): Minimum Wage, Salaries and CVs

Jules

Editor

Updated: October 2026 | Found helpful by 5 others

Spain's 2026 minimum wage is EUR 1,221 a month paid 14 times, or EUR 17,094 a year (Real Decreto 126/2026). Spanish job ads offered a mean of EUR 27,336 gross a year in 2025, below the EUR 29,540.26 that workers actually earned on average in 2024 according to the INE.

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What Is the Minimum Wage in Spain in 2026?

SMI 2026, Real Decreto 126/2026.
Monthly, 14 paymentsEUR 1,221
AnnualEUR 17,094
Monthly, prorated over 12EUR 1,424.50
DailyEUR 40.70
Daily, specified temporary contractsEUR 57.82
Hourly, domestic employeesEUR 9.55

Retroactive to 1 January 2026. Collective agreements (convenios) can set higher category or sector floors; compare annual gross, not one monthly payslip. Reading EUR 1,221 as if it were paid 12 times understates the annual minimum by EUR 2,442.

What Do Spanish Jobs Pay?

These are mean offered salaries in job ads, not realised pay or guaranteed ranges. 2,460,405 vacancies published in 2025; offered pay in the formal market.

Sources: InfoJobs and Esade: Informe Mercado Laboral 2025 (March 2026); INE: Encuesta Anual de Estructura Salarial 2024 (28 May 2026).
MeasureMean gross a yearNote
All vacanciesOffered in job ads, 2025EUR 27,3362,460,405 vacancies published in 2025; offered pay in the formal market
IT and telecomOffered in job ads, 2025EUR 35,031Sector mean, not a junior-senior range
Engineering and technicalOffered in job ads, 2025EUR 31,997Sector mean
EducationOffered in job ads, 2025EUR 31,827Sector mean
Commercial and salesOffered in job ads, 2025EUR 31,566Sector mean
HealthOffered in job ads, 2025EUR 35,363The report warns that offers for jobs abroad inflate this mean
All workers, realised annual earnings 2024Realised earnings, 2024EUR 29,540.26INE EAES 2024 definitive, published 28 May 2026; a different population from offered pay, never blended

How Is a Spanish CV Written?

  • Write in Spanish unless the job ad is in English
  • Normally 1 to 2 A4 pages, reverse-chronological, sent as a tailored PDF
  • Include name, professional email, phone, city and languages with honest CEFR levels
  • A photo is optional, not required
  • Leave out full address, marital status and DNI or NIE unless genuinely required
  • Do not call a foreign degree equivalent unless it has been formally recognised

Cross-checked against EURES guidance, October 2026.

Illustration of a laptop with a CV, a briefcase, and a magnifier, for finding a job and the job market in Spain.
CV, role, search: finding work in Spain.

Where Do People Search for Jobs in Spain?

Spanish job channels split into general boards, public employment services and sector boards. The list below is alphabetical, not a ranking. No board checked offers a reliable visa-sponsorship filter.

Which Work Permits Follow a Job Offer?

For non-EU candidates the employer route decides. The EU Blue Card in Spain requires EUR 41,356.36 a year, or EUR 33,085.09 for specified shortage groups and qualifying recent graduates (Orden PJC/44/2026). A new INE survey applies to applications one month after publication (Orden PJC/44/2026 art. 3); check the live UGE figure at filing. See the Spain visa routes hub for the other routes.

Which Channel Fits Your Situation?

Worked scenarios, October 2026. No board was preferred for its commercial model.
#SituationBest answerRunner-upWhyRuled out
D1Spanish-speaking generalistInfoJobs + Empléate + regional serviceIndeedBroad inventory plus official/local channelWaiting for a sponsorship filter: none reliable
D2English-speaking tech newcomerLinkedIn + Tecnoempleo + EURAXESS where research fitsManfred for senior profileMultinational discovery plus sector focusAssuming English ad equals sponsorship: false
D4Nurse with foreign degreeHomologation/professional requirements + CODEM/SAS/SERGAS channelsInfoJobsRegulated-profession gate comes firstApplying before recognition: employer cannot regularise qualification
D5Researcher/PhD candidateEURAXESS + university PDI portalLinkedInHosting/research vacancies concentrated hereGeneral work permit by default: researcher route may fit better
D11Comparing EUR 1,221 x 14 and EUR 1,424.50 x 12 offersCompare annual EUR 17,094 grossMonthly net estimate only after payroll detailsBoth have identical annual statutory baseCalling the 12-payment offer higher salary: basis error
D12Near-SMI single in MadridShared housing + broader city/region searchIndependent Madrid rental only with higher incomeRent-to-income constraint dominatesTreating offered sector mean as guaranteed pay: false

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the minimum wage in Spain in 2026?

The Spanish minimum wage (SMI) for 2026 is EUR 1,221 a month paid 14 times, EUR 17,094 a year, under Real Decreto 126/2026, retroactive to 1 January. Spread over 12 payments that is EUR 1,424.50 a month; the daily SMI is EUR 40.70 and the hourly rate for domestic employees is EUR 9.55.

How do I compare a 12-payment and a 14-payment salary in Spain?

Compare the annual gross. A Spanish salary of EUR 1,221 x 14 and one of EUR 1,424.50 x 12 are the same EUR 17,094 a year. Reading EUR 1,221 as a 12-payment salary understates annual pay by EUR 2,442.

What is the average salary in Spain?

It depends on what is measured. The mean salary offered in Spanish job ads in 2025 was EUR 27,336 gross a year (InfoJobs and Esade, March 2026), while the mean realised earnings per worker in 2024 were EUR 29,540.26 (INE, May 2026). The two measure different populations and should not be blended.

Should a Spanish CV include a photo?

A photo on a Spanish CV is optional, not required. Spanish CVs are normally 1 to 2 A4 pages, reverse-chronological and in Spanish unless the job ad is in English. Leave out your full address, marital status and DNI or NIE unless genuinely required.

Can I filter Spanish job boards for visa sponsorship?

No reliable sponsorship filter was found on the major Spanish job boards checked in October 2026. An English-language job ad does not mean the employer will file a work permit; the offer-linked routes are cuenta ajena, the EU Blue Card and the UGE highly qualified routes.

Sources

Change log

Updated

  • Published: jobs hub with the 2026 SMI, offered-pay means and CV conventions