Spain’s minimum wage for 2026 is €1,221 gross a month in 14 payments, €40.70 a day, €17,094 a year. If your gross pay on a full-time week comes out below that in annual terms, something is wrong. This page lists the figures in Royal Decree 126/2026 and shows how to apply them to your case.
The minimum wage figures for 2026
Article 1 of Royal Decree 126/2026 sets the minimum wage for any activity in agriculture, industry and services, regardless of sex or age, at €40.70 a day or €1,221 a month, depending on whether pay is set by days or by months. It is a 3.1% increase on 2025, according to the decree’s preamble.
| How it is measured | Gross amount, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Daily | €40.70 |
| Monthly, in 14 payments | €1,221 |
| Monthly, with extra pay spread over the year | €1,424.50 (17,094 / 12) |
| Annual (art. 3) | €17,094 |
| Domestic work, per hour | €9.55 |
| Casual workers up to 120 days, per day worked | €57.82 |
The €17,094 comes from 1,221 × 14. Article 3 uses exactly that figure as the annual comparison minimum.
Who gets it: every employee on a full-time week
The minimum applies to any worker in agriculture, industry and services. It refers to the legal working week in each activity. Three points from article 1:
- Only cash counts. Pay in kind cannot reduce the full cash amount of the minimum. If your payslip deducts for lodging or food, they cannot take you below it.
- It does not include Sundays and public holidays when the daily wage is calculated.
- If you work shorter hours, you are paid pro rata.
On top of the minimum come any salary supplements agreed in your convenio (collective agreement) or contract (article 2). The minimum is a floor for base pay, not a ceiling for your payslip.
With part-time hours, the minimum is reduced in proportion
To work it out, multiply the amount by the percentage of a full-time week you work.
| Hours | Proportion | Monthly, 14 payments | Annual | Monthly, extra pay spread |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full-time | 100% | €1,221 | €17,094 | €1,424.50 |
| Three-quarters | 75% | €915.75 | €12,820.50 | €1,068.38 |
| Half-time | 50% | €610.50 | €8,547 | €712.25 |
An example with numbers. Lucía works 20 hours a week in a 40-hour full-time week, and her gross payslip is €650 a month in 14 payments. The proportional minimum is 1,221 × 0.50 = €610.50. Since €650 is above €610.50, she is covered. If her payslip were €590, she would be €20.50 gross a month short. Full detail on this type of contract is in part-time contract and complementary hours.
Domestic workers and casual workers have their own rules
Article 4 of the decree covers two cases:
Contracts of up to 120 days with the same employer. These workers receive, together with the minimum, the proportional part of Sundays and public holidays, the two extra payments (thirty days each) and holidays. The result cannot be below €57.82 per legal working day. In other words, a casual worker is paid everything included: with 10 days, the minimum is €578.20.
Domestic employees paid by the hour, living out. The minimum is €9.55 per hour actually worked, and that figure includes all pay components. With 20 hours in a week, 9.55 × 20 = €191. With 80 hours in a month, €764.
The annual minimum prevails over your specific payslip
Article 3 explains offsetting and absorption. If your total annual pay already exceeds the minimum, the rise does not touch it or change its structure. The annual comparison figure is the minimum plus the supplements in article 2, and it cannot be taken as less than €17,094. If you are below it, the company must raise your pay to the minimum.
From when until when
The third final provision says the decree comes into force the day after it is published in the BOE (the official gazette; it was published on 19 February 2026) and has effect from 1 January to 31 December 2026, with the minimum wage payable from 1 January. If you were paid less in January and February, you are owed the difference.
Why your case may be different
- Your collective agreement may pay more. The minimum is a floor. If your agreement sets a higher salary, that is what counts.
- The minimum does not apply to everything that cites it. The sole transitional provision says that during 2026, regional and local rules and private contracts already in force that use the SMI as a reference keep the previous amount, unless provided or agreed otherwise.
- Extra pay depends on your contract. If your agreement allows it to be spread across the year (art. 31 of the Statute), your monthly payslip will be €1,424.50 or more. See extra pay in Spain: when you get it and whether it can be prorated.
- You are entitled to the minimum without a signed contract too. If you work without a signed contract, the minimum can be demanded: working without a contract in Spain.
What to check on your payslip
- That the annual gross for a full-time week reaches €17,094.
- That, if you work part-time, the calculation is proportional to your percentage of hours.
- That, if extra pay is spread monthly, the monthly payslip is at least €1,424.50 (full-time).
- That what the payslip shows is money, not pay in kind.
- That you are paid the January and February differences if your pay was not raised then.
If something does not add up, ask in writing. If they do not pay, see what to do if the company does not pay your wages.
This page is general information. If deadlines or money are at stake, speak to an employment lawyer (abogado laboralista) or a union.