Average gross salary in Spain reached a new high with 2.385,6 per month (in twelve payments) after growing a 5%This represents the second largest increase in the last decade, according to the INE's EPA (Spanish National Statistics Institute). This advance of 112,6 euros came in a context of average inflation of 2,8%, which meant gain in purchasing power of a little more than two points.
Alongside this boost, the median salary stood at 2.001,4 Euros, with an increase of 3,4% (€66). The fact that the average rose more than the median suggests that The improvements are concentrated in the upper part of the distribution, while they persist wage gaps by age, gender and type of contract.
Recent evolution and how it is measured
The EPA calculates the effective salary of the main job, including bonuses and supplements prorated over 12 months, an important nuance for the base salary, with full-time and part-time employeesIn 2024, this indicator grew more than the wages agreed upon in the collective agreement, reflecting bonuses, overtime and incentives, as well as changes in the occupational structure of employment.
By segment, 30% of salaried workers earned less than 1.582,2 Euros40% between 1.582,2 and 2.659,8 and 30% at least 2.659,8 EurosSince 2018, the first decile (lowest wages) has rebounded by 48%, the fifth by 22,1%, and the tenth by 19,6%, a pattern linked in part to boost to the minimum wage contracts like the internship contract.
The minimum interprofessional wage rose in 2024 to 1.134 euros in 14 paymentspushing up wages at the base. Even so, the smaller increase in the median wage compared to the average (3,4% versus 5%) suggests greater inequality due to the more intense improvement in the upper sections.
Other records, such as the Tax Agency or ETCL, confirm increases higher than the agreed tables, while Eurostat offers figures of full-time jobs not directly comparable with the INE's EPA, changes in the occupational structure of employment, which are related to hiring peaks in the labor market.
Differences by sex, age, working hours and contract
The gender gap persists: the average salary for women was 2.163,2 Euros, versus 2.593,0 Euros For men, the difference was 16,6%. Furthermore, 33,7% of men earned €2.659,8 or more compared to 26,1% of women, and the opposite occurred in the lower income brackets: 39,9% of women below 1.582,2 euros, compared to 20,7% of men.
By age, those under 25 years old registered the only decline, with an average salary of 1.372,8 Euros (−14,6 euros year-on-year), while those aged 55 and over reached 2.680,7 Eurossupported by greater seniority, stability and experience.
The work schedule makes the difference: 87% of those who work part time They earned less than €1.582,2, compared to 20,4% of full-time employees. By contract type, the average salary for temporary workers was 1.872,7 Euros and that of the indefinite ones of 2.484,5 Euros, influenced by the concentration of temporary workers in seasonal and lower-paid sectors.
By nationality, the Spanish averaged 2.508 Euros; people with dual nationality, 2.041 euros; and foreigners, 1.846 Euros, reflecting differences in sector, working hours and seniority.
Sectors, company size and training
The highest salaries were given in financial and insurance activities (€4.018,8), energy supply (€3.619,7), and extractive industries (€3.340,6). The base includes households employing domestic staff (€1.138,4). hostelry (1.520,7) and administrative activities (1.674,7), with more partiality and temporaryity.
The public sector paid on average 3.328,6 Euros, 935 euros more than the private one (2.424,4 Euros), difference linked to a greater weight of occupations with higher qualifications, less part-time work and more seniority.
Company size also matters: in centers of up to nine people54,2% earned less than 1.582,2 euros; in companies of 250 or more, 53,4% earned more than 2.659,8 euros.
The relationship between education and salary is clear: with higher education, 50% earned €2.660 or more, compared to 9% with low levels of education, a pattern reflected in the map of well-paid jobs.
Autonomous communities: where you pay more and less
The highest average gross monthly salary corresponded to the Basque Country (€2.809,9), ahead of Madrid (€2.761,7), Navarre (€2.589,1) and Catalonia (€2.529,9). At the opposite end, Canary Islands (2.051,7), Region of Murcia (2.120,9) and Extremadura (2.127,2) recorded the lowest figures.
The concentration of high salaries was highest in the Basque Country, with 46,5% of salaried workers earning €2.659,8 or more, followed by Madrid (39,3%) and Navarre (37,7%). In the lower income brackets, the following stood out: Estremadura (40,2%), Canary Islands (38,2%) and Murcia (37,1%).
Galicia reached 2.229,7 Euros (+4,4%), a new all-time high, but still €156 below the national average. Full-time gross salary in Galicia was 2.437,1 Euros, and part-time of 995,5. In the regional ranking it is in the lower-middle part.
In the Basque Country, the average salary increased by 7% (185,6 euros), and the top 10% earners exceed 5.535,8 Euroscompared to 684,8 euros in the lowest decile. In the last decade, the average Basque salary has grown by 30,8%, reinforcing its territorial leadership.
Spain versus the EU: position and gap
Using Eurostat data for full-time employment, Spain reached 33.700 euros gross per yearcompared to the EU average of €39.808: a difference of €6.100, which increased by €484 compared to the previous year. In 2024, salaries grew by 4,6% in Spain and 5,2% in the EU, while the INE's EPA (different coverage) recorded an increase of 5%. These data are complemented by studies on salaries in Europe.
Spain ranks 11th in average salary, in a list headed by LuxembourgDenmark and Ireland. Among the countries below the European average are Slovenia, Spain, Italy and Malta, while Eastern European economies (Lithuania, PolandRomania, Hungary, and Slovakia have experienced very high increases in the last decade.
From a historical perspective, Spain came close to parity with the EU in 2009, but after the financial crisis the gap reopenedBetween 2009 and 2020, the average national salary increased by 6,4% compared to 23,2% in Europe, and since then the gap has widened considerably.
With the rebound in 2023 and 2024, wages recover some of the purchasing power lost due to inflation in 2021-2022, although the median advances more slowly The average is lower, and significant differences persist based on region, age, education, working hours, and gender. At the European level, the gap with the EU average remains considerable despite the progress made in the last two years.
