BPO, Call Centres and Shared Services in El Salvador
The industry
Contact centres serve customer care, sales, technical support and collections, mostly for clients in the United States, on Central Standard Time (UTC−6) all year. Many companies have moved into back-office, finance and accounting, health claims and IT support work. INVEST put BPO exports at USD 597 million in its 2024 investor guide.1
AmCham estimates that between 60 and 90 call centres linked to the chamber operate in the country, and figures quoted by El Diario de Hoy put the industry at 36,000 to 48,000 jobs. Contact centres account for about 3.3% of formal employment, according to an INVEST sector guide of 2023.2,3
Talent and pay
- English: El Salvador scored 523 in the 2025 EF English Proficiency Index, in the "moderate" band. Many agents learned English in the United States or in bilingual schools.
- Pay: hourly rates of about $2.80 to $6 were reported in 2025, above the minimum wage of $408.80 a month in commerce and services.
- Hiring: AmCham said in 2025 that companies also struggle to find engineers; it cited a request for 200 engineers that members could not fill.
Source: El Salvador.com: call centres as an alternative to job scarcity, July 2025; EF English Proficiency Index 2025: El Salvador; Diario El Mundo: AmCham expects BPO and call centre companies to offer more than 12,000 jobs3,6,2
Incentives
The International Services Law of 2007 covers call centres, BPO, IT services and other services exported from a service park or an authorised service centre. Qualifying companies are exempt from income tax, municipal taxes and import duties on equipment. A service centre needs at least USD 250,000 in assets. The law was reformed in January 2026.4,5
The US Investment Climate Statement 2026 counts 17 free zones in El Salvador, four of them service parks, with 291 companies and about 70,000 jobs.7
Working conditions
Contact centre staff have raised concerns about long shifts, targets and job security. A union for workers in the industry was formed in October 2024. Employers should budget for ISSS and pension contributions and for the 2025 minimum wage.3
Frequently Asked Questions
How many contact centres are there in El Salvador?
The investment agency INVEST counts more than 520 contact centres, serving mostly English- and Spanish-speaking customers in the United States.
How many jobs does the BPO industry create?
AmCham reports that its member companies in call centres and BPO created 12,000 jobs in 2024.
What incentives apply to BPO companies?
Companies can operate from a service park or service centre under the International Services Law, which exempts qualifying services from income tax and import duties.
Sources
- INVEST: Investor’s Guide El Salvador 2024 (PDF)
- Diario El Mundo: AmCham expects BPO and call centre companies to offer more than 12,000 jobs (in Spanish)
- El Salvador.com: call centres as an alternative to job scarcity, July 2025 (in Spanish)
- PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries: El Salvador, tax credits and incentives
- Consortium Legal: Reforms to the International Services Law and the Free Trade Zones Law in El Salvador
- EF English Proficiency Index 2025: El Salvador
- US Department of State: 2026 Investment Climate Statement, El Salvador
Figures checked 9 November 2026. Prepared by InvestSalvador.com for general information. It is not investment, tax or legal advice; please confirm details with a qualified adviser before acting.
