Salaries by Role in El Salvador
Average monthly salary by occupation, 2025
| Occupation group | Average monthly salary |
|---|---|
| Directors, managers and senior officials | $1,053.09 |
| Professionals, scientists and intellectuals | $819.83 |
| Technicians and associate professionals | $679.80 |
| Office and administrative staff | $579.45 |
| Armed forces | $464.14 |
| Plant and machine operators | $456.20 |
| Craft and related trades | $406.42 |
| Service and sales workers | $364.69 |
| Skilled agricultural workers | $353.97 |
| Elementary occupations | $303.96 |
| All employed people | $437.39 |
Source: Central Reserve Bank: Multipurpose Household Survey (EHPM) 2025 (PDF, in Spanish)1
Men earned $485.30 and women $377.60 a month on average. The survey excludes unpaid family workers. The average monthly household income was $763.81: $887.77 in urban areas and $556.38 in rural areas.1
Figures checked November 2026. A guide only, not tax, legal or financial advice.
Sources for the calculator
- Executive Decree 10 of 30 April 2025: monthly income tax withholding tables (PDF, in Spanish)
- PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries: El Salvador, other taxes
- Income Tax Law, updated to D.O. 79 of 30 April 2025 (PDF, in Spanish)
- Asamblea Legislativa: Labour Code (PDF, in Spanish)
- Deloitte: scope of the Special Quincena 25 Law (in Spanish)
Figures checked November 2026. A guide only, not tax, legal or financial advice.
Sources for the calculator
- PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries: El Salvador, other taxes
- Decree 893 of 2023: Law of the Training Institute INCAF, replacing INSAFORP (PDF, in Spanish)
- Asamblea Legislativa: Labour Code (PDF, in Spanish)
- Deloitte: scope of the Special Quincena 25 Law (in Spanish)
- Consortium Legal: Special Law Quincena 25 in El Salvador
- Executive Decree 11 of 2025: minimum wages from 1 June 2025 (PDF, in Spanish)
Call centres and business services
Call centre and business process outsourcing (BPO) jobs often pay by the hour. El Diario de Hoy reported pay of about $2.80 to $6 an hour in 2025. The American Chamber of Commerce expected the sector to offer more than 12,000 jobs in 2025.3,4
What the employer adds
- ISSS health insurance: 7.5% of salary, on a base of up to $1,000 a month.
- AFP pension: 8.75% of salary.
- INCAF (formerly INSAFORP) training levy: 1% of payroll for employers with ten or more staff.
- Year-end bonus: 15 days of salary after one to three years of service, 19 days after three to ten years and 21 days after ten years.
- Paid holiday: 15 days a year plus a 30% supplement.
- January payment (Quincena 25): half a month’s salary each January for employees earning up to $1,500, under a law approved on 14 January 2026.
Source: INVEST: Investor Guide El Salvador, 2025 edition (PDF, in Spanish); PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries: El Salvador, significant developments2,5
INVEST puts the total at 22.67% of the gross salary, or up to 31% with provisions for resignation pay (15 days a year after two years, on a salary capped at twice the minimum wage) and dismissal pay (30 days a year, on a salary capped at four minimum wages).2
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average salary in El Salvador?
The 2025 Multipurpose Household Survey (EHPM) puts the average monthly salary of employed people at $437.39.
How much do managers and professionals earn?
Managers earned $1,053.09 on average and professionals $819.83.
Are salaries in San Salvador higher?
These are national averages across all employers, including small firms and rural work, so salaries for bilingual and specialised staff in San Salvador are usually higher.
Sources
- Central Reserve Bank: Multipurpose Household Survey (EHPM) 2025 (PDF, in Spanish)
- INVEST: Investor Guide El Salvador, 2025 edition (PDF, in Spanish)
- El Diario de Hoy: job stability and pay in call centres, 2025 (in Spanish)
- Diario El Mundo: AmCham expects BPO and call centre firms to offer over 12,000 jobs in 2025 (in Spanish)
- PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries: El Salvador, significant developments
Figures checked 8 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.
