Spain
Spain uses a dual income tax system (IRPF) separating general income (progressive, 19-47%) and savings income (19-28%). The general income tax combines national and regional rates, with 17 autonomous communities each setting their own tax brackets and rates. The combined top marginal rate ranges from 43% to over 54% depending on region. Social security contributions for employees are approximately 6.35% of gross salary, covering common contingencies and unemployment. Employer contributions are approximately 30% of gross salary. Contributions are capped at a maximum base of approximately EUR 4,720 per month. Spain has generous personal allowances: EUR 5,550 basic, with additional amounts for dependents and age. Deductions are available for pension contributions (up to EUR 1,500 per year), charitable giving, and home purchase (for pre-2013 purchases). Regional deductions vary significantly. Spain mandates two extra monthly payments (pagas extraordinarias) in June and December, effectively increasing annual pay to 14 months. VAT (IVA) is 21% with reduced rates of 10% and 4%. The corporate tax rate is 25% (23% for companies with revenue under EUR 1 million). Spain has a special tax regime for inbound workers (Beckham Law) offering a flat 24% rate for up to 6 years.
Unemployment of 11.7%, by far the highest in this dataset, is the defining feature of Spain's labour market, where the median salary is $27,000 in euros and top earners face a 47% income-tax rate. Corporate profits are taxed at 25%, value-added tax is 21%, and regional governments levy their own income taxes on top of national rates. Employers carry a heavy 29.9% social-security charge against 6.4% for employees. Technology leadership reaches about $99,000 for chief technology officers and $78,750 for engineering managers. The cost-of-living index is 52 and the Gini coefficient 0.33. GDP per capita of $30,000 rises to $42,000 on a purchasing-power basis. The statutory minimum wage is roughly EUR 16,800 a year. High joblessness alongside heavy employer contributions shapes hiring across the Spanish market.
Median Salary
$27 000,00
Top Tax Rate
47,0%
Cost of Living
52,00
Min. Wage
€16 800,00
Salaries by Role
| Role | Median (USD) | Net (USD) | Entry | Senior |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CTO | $99 000,00 | $69 300,00 | $72 000,00 | $171 000,00 |
| Engineering Manager | $78 750,00 | $55 125,00 | $60 750,00 | $112 500,00 |
| AI/ML Researcher | $72 000,00 | $50 400,00 | $49 500,00 | $112 500,00 |
| Cloud Architect | $69 750,00 | $48 825,00 | $51 750,00 | $101 250,00 |
| Tech Lead | $69 750,00 | $48 825,00 | $51 750,00 | $99 000,00 |
| ML Engineer | $63 000,00 | $44 100,00 | $45 000,00 | $94 500,00 |
| Site Reliability Engineer | $60 750,00 | $42 525,00 | $42 750,00 | $90 000,00 |
| Product Manager | $58 500,00 | $40 950,00 | $40 500,00 | $90 000,00 |
| Security Engineer | $58 500,00 | $40 950,00 | $41 400,00 | $87 750,00 |
| Blockchain Developer | $58 500,00 | $40 950,00 | $40 500,00 | $90 000,00 |
| Data Scientist | $56 250,00 | $39 375,00 | $38 250,00 | $85 500,00 |
| DevOps Engineer | $56 250,00 | $39 375,00 | $39 600,00 | $85 500,00 |
| Software Engineer | $54 000,00 | $37 800,00 | $38 250,00 | $83 250,00 |
| Data Engineer | $54 000,00 | $37 800,00 | $36 900,00 | $83 250,00 |
| Backend Developer | $51 750,00 | $36 225,00 | $36 000,00 | $78 750,00 |
| Full Stack Developer | $50 400,00 | $35 280,00 | $35 100,00 | $76 500,00 |
| Mobile Developer | $49 500,00 | $34 650,00 | $33 750,00 | $75 600,00 |
| Frontend Developer | $47 250,00 | $33 075,00 | $32 400,00 | $72 000,00 |
| UI/UX Designer | $45 000,00 | $31 499,00 | $30 600,00 | $67 500,00 |
| QA Engineer | $38 250,00 | $26 775,00 | $26 100,00 | $56 250,00 |
Tax System
Income Tax
Progressive — up to 47,0%
Social Security (Employee)
6,4%
Corporate Tax
25,0%
VAT / GST
21,0%