Average salary in Spain for Russians in 2021

Average salary in European countries (before taxes and after income taxes)

Salaries in Spain in 2021 range from 1,050 euros to 25,000 euros per month. This is the lowest and highest salary in the country. The average salary is 3,146 euros per month of work before taxes, which means that half of the people in Spain earn less than 3,146 euros, and the other half earn more than this amount. Of course, everyone wants to be in the second 50% of workers, and better yet, to receive the highest salary for their work.

However, if you take a closer look at the statistics, you will find that a quarter of the employed population earns less than 1,607 euros, and another 25% earn more than 3,146 euros.

Thus, the majority of the Spanish population has an income between 1607 and 3146 euros.

Average salary in Spain by territory

The lowest average salary in Spain is in Extremadura, an autonomous region in the southwest of the country. Three quarters of the population here receive an average of about 1,177 euros per month. In second place are residents of Andalusia, who also have low salaries, 1,250 euros. The third place in this indicator is occupied by the region in the south-east of Spain, Murcia. Here, on average, workers are paid 1,287 euros per month. The Canary Islands are not much different from Murcia in terms of average monthly earnings: 69% of workers here receive only 1,295 euros. Extremadura and Murcia are agricultural areas of the country, supplying flowers, vegetables, and fruits to the internal Spanish and external European markets. The economy of Andalusia and the Canary Islands is based on tourism. The average salary is much higher in the province of Madrid (1,905 euros), Catalonia (1,675 euros), Aragon (1,582 euros), Asturias (1,560 euros) and Cantabria (1,545 euros). These are industrial areas in the north of the country. The mining, automotive, engineering, metallurgical, food, woodworking and paper industries are developed here. In large cities in Spain, the average salary is slightly different from the regional one.

Average salary in selected cities in Spain

Average salary in Spain by economic region

Spain's economy showed good growth in 2021, with the country's GDP increasing by 2.4% compared to the previous year. Growing production volumes require more personnel, so in Spain in 2017-2020. there was a decrease in the unemployment rate.

Personnel are in demand in all areas related to tourism: hotel business, catering establishments, entertainment industry, accompanying groups of tourists, selling souvenirs and goods of local producers. When it comes to sales and marketing, more and more consumers are resorting to online shopping. Companies are forced to create websites and attract e-commerce specialists. In traditional trade, there is a high demand for wholesale sales and export managers of products and raw materials, brand managers and business development specialists.

Areas such as pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, renewable energy sources and construction are rapidly developing in Spain. Professionals in these areas are willing to pay fairly high salaries.

As last year, the country is experiencing a shortage of qualified personnel in the field of IT technologies. Automotive, energy, online retail and banking industries are in dire need of software developers and information security specialists, who can expect higher pay in the near future.

It should be noted that, despite economic growth and a decrease in unemployment, the country still has problems in the labor market. First, the gap between the lowest and highest incomes of citizens is huge. If a simple handyman or cleaner earns about 1,000 euros, then the salary of a senior manager is 25 times higher. Secondly, the rather small salaries of the majority of the country’s population are a consequence of the fact that there are still fewer vacancies on the market than there are working-age citizens. And employers can save on wages, knowing that they will quickly find a replacement for a dissatisfied employee.

It is problematic to find a position with a decent salary for young mothers, people of pre-retirement age, people with disabilities, young professionals under 24 years old and foreigners.

The highest paying professions

Many young people do not go to higher education, but go straight to work. Migrants often apply for these same positions. Foreigners often come for seasonal work in the agricultural sector.

People who work for themselves have fairly high incomes:

• Computer technicians – up to 6000-7000 euros,
• Air conditioner repair specialists – up to 5000-6000 euros.

Income tax in Spain

Tax residents of the Spanish State are required to pay taxes on all their income earned both in Spain and abroad. Tax residents include citizens:

• staying in the country for more than six months,
• or who conduct work or business here. Income tax in Spain has a progressive scale and directly depends on the amount of income.

Income tax rate for residents of Spain

Non-residents of Spain pay tax exclusively on income received in this country. For them the income tax rate is fixed.

Income tax rate for non-residents of Spain

In addition to the tax deduction, the employee and his employer are required to make social insurance contributions. For the employer, the contribution is 29.9%, and for the employee 6.35% of the salary. Spanish citizens who pay social contributions are entitled to free medical care (with the exception of dental services), a pension upon reaching 65 years of age, as well as various types of benefits (maternity, unemployment, temporary disability).

Employment of foreigners or what to prefer for CIS residents

Finding a good job in Spain for those who are not citizens of the European Union is problematic. Unemployment has caused difficulties for Iberian employers when hiring foreigners. To accept an immigrant, the owner will have to spend a long time explaining to representatives of the Spanish authorities why he needs a foreign citizen at the enterprise, and not an unemployed Spaniard.

Legalization of foreign workers takes three, and sometimes even six months. In addition, knowing how much life costs in Spain, many people from neighboring countries affected by the crisis flocked there to earn money. For this reason, without appropriate qualifications and knowledge of the language, finding a job with the Spaniards in 2021 has become more difficult for Russians or people from the CIS.

By choosing this state as a testing ground for making money today, you can count on the following vacancies:

• laborers for harvesting;
• agricultural helpers;
• movers;
• cleaning company employees;
• children's nannies, assistants caring for elderly Spaniards (requires basic knowledge of the state language);
• maids, waiters;
• workers of processing plants;
• other professions of unskilled labor that local residents refuse to take.

IT specialists and engineers are widely welcomed.

As for Russians, Ukrainians, and Belarusians, the best way to profitably use the earnings and conditions of Spanish life in 2021 is to open your own business. Let it be small, but stable enough to cover rather large taxes. This work will bring the greatest amount of income.

Cost of living in Spain

On average, in Spain you can live on 1000 euros per month, and if you have your own home and there is no need to pay rent for it, then you can live on 700 euros. The cost of living in the country in 2021 is 855 euros. Food, tobacco products, gasoline and clothing cost much less here than in other EU countries.

Even those Spaniards who receive an average salary of 1600-1800 euros can afford tours and entertainment, and some even manage to save.

Cost of some goods and services in Spain

*data as of December 2021

Spain is a country quite attractive both for tourists and for those who want to live and work here. The mild climate, gorgeous nature, good-natured attitude and hospitality of local residents and the low cost of food, utilities and housing more than compensate for the low salaries of local workers.

Spanish standard of living

Spain can be called a quite prosperous country in the European Union - its economy ranks fifth among EU countries. And although it is not yet part of the G7, the quality of life of its residents remains at the highest level and is second only to France.

The Spaniards are also long-livers compared to other Europeans - the average life expectancy in this country is 82 years.

But the level of salaries cannot be called high - only 20th place in Europe, but prices for food, utilities, services and clothing are 30% cheaper than in other European countries. The average salary in Spain, if you do not refer to statistics and rely on reviews of people working in this country, is mere pennies by EU standards - no more than three hundred euros.

For example, a family consisting of two adults spends approximately 300 euros per month on food; another 130-150 European rubles will have to be set aside to pay for utilities. Renting housing is also very affordable, and schooling is absolutely free. If we add to this the warm climate and long vacation (39 days) and the traditional siesta, then the residents of sunny Spain can only be envious.

But there are some downsides - Spain has a high unemployment rate, more than 20% of the country's population lives below the poverty line, the education system is ineffective, a thriving shadow economy, so-called “nepotism” and a lot of bureaucratic red tape.