ACRONYMS National Statistics Institute
20 June 2024

Wage Structure Survey

Flash estimate Year 2022

Main results

  • The average annual salary was 26,948.87 euros per worker in 2022, 4.1% higher than that of the previous year. That for women was 24,359.82 euros and that for men was 29,381.84.
  • The annual salary of Directors and managers (59,478.63 euros) was 120.7% higher than the average. That of Unqualified workers in services was 14,665.40 euros, 45.6% lower than the average.
  • University graduates received an annual salary of 44,672.13 euros, 65.8% higher than the average salary. On the other hand, the salary of workers with less than primary level qualifications was 17,333.57 euros, 35.7% lower than the average.

The average gross annual salary in Spain was 26,948.87 euros per worker in 2022, 4.1% higher than that of the previous year.

The men's average earnings grew 3.5%, to 29,381.84 euros, while that of women increased 5.1%, to 24,359.82 euros. The female average annual salary was therefore 82.9% that of the male. However, this difference must be qualified based on other work variables (type of contract, working hours, occupation, seniority, etc.) that have a significant impact on salary. 

Regarding salary distribution, 24.2% of women had an annual salary less than or equal to the Minimum Interprofessional Salary (SMI) in 2022, compared to 10.3% of men. Part of this has to do with the higher percentage of women who work part-time.

Bearing in mind the highest wages, 3.9% of men received income five or more times higher than the SMI, compared to 2.2% of women.

Workers by earnings relative to the IMW* in %

*IMW in 2022: 14,000.00 euros.

Salaries by activity, occupation, level of education and nationality

The economic activity with the highest average annual wage in 2022 was Supply of electric energy, gas, steam and air conditioning, with 55,470.69 euros per worker. This figure was 105.8% higher than the national average.

On the contrary, Hospitality had the lowest average annual salaries, with 16,274.71 euros, 39.6% lower than the average.

By occupation, in 2022 the annual earnings of Directors and managers stood out, whose average salary was 59,478.63 euros, a figure 120.7% higher than the average.

On the contrary, the lowest salaries corresponded to unskilled workers in services (except transport), with an average annual salary of 14,665.40 euros, 45.6% below the average.

Depending on the level of education, the annual salary grew in 2022 as the educational level increased. Thus, workers with incomplete primary education had an annual remuneration of 17,333.57 euros, 35.7% lower than the average salary. On the opposite side, the annual salary of university graduates and doctors (44,672.13 euros) exceeded the average by 65.8%.

Workers with Spanish nationality presented the highest average annual salaries in 2022, with 27,500.25 euros. All groups of workers with nationality other than Spanish had a salary below the average. The lowest was that of Americans (18,214.62 euros).

Salaries by type of contract and age

To establish comparisons between workers with an indefinite-term contract and those with a fixed-term contract, the EES has adjusted the salary of those workers who did not remain in the workplace all year, assigning an annual salary equivalent to what they would have received if they had been working throughout the year under the same conditions.

Workers with a fixed-term contract had an average annual salary of 25,096.82 euros, 6.9% lower than the average annual salary. For its part, for permanent contracts the salary was 27,193.32 euros, 0.9% higher than the average.

The annual salary of temporary contracts increased by 25.5% compared to 2021. However, it must be taken into account that the entry into force of Royal Decree-Law 32/2021, of December 28, on urgent measures for labour reform, the guarantee of stability in employment and the transformation of the labour market led to a significant number of temporary contracts becoming permanent through the figure of the discontinuous permanent contract. Thus, the percentage of workers with a temporary contract in the survey has gone from 18.3% in 2021 to 11.7% in 2022. For its part, the annual salary of permanent employees fell 0.8% between both years.

In 2022 there was a positive relationship between the age of workers and the salary level up to 59 years of age. However, for workers aged 60 to 64 the salary decreased, although it remained above the average salary. Earnings rose again for the oldest group (65 and older), which had the highest salary, with 30,496.85 euros.

For its part, the average annual salary of those under 20 years of age reached 10,597.24 euros, due to the greater weight of workers with temporary and part-time contracts in this age group.

Some results on average wages. Year 2022

Data in euros and difference (in percentage) of each category's value compared to the average

Territorial analysis

The highest salaries in 2022 corresponded to País Vasco (32,313.73 euros per worker per year), Comunidad de Madrid (31,230.73) and Comunidad Foral de Navarra (29,189.52).

On the other hand, Extremadura (21,922.73 euros), Canarias (23,096.92) and Castilla-La Mancha (23,751.71) recorded the lowest.

Looking at the annual growth in profit, Illes Balears, Principado de Asturias and Comunidad de Madrid presented the highest rates, while Castilla-La Mancha, Cataluña y Región de Murcia registered the lowest.

Main results by region. 2022

Revisions and data updates

The data released today are provisional until the final data are published. All results of this operation are available on INEBase.

Methodological note

The quadrennial salary structure survey is a statistical operation carried out since 1995 within the framework of the European Union with common criteria of methodology and content, in order to obtain comparable results on the structure and distribution of salaries among its Member States. The survey investigates the distribution of salaries based on a wide variety of variables such as sex, occupation, branch of activity, seniority, or company size.

Type of operation:
quadrennial structure survey.
Population scope:
Social Security contribution accounts. General Scheme: Sections B to S of CNAE-09 and Special Scheme for Seafarers: Sea Transport (Division 50 of CNAE-09). Within each account, individual salaried workers are selected.
Geographical scope:
the entire national territory. 
Reference period:
two reference periods are distinguished in the survey. Most of the questions refer to the month of October of the reference year. This month has the advantage of being considered “normal” in all EU countries, in the sense that it is not very affected by seasonal variations or by payments due longer than a month, such as Christmas payments. Other data refer to the year as a whole. In this way monthly and annual profits are obtained. 
Sample sizel:
Approximately 28,500 establishments and 250,000 workers.
Sample type:
Two-stage sampling. The first-stage statistical unit is the contribution accounts and a stratified random sample with optimal allocation is used. Comprehensive survey for workplaces with more than 500 employees. The second stage is the workers of the contribution accounts. The number of workers selected in each account depends on its size. The selection of the sample of contribution accounts has been carried out applying a criterion of negative coordination, so that, whenever possible, efforts have been made to ensure that the selected units are not already collaborating in other INE surveys, in order to reduce the burden of responding to informants.
Collection method:
questionnaire filled in directly by the establishment.

More information on the methodology and the standardised methodological report.

INE statistics are produced in accordance with the Code of Good Practice for European Statistics. More information in Quality at INE and Code of Best Practices.

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