Minimum wage (SMI)

The floor under every full-time wage

The Salario Mínimo Interprofesional (SMI) is the least a full-time job may pay by law. No collective agreement or contract can go below it. It is set by the government by royal decree, revised most years, and it applies across every sector — the reference point the whole wage structure is built on. The 2026 figure is fixed by RD 126/2026 and takes effect from the start of the year.

In 2026 the SMI is 1221,00 € a month over 14 payments, which adds up to 17.094,00 € across the year.

Three ways to read the same figure

Because Spanish pay can be split in different ways (see extra payments), the SMI is quoted in more than one form. They are the same statutory wage, only sliced differently:

The 14-payment monthly figure is the statutory reference; the others follow from it.

Gross, not net

The SMI is a gross figure. Social Security contributions still come off it, and IRPF may too, so the amount that lands in the account is smaller than the headline. At this level the withholding is often minimal, because the personal and family minimum and the earned-income reduction absorb most of the base — but the contributions apply in full.

The SMI also serves as a legal reference point for other purposes (wage garnishment limits, some benefits), but on this site we use it for the essentials: placing your gross wage against the legal minimum.

Frequently asked questions

Is the SMI a monthly or an annual figure?

Both — it is defined in annual terms and then expressed monthly. In 2026 it works out to 1221,00 € a month over 14 payments, or 1424,50 € a month if the two extra payments are prorated across twelve, which comes to 17.094,00 € for the year.

Is the SMI a net or a gross figure?

It is gross. Social Security contributions and, where they apply, the IRPF withholding are still taken from it, so the amount that reaches the account is lower. At the minimum-wage level the withholding is often very small or nil, but contributions still apply.

Does the minimum wage change every year?

It can. The SMI is set by royal decree and is typically revised once a year; the 2026 figure comes from RD 126/2026. A new decree can raise it, usually with effect from 1 January.

Is the SMI the same as the minimum contribution base?

No, though they sit close together. The minimum contribution base (base mínima) for the general groups is 1424,40 € a month — the floor your Social Security contributions are charged on — which is a different figure with a different job from the SMI.