The average gross annual salary per employee stood at 28,410.78 euros in 2025, which implies a rise of 3.1% compared to the previous year and marks its highest level since the start of the statistical series in 2008, according to the Annual Labor Cost Survey (EACL) released this Thursday by the National Institute of Statistics (INE).
According to the INE, this gross annual remuneration of 28,410.78 euros accounted for 73.3% of the total labor cost. Within non-salary costs, the largest component was the mandatory contributions to Social Security, which reached 9,354.87 euros per worker and represented 24.1% of the cost.
Overall, the sum of wages and salaries and Social Security contributions accounted for 97.4% of the gross labor cost.
The total labor cost per worker in gross terms amounted to 38,748.94 euros in 2025, representing a year-on-year increase of 3.3%. Once subsidies and deductions from Public Administrations were discounted, the net labor cost stood at 38,511.76 euros, with an annual variation of 3.2%.
Alongside salaries and contributions, 531.46 euros per worker per year were allocated to social benefits (voluntary contributions to insurance and pension plans, complementary benefits to Social Security, and other social expenses), 194.68 euros to other employment-related disbursements (severance pay, small tools and work clothing, transportation to the workplace, recruitment processes...), 180.66 euros to severance compensation, and 76.49 euros to vocational training.
The energy and financial sectors concentrate the highest remunerations
The gross labor cost per employee ranged from 23,690.02 euros annually in Hospitality to 86,047.88 euros in the Supply of electricity, gas, steam, and air conditioning.
The most significant increases in labor cost compared to the previous year were recorded in Transportation and storage (5.6%) and Education (5.3%). In contrast, in Artistic, recreational, and entertainment activities, the labor cost decreased by 3.2%.
The sectors with the highest wages and salaries in 2025 were the supply of electricity, gas, steam, and air conditioning, with 64,204.63 euros, and financial and insurance activities, with 54,979.68 euros. These two sectors also concentrated the highest social benefits.
Likewise, Artistic, recreational and entertainment activities and Information and communications recorded the highest grants and deductions, with 712.55 and 452.90 euros, respectively.
Madrid leads labor cost per worker in 2025
By territories, the highest labor costs in 2025 were located in the Community of Madrid, with 45,983.31 euros, followed by the Basque Country, with 44,034.00 euros, and the Foral Community of Navarre, with 41,697.31 euros.
On the opposite end, the lowest labor costs were found in Extremadura (31,657.19 euros), Canary Islands (32,016.86 euros) and Region of Murcia (33,293.38 euros).
If we analyze the variation in labor cost compared to the previous year, Balearic Islands, La Rioja and Castilla y León recorded the highest growth rates, while in the Principality of Asturias the net labor cost decreased.
Regarding the regulation of workplaces, the majority (95.4%, which concentrated 86.7% of wage earners) was covered by collective agreements in 2025. The predominant scope was below the state level.
Of the total workers with an agreement, 4.1% saw their working conditions modified compared to what was stipulated in the applicable collective agreement.
By components, the highest labor cost was observed in centers regulated by a formula different from the collective agreement.