Costa Rica’s private-sector minimum wage depends on the occupation and classification. There is no single amount that applies to every job. Before hiring or checking your pay, identify the correct occupation, whether its minimum is daily or monthly, and the hours and duties involved.
The official 2026 minimum-wage list
The MTSS 2026 occupation list cites Decree 45303-MTSS, published on 5 December 2025 and effective from 1 January 2026. It concerns the private sector. Use the MTSS wage lookup to check the occupation and applicable current material.
In the official list, an asterisk identifies a monthly minimum; unmarked ordinary occupations use a daily rate, with separately specified piecework measures where applicable. Do not compare a daily figure directly with a monthly salary or assume a job title alone settles the classification.
Selected 2026 wage categories
The first table shows daily amounts; the second shows monthly amounts. These selected categories are not the entire occupation list, and they do not establish a take-home salary after deductions.
| Category | Daily (₡) |
|---|---|
| Trabajador no calificado (unskilled) | 12,436.41 |
| Trabajador semicalificado | 13,523.69 |
| Trabajador calificado (skilled trades) | 13,991.86 |
| Trabajador especializado | 16,244.50 |
| Category | Monthly (₡) |
|---|---|
| No calificado | 373,092.30 |
| Semicalificado | 405,710.70 |
| Calificado | 419,755.80 |
| Especializado | 487,335.00 |
| Técnico medio (educación diversificada) | 496,838.17 |
| Técnico de educación superior | 542,096.58 |
| Diplomado de educación superior | 585,484.58 |
| Bachiller universitario | 664,078.07 |
| Licenciado universitario | 796,921.00 |
The listed domestic-work minimum is ₡268,731.31 per month. Check the actual work performed: domestic work, specialized home care, garden design and other tasks may fall under different entries. Ask MTSS when the classification is unclear.
How the 2026 adjustment works
MTSS announced a general 1.63% minimum-wage adjustment. Some categories received additional adjustments. Those additional percentages are applied after the general increase, so simply adding rounded percentages can produce a different result. Use the published final amount for the occupation.
Aguinaldo: eligibility, calculation and payment
According to MTSS guidance, employees generally qualify after at least one continuous month with the same employer, including eligible part-time and fixed-term workers. Add ordinary and extraordinary salary earned during the 1 December–30 November reference period and divide by 12. A shorter qualifying period produces a proportional amount.
The payment deadline is 20 December. MTSS explains that ordinary deductions do not apply, but child-support deductions are an exception. Use its official calculators and confirm unusual cases such as unpaid leave, termination or disputed pay.
Budget beyond the minimum salary
Employers should account for applicable social-security obligations, occupational-risk insurance, paid leave and other employment entitlements. The minimum wage alone is not the full employment cost. A single percentage estimate cannot safely determine every household’s or business’s obligations.
Confirm registration and the applicable contribution basis with CCSS employer services. Ask about the specific employment arrangement rather than assuming that a part-time schedule removes the need to register a worker.
INS provides occupational-risk insurance information, including household coverage. Confirm the policy and insured activities; it is separate from checking the minimum salary. Proper registration is important, but it does not remove all employment responsibilities or potential disputes.
Hiring household staff
Record the duties, schedule, agreed pay, payment dates and benefits. Keep receipts and time records. Ask MTSS about the appropriate calculation for part-time work, overtime or mixed duties instead of treating an informal hourly quote as the legal minimum.
Before treating meals or lodging as part of remuneration, obtain advice on the applicable rules. Do not subtract their estimated cost from the published cash minimum without confirming that the arrangement is lawful.
Where to check a calculation
Start with MTSS for wage classification and labour entitlements, CCSS for registration and contributions, and INS for occupational-risk coverage. Keep the source date and the final calculation with your employment records. A wage table does not determine a foreign national’s permission to work; immigration eligibility is a separate question.
Checked against official MTSS and INS material on 6 September 2026. The tables reproduce selected 2026 figures; confirm the applicable category and current rules before using them for payroll.
What is the average salary in Costa Rica?
INEC’s Continuous Employment Survey reports an average gross monthly main-job income of ₡612,924 for salaried workers in April–June 2026, rounded to the nearest colón. Across all covered employment positions, including self-employed workers and employers, the corresponding average was ₡543,425. These are different populations; the broader figure should not be presented as the average employee salary.
The figures come from INEC’s official main-job income table, in the April–June 2026 workbook, sheet “C4 total.” INEC includes employed people with known income greater than zero and excludes unpaid workers. These are survey averages of gross current income, not take-home pay, a median wage, or a guaranteed offer for a newcomer.
Use the right number when comparing a job offer
An average describes surveyed earnings. A minimum wage is a legal floor for the applicable occupation and pay unit. A national average can combine different hours, qualifications and sectors, so compare an offer with its duties, working hours, location, experience requirements and benefits. Ask whether the quoted pay is gross or net and whether commissions or overtime are included.
Keep the period attached to any salary figure: a 2024 estimate should not be relabeled as a 2026 result. For a newer release, open INEC’s employment-income series and confirm both the quarter and the salaried-worker row. Employers must still use the correct MTSS occupation minimum, regardless of a survey average.
Income table checked on 8 September 2026; figures above refer specifically to April–June 2026.