The new adjustments to the minimum wages in the private sector and domestic workers went into effect this month. The increase, starting on July 1 to December 31 is between 0.5% and 2%.
The minimum wage depends on the work. The minimum salaries are established by the Ministry of Labour (Ministerio de Trabajo y Seguridad Social – MTSS) for work in agriculture, livestock, fishing, tourism, services, trades and transport among others.
Salaries are based on a day wage, weekly, bi-weekly or monthly.
For example, an unskilled labourer will earn ¢9.711 colones daily; a kitchen helper ¢10.560; construction worker ¢10.754 and specialized worker, ie. dental assistant, ¢12.685.
For workers who perform “heavy or dangerous work” their salary is on an hourly wage equivalent to one sixth of the wage of day for unskilled labour, according to labour authorities.
An agricultural labourer should earn ¢289.828 monthly. The monthly minimum wage with a college degree is now ¢518.566, and ¢622.300 for university graduates.
Salaries for “professionals” apply only to those duly incorporated or authorized by the professional association, with the exception of workers or professionals in nursing, whose salaries are governed by other legislation.
The minimum salary for domestic workers is now ¢176.062.
Click here for the complete list (by the MTSS) of minimum salaries applied to the private sector for the second half of 2016. In pdf format for downloading here: part I & part II.
