Payroll
/
Dominican Republic
Global coverage
Available in +150 countries
Employer costs, taxes, minimum wage and leave rules for hiring here, plus the faster route: hire a contractor with Ontop, no local entity needed.
2026
Currency
DOP RD$ (Dominican Peso)
Employer contributions
~17.5% employer TSS (SFS 7.09% + AFP 7.10% + SRL 1.2% + INFOTEP 1% + others)
Minimum wage
DOP 16,993.20/month (2026) ≈ $286/month
Payment frequency
Monthly / Bi-weekly
Calendar year (Jan 1 - Dec 31)
Capital
Santo Domingo
Timezone
AST (GMT-4)
Short answer: The minimum wage in the Dominican Republic in 2026 is DOP 16,993.20 a month (about $286). A typical full-time salary is around DOP 40,000 a month ($672). Professionals paid as contractors through Ontop earn a median of $2,100 a month (109 active contracts, September 2026).
| 2026 figure | Local currency | USD |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum wage, monthly | DOP 16,993 | $286 |
| Minimum wage, hourly | DOP 89.12 | $1.50 |
| Average salary, monthly (approx.) | DOP 40,000 | $672 |
| Median contractor pay through Ontop, monthly | n/a | $2,100 |
Minimum wage details: Private non-sectorized, Resolucion CNS-01-2025, effective 2026-02-01, by company size: large RD$29,988.00; medium 27,489.60; small 18,421.20; micro 16,993.20 (lowest general figure used). Free trade zones RD$20,875 (CNS-03-2025, from 2026-06-01); hotels/casinos/restaurants separate (CNS-04-2025, from 2026-06-01). Figures from secondary press (Cachicha, El Caribe, Alegra); official resolution on mt.gob.do.. USD figures use exchange rates from 1 October 2026. Updated October 2026.
Next step: compare contractor rates in the Dominican Republic with other countries or estimate the full cost of an employee.
In the Dominican Republic, employer contributions to the TSS fund health, pension, work-risk insurance and INFOTEP training, and together they add about a fifth to every salary you pay. For a company abroad, that bill also comes with a local registration it may not want.
That is why most foreign teams hiring Dominican talent start with contractors. When someone delivers defined work on their own schedule, a services agreement fits the reality of the relationship and costs less to run. When the role is a full-time seat inside your team, the answer changes.
A gross salary of DOP 60,000 a month brings about DOP 12,900 in employer TSS contributions, for a total close to DOP 72,900. The employee nets roughly DOP 41,900. Add to that:
Independent professionals in the Dominican Republic are engaged through a Contrato de Servicios Profesionales. Companies paying contractors in the Dominican Republic through Ontop pay a median of $2,100 a month (the middle half earn between $1,380 and $3,350), across 109 active contracts in September 2026. These figures come from Ontop's own book of contractor payments, not a market survey.
Ontop works as contractor of record: you use a compliant contract (yours or an Ontop template), get support classifying the role correctly and pay everyone in one run. Contractors receive their pay in the Ontop Global Account in USD, which spares them a conversion into pesos unless they choose one. You do not need a local entity or a TSS registration, and pricing starts at $49 per contractor per month. For a side-by-side view of both costs, open the contractor cost by country calculator.
Some roles are employment no matter how you paper them: fixed working hours, exclusivity, and a manager directing the work every day. If that describes the position, hire an employee and register with the TSS. Ontop does not offer employer of record and never becomes the legal employer, so those hires need your own entity or a local employer. For the rest of your Dominican team, see how an EOR alternative for contractors keeps things simple.
Employee or contractor
If the work is project-based or you need to move fast, a contractor gets you the same talent with a fraction of the paperwork.
Employee
~DOP 72,900 total
/month
For a gross salary of
DOP 60,000 gross/month
Setup
Local entity or employer of record, plus tax and social security registration
Employer contributions
~17.5% employer TSS (SFS 7.09% + AFP 7.10% + SRL 1.2% + INFOTEP 1% + others)
Mandatory extras
Regalias Pascuales (Christmas Bonus)
Monthly admin
Monthly payroll - TSS by month-end - ISR withholding - annual March return
Contractor with Ontop
No local entity
$49
/contractor/month
The agreed rate, plus Ontop from $49 per contractor per month.
Sign a contract, yours or an Ontop template. No local registration on your side.
No employer contributions: the contractor handles their own taxes and social security.
One payment per invoice, in one payroll run.
Paid into their Ontop Global Account in USD.
See the full side-by-side comparison
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A contractor's rate usually covers their own taxes, so compare total cost, not just gross pay. Run your numbers in the contractor vs employee calculator.
Hiring here: the full breakdown
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Payroll guide
Employer costs come on top of gross pay. Use these figures to budget a hire and to compare it with a contractor rate.
Total monthly cost
~DOP 72,900 total
Example gross salary
DOP 60,000 gross/month
~DOP 41,900 net
Net pay to the employee
Tax and employee contributions
Withheld from gross pay
~DOP 12,900 TSS
Employer contributions on that salary
Employer contributions
~17.5% employer TSS (SFS 7.09% + AFP 7.10% + SRL 1.2% + INFOTEP 1% + others)
Employee contributions
~8.57% employee TSS + income tax (ISR)
Total cost above gross
~21.5% above gross (TSS)
Figures are estimates for planning. Rates change with each budget and can vary by sector, so confirm them before you make an offer.
What people earn here, from the legal floor to the main cities, plus the extra pay most employers budget for.
National average
~DOP 40,000
Per month
Santo Domingo
DOP 50,000 - 180,000
~40%
Santiago
DOP 40,000 - 140,000
~20%
Monthly gross. National average salary per year:
~DOP 480,000
Minimum wage
DOP 16,993.20/month (2026) ≈ $286/month
Paid:
Monthly
Extra pay
Regalias Pascuales (Christmas Bonus)
1 month salary mandatory before December 20
December
Collective agreements can set sector minimums above the national one. Check whether one applies to the role before you set the salary. Next step: estimate the full cost of an employee.
Who collects what, how often, and what happens when a payment is late.
Income tax brackets
0% up to DOP 416,220 / 15% / 20% / 25%
Tax year:
Calendar year (Jan 1 - Dec 31)
Filing calendar
Monthly by last day
Social security payments
March 31 (annual ISR)
Income tax
By January 31
Employee tax certificate
Certificacion de Retenciones
March 31
Annual return
Declaracion Jurada del ISR
Late payment penalties
Late TSS: 10% + 2% monthly; late ISR: 10% + 2% monthly
Who collects what
DGII
Income tax (ISR)
TSS / DGSS
Social security (health + pension + work risk)
Ministerio de Trabajo
Labour law
The time off and paid leave every employee is entitled to by law. Budget for it when you compare an employee with a contractor.
Annual leave
Vacaciones
14 working days/year (after 1 year)
Public holidays
~12 public holidays
Sick leave
Licencia por Enfermedad
TSS pays from day 4 (SFS)
Maternity leave
14 weeks (98 days) maternity + 2 days paternity
Full pay from SFS
The contracts you can use, and what ending an employment relationship costs.
Permanent
Contrato de Trabajo por Tiempo Indefinido
Fixed term
Contrato por Cierto Trabajo o Servicio
Independent contractor
Contrato de Servicios Profesionales
Collective agreements
Convenio Colectivo de Condiciones de Trabajo
Ending employment
Cesantia / Auxilio de Cesantia
How it is calculated
Scale: 6-23 days/year depending on service length
Calling someone a contractor does not make them one. If the role works like employment in practice, local authorities can reclassify it, with back contributions and penalties.
The errors that most often trigger back payments and penalties here, and what to do instead.
Regalias Pascuales Calculation Base
Risk Level: HIGH
The Dominican Christmas bonus is calculated on ordinary salary only - not commissions, overtime, or variable pay. However, regular shift differentials are included. Employers who use gross total compensation or exclude regular differentials generate Ministry of Labour violations.
TSS Platform Submission Failures
Risk Level: HIGH
The Dominican Republic's TSS requires electronic submission via the SUIR platform by the last day of each month. Technical failures or late submissions generate automatic 10% penalties before any human review.
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FAQ
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Ontop works with contractors, not employees. As Contractor of Record, Ontop handles contracts, compliance documents and payments for contractors in 150+ countries. To employ someone, you need a local entity or an employer of record. Ontop doesn't act as your employer of record.
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Employers pay contributions on top of gross salary. The cost table on this page shows the rates that apply here and a worked monthly example. A contractor with Ontop costs the agreed rate plus Ontop from $49 per contractor per month.
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Many countries require an extra month or an annual bonus for employees. The salaries section on this page shows the one that applies here and when it is usually paid. Contractors are paid what you agree in the contract.
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Employers withhold income tax and the employee's social security share every pay run, then pay them to the local authorities. The taxes section on this page lists the brackets, rates and filing deadlines that apply here.
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Yes. The contractor vs employee calculator compares the full cost of an employee, employer contributions included, with a contractor rate plus Ontop's monthly fee.
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When the work is project-based, you need to start fast or you don't have a local entity. If the person will work fixed hours, under your direction and only for you, local law may treat them as an employee, so hire them as one.
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Misclassifying employees as contractors, missing tax and social security deadlines, and ignoring collective agreements that set higher wage floors. The mistakes section on this page covers the ones that come up most often here.
Compare employer costs, taxes and contractor rules in nearby countries:
Ready to hire? See Ontop pricing or learn how to build a global team without an employer of record.
Ready to hire? See Ontop pricing or learn how to build a global team without an employer of record.