Payroll
/
Lebanon
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
LBP ل.ل (Lebanese Pound)
Employer contributions
23.5% employer NSSF (sickness/maternity 7%, end-of-service 8.5%, family 6%, risk 2%)
Minimum wage
LBP 28,000,000/month (since August 2025) ≈ $313/month
Payment frequency
Monthly
Calendar year (Jan 1 - Dec 31)
Capital
Beirut
Timezone
EET (GMT+2)
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
~USD 1,853 total
/month
For a gross salary of
USD 1,500 equiv gross/month
Setup
Local entity or employer of record, plus tax and social security registration
Employer contributions
23.5% employer NSSF (sickness/maternity 7%, end-of-service 8.5%, family 6%, risk 2%)
Mandatory extras
Annual Bonus
Monthly admin
Monthly payroll - NSSF by month-end - income tax withholding - dual currency tracking
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
~USD 1,853 total
Example gross salary
USD 1,500 equiv gross/month
~USD 1,095 net
Net pay to the employee
Tax and employee contributions
Withheld from gross pay
~USD 353 NSSF
Employer contributions on that salary
Employer contributions
23.5% employer NSSF (sickness/maternity 7%, end-of-service 8.5%, family 6%, risk 2%)
Employee contributions
3% employee NSSF
Total cost above gross
~23.5% above gross
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
~USD 500
Per month
Beirut
USD 800 - 3,000
~40%
Jounieh
USD 600 - 2,000
~15%
Monthly gross. National average salary per year:
~USD 6,000 equivalent (USD-indexed contracts common)
Minimum wage
LBP 28,000,000/month (since August 2025) ≈ $313/month
Paid:
Monthly
Extra pay
Annual Bonus
Discretionary (economy severely constrained)
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
2% up to LBP 9M / 4% up to 24M / 7% up to 54M / 11% up to 104M / 15% above
Tax year:
Calendar year (Jan 1 - Dec 31)
Filing calendar
Monthly by last day
Social security payments
March 31
Income tax
End of January
Employee tax certificate
Wage withholding certificate
March 31
Annual return
Annual Income Tax Declaration
Late payment penalties
Late NSSF: 12% annual; late tax: 12% annual + penalties
Who collects what
Ministry of Finance
Income tax
NSSF
Social security
Ministry of Labour
Labor 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
Annual Leave
15 days (under 3 yrs) / 18 days (3-5 yrs) / 21 days (6-10 yrs) / 30 days (10+ yrs)
Public holidays
~16 public holidays
Sick leave
Sick Leave
NSSF pays from day 4
Maternity leave
10 weeks (49 days maternity + 1 day paternity)
Full pay employer; NSSF reimburses partially
The contracts you can use, and what ending an employment relationship costs.
Permanent
Indefinite Contract
Fixed term
Fixed-Term Contract
Independent contractor
Independent Contractor
Collective agreements
No general CBA
Ending employment
End-of-Service Indemnity
How it is calculated
1 month/year of service (paid from NSSF end-of-service fund)
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.
Hyperinflation Wage Compliance
Risk Level: HIGH
Lebanon's economic crisis has caused severe currency devaluation. Paying wages in LBP at official rate while the market rate is significantly higher is considered constructive dismissal by Lebanese courts. Most international employers now pay in USD or index wages to the Sayrafa rate.
NSSF End-of-Service Fund Under-Contribution
Risk Level: HIGH
Employers must contribute 8.5% of wages to NSSF's end-of-service fund monthly. Many employers have historically avoided contributions during the crisis. NSSF audits now cover 2019 onwards.
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Next topicOntop is the Global Workforce Engine for contractor teams: contracts, compliance documents and payments in 150+ countries.
150+
countries
$49
per contractor per month
1 run
to pay your whole team
USD
Global Account for every contractor
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.