Payroll
/
Peru
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
PEN S/
Employer contributions
9% (EsSalud)
Minimum wage
PEN 1,230/month (2026) ≈ $357/month
Payment frequency
Monthly
Calendar
Capital
Lima
Timezone
PET (GMT-5)
Short answer: The minimum wage in Peru in 2026 is PEN 1,230 a month (about $357). A typical full-time salary is around PEN 2,500 a month ($726). Professionals paid as contractors through Ontop earn a median of $2,000 a month (749 active contracts, September 2026).
| 2026 figure | Local currency | USD |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum wage, monthly | PEN 1,230 | $357 |
| Minimum wage, hourly | PEN 5.13 | $1.49 |
| Average salary, monthly (approx.) | PEN 2,500 | $726 |
| Median contractor pay through Ontop, monthly | n/a | $2,000 |
Minimum wage details: RMV raised from 1,130 to 1,230 on 1 Oct 2026 (DS 015-2026-TR per press); further rise to 1,300 projected 2027. USD figures use exchange rates from 1 October 2026. Updated October 2026.
Full breakdown by role: Average salary in Peru 2026, in USD by role and city.
Next step: compare contractor rates in Peru with other countries or estimate the full cost of an employee.
Peru's employer contribution looks like a bargain: 9% to EsSalud. It is also the most misleading number on this page. The real cost of an employee sits in the bonuses and benefits that come on top, and they push the total to roughly 40% to 50% above gross salary.
That gap between the headline rate and the real bill is where most first-time employers in Peru get their budget wrong, and where a contractor relationship changes the math.
The worked example on this page shows a S/3,000 salary costing about S/3,270 a month. That S/270 is EsSalud only. Add the rest:
Put together, an employee in Peru costs you closer to 15 salaries a year than 12, plus monthly PLAME filings and SUNAFIL inspections.
Independent professionals in Peru issue a Recibo por Honorarios under a Locación de Servicios agreement and handle their own tax with SUNAT. You pay the agreed fee, with no gratificaciones, CTS or EsSalud on your side, and no Peruvian entity.
Companies paying contractors in Peru through Ontop pay a median of $2,000 a month (the middle half earn between $1,000 and $3,210), across 749 active contracts in September 2026. This is Ontop's own payment data, not a market survey. You can look up contractor rates in Peru and other countries to set your offer.
Ontop is the contractor of record: a compliant contract (yours or an Ontop template), classification support, and payment into the contractor's Ontop Global Account in USD. It starts at $49 per contractor per month.
If you control the schedule, require exclusivity and manage the work day to day, SUNAFIL will see an employment relationship, and the gratificaciones and CTS are owed regardless of the paperwork. Hire an employee. If the role is a service with clear deliverables, see why a contractor model works without an EOR.
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
~S/3,270 PEN
/month
For a gross salary of
S/3,000 PEN
Setup
Local entity or employer of record, plus tax and social security registration
Employer contributions
9% (EsSalud)
Mandatory extras
Gratificaciones
Monthly admin
Week 1-3: Gather -> Week 4: Calc -> Day 30: Pay
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
~S/3,270 PEN
Example gross salary
S/3,000 PEN
~S/2,610 PEN
Net pay to the employee
Tax and employee contributions
Withheld from gross pay
~S/270 PEN
Employer contributions on that salary
Employer contributions
9% (EsSalud)
Employee contributions
13% (ONP) or ~12% to 13% (AFP)
Total cost above gross
~40% to ~50%
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
~S/2,500 PEN
Per month
Lima
S/3,000 - S/5,000 PEN
~20
Arequipa
S/2,500 - S/4,000 PEN
~10
Monthly gross. National average salary per year:
~S/30,000 PEN
Minimum wage
PEN 1,230/month (2026) ≈ $357/month
Paid:
Monthly
Extra pay
Gratificaciones
2 full salaries per year
July and 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
8 - 30
Tax year:
Calendar
Filing calendar
Monthly depending on RUC
Social security payments
March/April
Income tax
February 28th
Employee tax certificate
Certificado de Rentas de Quinta Categoría
March/April
Annual return
Declaración Jurada Anual
Late payment penalties
TIM (Tasa de Interés Moratorio) + SUNAFIL fines
Who collects what
SUNAT
Taxes
SUNAFIL
Labor inspections
EsSalud
Health system
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
30 calendar days
Public holidays
14 days
Sick leave
Descanso Médico
100% employer first 20 days; then EsSalud
Maternity leave
98 days
100% via EsSalud
The contracts you can use, and what ending an employment relationship costs.
Permanent
Contrato a Plazo Indeterminado
Fixed term
Contrato Sujeto a Modalidad
Independent contractor
Recibo por Honorarios (Locación de Servicios)
Collective agreements
Convenio Colectivo
Ending employment
CTS (Compensación por Tiempo de Servicios)
How it is calculated
Approx 1 salary per year deposited in May/Nov
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.
Locador de Servicios (RxH) Misclassification
Risk Level: HIGH
Engaging workers via Recibo por Honorarios (Locación de Servicios) to avoid labor obligations is the primary compliance risk in Peru. If SUNAFIL (the labor inspectorate) determines that the relationship shows subordination, personal service, and economic dependency, the contract is reclassified as a Contrato a Plazo Indeterminado. This triggers retroactive CTS deposits (approximately 1 salary per year), Gratificaciones (2 full salaries per year), EsSalud contributions (9%), and Vacaciones (30 days).
CTS Deposit Deadline and Base Calculation Errors
Risk Level: HIGH
Peru's CTS (Compensación por Tiempo de Servicios) must be deposited in two tranches: May 15th (covering November-April) and November 15th (covering May-October), directly into the worker's designated CTS bank account. The base calculation must include all regular compensation (base salary plus one sixth of the Gratificación), not just base salary alone. Errors in base calculation or missed deposit dates expose employers to SUNAFIL fines and the obligation to pay the outstanding CTS amount with legal interest.
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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.