Average Salary in Peru (2026): INEI Data, Lima Pay, and Costs
The average monthly income from work in Peru was S/1,887 (about $561) in 2025 according to INEI, and S/2,308 in Lima in mid-2026; the minimum wage is S/1,130, and statutory benefits add roughly 37% to a salary once EsSalud, two annual bonuses and CTS are included.
The average monthly income from work in Peru was S/1,887 in 2025, about $561 at the September 2026 exchange rate, according to the Instituto Nacional de Estadística e Informática (INEI) and its Encuesta Permanente de Empleo Nacional. In Lima, where almost every foreign employer hires, the same institute put the figure at S/2,308.4 for the June to August 2026 quarter, about $686. The legal minimum, the Remuneración Mínima Vital, has been S/1,130 since January 2025, and the true cost of a Peruvian employee is far above base pay because the law adds two full extra salaries a year, a severance deposit and a 9% health contribution.
Exchange rate and dates
Dollar figures use S/3.3645 per US dollar, the mid-market rate from exchangerate-api.com for September 19, 2026. The sol has been one of Latin America's more stable currencies, so older dollar conversions are less misleading here than for Nigeria or Jamaica, but every figure still carries its period.
The Official Numbers
INEI publishes two income series that are both official and routinely confused. The national series comes from the Encuesta Permanente de Empleo Nacional (EPEN), a household survey covering the whole country including the informal majority of the workforce. For 2025 it reported an employed population of 17,575,200, up 1.5%, and an average monthly income from the main job of S/1,887, up 6.9% or S/121.30 on 2024's S/1,765.70. Services account for 41.7% of employment, agriculture, fishing and mining 24%, commerce 19%, manufacturing 8.6% and construction 6.7%.
The Lima series comes from the same institute's monthly moving-quarter report on Lima Metropolitana. For June to August 2026 it reported average monthly income of S/2,308.4, up 2.6% year on year, with men at S/2,585.4 and women at S/1,976.3 (76.4% of the male figure). Earlier 2026 quarters were higher in nominal terms: S/2,343.6 for April to June and S/2,239.8 for January to March. Lima's employed population reached 5,964,900, up 6.1%.
Neither series is a formal-sector wage. Both include self-employed and informal workers, whose earnings pull the average down. That is why the aggregator figures scatter: Trading Economics shows S/2,313 for July 2026, which is the Lima series; wage.is quotes S/2,200 with a "median" of S/1,300 that appears to be an approximation of the minimum wage; RemotePeople quotes S/2,484 without a period. The Lima figure is the right anchor for a foreign employer, and the formal, bilingual roles you will hire for pay above it.
Minimum Wage in Peru
Peru has a single national minimum wage, the Remuneración Mínima Vital (RMV), set by supreme decree of the Ministerio de Trabajo y Promoción del Empleo after consultation in the Consejo Nacional de Trabajo. Decreto Supremo 006-2024-TR, published in El Peruano on December 28, 2024, raised it from S/1,025 to S/1,130 effective January 1, 2025.
| Period | RMV per month | In US dollars | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2022 to December 2024 | S/1,025 | $305 | DS 003-2022-TR |
| From January 1, 2025 | S/1,130 | $336 | DS 006-2024-TR |
| Proposed, not approved | S/1,230, then S/1,300 | $366, then $386 | MTPE technical proposal, August 2026 |
The RMV applies to private-sector employees who work the full eight-hour day or 48-hour week. In August 2026 the Ministry presented a technical proposal to raise it in two steps to S/1,230 and then S/1,300; the proposal has to pass through the Consejo Nacional de Trabajo, with a 90-day dialogue period, before a decree can be issued, and as of this page's review date no decree has been published. Budget for S/1,300 from 2027 and you will not be caught out.
Salaries by Industry
INEI's Lima report gives income changes rather than levels by sector; the national EPEN gives employment shares. The table combines what the two releases publish.
| Measure | Figure | Period |
|---|---|---|
| National average monthly income | S/1,887 | 2025 (EPEN) |
| Lima average monthly income | S/2,308.4 | June to August 2026 |
| Lima, men | S/2,585.4 | June to August 2026 |
| Lima, women | S/1,976.3 | June to August 2026 |
| Lima income change, construction | +10.6% | year on year |
| Lima income change, services | +3.3% | year on year |
| Lima income change, commerce | +3.0% | year on year |
| Lima income change, manufacturing | -5.1% | year on year |
| Lima income change, workers aged 25 to 44 | +5.4% (S/125.8) | year on year |
| Lima income change, university graduates | -3.1% | year on year |
The last two rows matter for hiring. Pay for prime-age workers rose faster than average, while pay for university graduates fell in nominal terms over the year, which suggests a loosening in the professional labor market in 2026 and better availability of degree-holding candidates for support and back-office roles.
Salaries by Region
Lima Metropolitana, including Callao, holds about a third of the country's employment and nearly all of its formal services jobs, and it pays about 22% more than the national average (S/2,308 against S/1,887). Arequipa, Trujillo and the northern coastal cities have growing call center and back-office operations at somewhat lower rates; Indeed's data for individual roles show Callao and the Lima districts of Miraflores and San Isidro as the highest-paying locations, with Callao at S/3,098 a month for call center supervisors against a national average of S/2,021. For a remote hire, the candidate's city matters less than whether they are used to formal employment with full benefits, which is a Lima and large-city norm.
What Remote and BPO Roles Pay
The table uses Indeed Peru's salary explorer, which aggregates job postings and reported pay over the previous 36 months and shows the sample size, read on September 19, 2026. These are market ranges, not official statistics. Computrabajo's listing-based averages for call center agents run lower, S/955 to S/1,153 a month, which reflects the volume of entry-level Spanish-language postings.
| Role | Market range (monthly gross) | In US dollars | Sample and date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Customer service (servicio al cliente) | S/961 to S/2,217, average S/1,459 | $286 to $659 | 1,100 salaries, September 13, 2026 |
| Call center supervisor | S/1,210 to S/3,376, average S/2,021 | $360 to $1,003 | 121 salaries, September 11, 2026 |
| Administrative assistant | S/1,034 to S/2,045, average S/1,454 | $307 to $608 | 3,600 salaries, September 13, 2026 |
| Accountant (contador) | S/1,405 to S/5,125, average S/2,683 | $418 to $1,523 | 848 salaries, September 12, 2026 |
| Software developer | S/1,167 to S/5,504, average S/2,535 | $347 to $1,636 | 590 salaries, September 11, 2026 |
Peru's contact center industry serves Spanish-speaking markets first, including Spain, Chile and the United States Hispanic market, and English-speaking agents are scarcer and pricier than in the Philippines or Jamaica. A US company hiring a Spanish-language support agent directly should budget S/1,500 to S/2,200 in base pay; a bilingual agent S/2,200 to S/3,000; and a supervisor S/2,500 to S/3,500. Developers and accountants in Lima's top districts sit toward the upper ends of the Indeed bands.
What It Costs to Employ Someone in Peru
Peru's statutory benefits are generous by regional standards and are where most foreign employers miscalculate. The employer's only monthly contribution is EsSalud at 9% of remuneration (6.75% if the employee is enrolled in a private EPS plan, with the employer paying the EPS premium separately). The larger costs are the benefits that accrue and are paid in lump sums.
| Statutory obligation (general private regime) | Amount | When paid |
|---|---|---|
| EsSalud health contribution | 9% of monthly remuneration | Monthly |
| Gratificaciones | One full month's salary in July and one in December | By July 15 and December 15 |
| Bonificación extraordinaria on each gratificación | 9% (the EsSalud contribution that would have applied, paid to the employee under Law 30334) | With each gratificación |
| CTS (Compensación por Tiempo de Servicios) | Roughly one twelfth of (salary plus one sixth of a gratificación) per month, about 9.7% of annual pay | Deposited to the employee's bank in May and November |
| Vacation | 30 calendar days per year | Annually |
| Profit sharing (utilidades) | 5% to 10% of pre-tax profit, companies with more than 20 workers | Annually |
| Family allowance | 10% of the RMV (S/113) for employees with dependent children | Monthly |
Employees pay their own pension contribution (ONP at 13% or an AFP at roughly 11% to 13%), which reduces take-home pay but not employer cost. Micro and small enterprises registered under the MYPE regime owe reduced or no gratificaciones and CTS, which is why some local quotes look cheaper; an employer of record employing on your behalf is normally on the general regime.
Worked example: one customer service agent. Assume a base salary of S/1,500, near the Indeed average.
| Line | Soles | US dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Base salary | S/1,500.00 | $446 |
| EsSalud at 9% | S/135.00 | $40 |
| Gratificaciones accrual (2 × S/1,500 × 1.09, spread over 12 months) | S/272.50 | $81 |
| CTS accrual ((S/1,500 + S/250) / 12) | S/145.83 | $43 |
| Total monthly employer cost | S/2,053.33 | $610 |
The load is 36.9% above base before vacation and profit sharing, and the Peru EOR guide puts the all-in figure at 35% to 40%, plus EOR fees of $400 to $600 a month per employee.
Salary Trends
Nominal incomes are growing, but 2026 inflation is eating into them. National average income rose 6.9% in 2025, and Lima income rose 6.0% year on year in the first quarter of 2026 before slowing to 2.6% by the June to August quarter. Meanwhile Lima consumer prices rose 4.44% in the year to August 2026, the highest since September 2023 and above the Central Reserve Bank's 1% to 3% target, driven by electricity tariffs and fuel. Real wage growth in Lima has therefore turned slightly negative in mid-2026, which will feed pressure for the pending minimum wage increase. Plan on a 4% to 6% annual base pay review for Lima staff and an RMV of S/1,300 by 2027.
How US and UK Companies Pay Workers in Peru
Peru is a comparatively easy country in which to open a subsidiary (an S.A.C. is the common form), but the payroll obligations above, the electronic PLAME filing and the semi-annual gratificación and CTS calendars are enough that most foreign companies with fewer than 20 or 30 staff use an employer of record. The EOR guide and EOR cost breakdown explain the model and the fees. Peru also has a large freelance economy, and paying developers through a recibo por honorarios is common; for support agents on fixed shifts, the labor authority SUNAFIL treats subordination as employment and will order back payment of all statutory benefits.
Working hours (48 a week), overtime at 25% for the first two hours and 35% after, night work premiums and termination indemnities are covered in the Peru labor law guide. For where Peru sits against Colombia, Mexico and the Caribbean, see the nearshore versus offshore comparison and the Latin America cultural guide. The BPO labor cost method adds shrinkage and overtime to the per-agent figure.
Tracking Time and Attendance for a Team in Peru
Peruvian overtime steps up after two hours, night shifts carry a 35% premium and every statutory benefit is computed from remuneration earned, so the hours record drives the cost. HiveDesk records clock-ins, breaks and clock-outs from desktop, mobile and browser apps, takes periodic screenshots on remote machines, and produces timesheets that a Peruvian payroll provider or EOR can load into PLAME. Scheduling, attendance and leave tracking are included in the single $5 per user per month plan, with a 14-day free trial and no credit card required.
Pay Peruvian Staff on Verified Hours
HiveDesk tracks time, attendance and schedules for remote and nearshore teams, so overtime tiers, gratificaciones and CTS are calculated from real data. $5/user/month, all features included.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average salary in Lima, Peru?
S/2,308.4 a month for the June to August 2026 quarter according to INEI, about $686. Men averaged S/2,585.4 and women S/1,976.3. Formal, bilingual roles pay above this; Indeed's averages for Lima accountants and developers are S/2,683 and S/2,535 nationally, with the top Lima districts higher.
What is the minimum wage in Peru in USD?
S/1,130 a month, about $336 at S/3.3645 per dollar. It has applied since January 1, 2025 under Decreto Supremo 006-2024-TR. A proposal to raise it to S/1,230 and then S/1,300 (about $386) was presented in August 2026 but had not been enacted at the time of writing.
Is Peru cheaper than the USA?
For labor, substantially. The Lima average income of S/2,308 is about $686 a month, and a fully loaded customer service agent costs about $610 a month at a S/1,500 base salary. Consumer prices in Lima rose 4.44% in the year to August 2026, faster than in the United States, but the level of prices for housing, food and services remains far lower.
How far does 100 US dollars go in Peru?
$100 is about S/336, which is 30% of the monthly minimum wage and about 15% of the Lima average monthly income. It covers roughly a week of a customer service agent's pay at the Indeed average of S/1,459.
Is it affordable to live in Peru?
For a local professional, a Lima salary of S/3,000 to S/5,000 a month supports a middle-class standard of living; the INEI average of S/2,308 is modest, and the informal majority earn less. For an employer, affordability cuts the other way: a competitive bilingual offer of S/2,500 to S/3,000 costs about $1,000 to $1,200 a month fully loaded.
How much does an employer pay on top of salary in Peru?
About 37% under the general regime: 9% EsSalud every month, two extra salaries a year each with a 9% bonus, and a CTS deposit of roughly one salary a year, before vacation and profit sharing. Employers under the MYPE small-business regime pay less, but an employer of record is usually on the general regime.
Sources
- Perú superó los 17,5 millones de trabajadores en 2025, según el INEI, La República reporting INEI's EPEN 2025 results, April 30, 2026 (accessed September 19, 2026)
- INEI: ingreso promedio mensual en Lima Metropolitana subió 2.6% y alcanzó S/ 2,308.4, Agencia Andina reporting INEI's Lima employment report, September 2026 (accessed September 19, 2026)
- INEI: empleo se incrementó 4,7% en Lima Metropolitana en el primer trimestre de 2026, El Comercio, 2026 (accessed September 19, 2026)
- Decreto Supremo N.° 006-2024-TR, Ministerio de Trabajo y Promoción del Empleo, December 28, 2024 (accessed September 19, 2026)
- Aumento de la Remuneración Mínima Vital 2026: sueldo mínimo pasará de S/ 1,130 a S/ 1,300, El Peruano, August 2026, describing the MTPE proposal (accessed September 19, 2026)
- Inflación anual en Lima llega a 4,44% en agosto, El Comercio reporting INEI's CPI release, September 2026 (accessed September 19, 2026)
- Todo sobre las Utilidades, CTS y Gratificaciones este 2026 en Perú, Zegel, and Beneficios sociales del trabajador Perú 2026, SueldoJusto (accessed September 19, 2026)
- Sueldo de servicio al cliente, supervisor de call center, asistente administrativo, contador and desarrollador de software, Indeed Perú (accessed September 19, 2026)
- ¿Cuánto gana un agente de call center?, Computrabajo Perú (accessed September 19, 2026)
- USD exchange rates, exchangerate-api.com, September 19, 2026
See the other salary guides by country for Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Nigeria and the rest of the nearshore and offshore hiring markets.