According to data from the National Statistics Institute (INE), the Canary Islands have the second-lowest average annual salary in Spain, standing at €23,096.92 in 2022, just above Extremadura, which records an average of €21,922.73. Despite a 2.8% increase from the previous year, the Canary Islands still lag behind other regions in terms of wages.
Gender Wage Disparities
Women’s salaries grew more significantly in the Canary Islands, rising by 6.6% to €22,574.98, yet still falling short of the average men’s salary of €23,588.70, which experienced a slight decline of 0.1%. Nationally, women earned 82.9% of what men earned, indicating a wage gap that, although improving, remains evident. Specifically, in 2022, the gender pay gap stood at 8.96%, down from 11.28% in 2018.
National Salary Trends

In 2022, the most frequent salary in Spain was €14,586.4 gross, influenced by the increased minimum interprofessional wage (SMI), which moved many low-wage workers into the €14,000-€15,000 bracket. The average gross annual salary in Spain reached €26,948.87, a 4.1% rise from 2021, marking nine consecutive years of wage growth. However, the median wage was €22,383.11, indicating that many workers earn less than the average.
Contract Type and Salary
The labour reform of 2021 had a notable impact, as workers with temporary contracts saw an average annual wage of €25,096.82 in 2022, a 26.5% increase from the previous year. This rise was attributed to the conversion of many temporary contracts into fixed-discontinuous contracts. In contrast, permanent contract holders had an average salary of €27,193.32. Interestingly, women with temporary contracts earned more on average (€25,458.9) than those with permanent contracts (€24,187.41).
Sectoral and Regional Variations

The highest-paying sectors in 2022 were electricity, gas, steam, and air conditioning supply, with an average salary of €55,470, followed by financial and insurance activities at €47,239.5. Conversely, the hospitality sector had the lowest average salary (€16,274.7), despite recording one of the highest wage increases (+11.2%).
Regional Salary Overview
The Basque Country led the nation with the highest average salary (€32,313.73), followed by Madrid (€31,230.7) and Navarre (€29,189.5). Meanwhile, Extremadura, the Canary Islands, and Castile-La Mancha had the lowest average salaries. All regions experienced wage growth in 2022, with the Balearic Islands (+12.5%) seeing the most significant rise, while Castilla-La Mancha and Catalonia recorded the smallest increases (+2.2%).
These findings highlight persistent regional disparities, gender wage gaps, and the varying impacts of labour reforms across Spain’s economic landscape.