How to use this calculator
- Choose the country where the person will work.
- Enter the annual gross salary in local currency.
- Optionally add benefits as a % of salary and monthly costs such as an EOR fee.
- Read the total employer cost, each line item, the monthly and hourly cost and the employee take-home pay.
What the total includes
- Employer social security from the OECD Taxing Wages 2025 model, interpolated between 67%, 100% and 167% of each country's average wage so ceilings and reduced rates are reflected.
- Mandatory non-tax payments: compulsory pension and insurance payments that the OECD does not count as taxes, but that an employer must pay. Many cost calculators leave these out, which understates countries such as Australia and the Netherlands by 10% or more.
- Your own extras: benefits as a % of salary, and any monthly cost such as an employer-of-record fee or equipment.
Countries with mandatory non-tax payments
Employer share at the average wage, 2025 (OECD).
| Country | Scheme | Employer % of salary |
|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | mandatory occupational pension and insurance | 16.8% |
| Mexico | mandatory retirement savings and housing fund | 13.4% |
| Colombia | mandatory pension and health contributions | 12.5% |
| Australia | superannuation guarantee | 11.5% |
| Iceland | mandatory occupational pension | 11.5% |
| Israel | mandatory pension contributions | 9.5% |
| Switzerland | occupational pension (BVG) and accident insurance | 8.8% |
| Chile | mandatory pension and health contributions | 5.0% |
| Slovak Republic | mandatory payments | 4.6% |
| Poland | mandatory payments | 3.6% |
| Norway | mandatory occupational pension | 1.7% |
| Denmark | labour-market supplementary pension (ATP) and other schemes | 1.1% |
Compare countries
To see two or three countries side by side in the same currency, use the country cost comparison. For a hire through an employer of record, add the provider fee in the EOR cost calculator.
Sources: OECD Taxing Wages 2025, comparative indicators (single worker, no children; average wage as defined by the OECD for each country) and OECD, Non-tax compulsory payments as an additional burden on labour income in 2025 (Tables 5 and 6) for mandatory pension and insurance payments that are not classed as taxes, such as Australian superannuation. Model estimates: voluntary benefits, local caps and sector-specific schemes are not included.
Frequently asked questions
Does this include benefits?
Mandatory social security and compulsory non-tax payments are included automatically. Voluntary benefits are not, but you can add them as a % of salary.
Why is Australia more expensive than its social security rate suggests?
Because the 11.5% superannuation guarantee is a compulsory payment into the employee's pension fund that the OECD records as a non-tax payment, not a social security contribution. HireCost adds it to the total.
What does cost per 1 unit of take-home mean?
Total statutory employer cost divided by the employee's net pay. A value of 1.60 means the employer spends 1.60 for every 1.00 the employee keeps.
Which salary range is most accurate?
Between 67% and 167% of the country's average wage, the range the OECD models directly. Outside it, the nearest rate is used and the result is flagged.