Re-Ask HN: Engineer contractor rates in Spain, Catalonia (Barcelona)?
Any ideas about contractor hourly rates for experienced software engineers in Barcelona, Catalonia or Spain in general?
1. 21% of your fee goes behind taxes.
2. If you want to work on your own you have to pay each month around 250€
3. If you are going to live there, you should also consider paying the social security fees (around 1000€/month more).
More input: A house keeper charges between 10/12€/hour,
A particular teacher charges between 15€/hour.
A computer forensic expert charges around 100-150€/hour.
Mechanics charge between 30-50€/hour.
I would recommend between 75-150€/hour depending on the amount of hours. If you are going to stay in their office and work with them around 8h/month I would charge between 5-7k/month. 1k/week should be fine.
1. 21% is VAT. You hourly rate must be always VAT excluded.
2. I suppose you are referring to the "cuota de autonomos". This is 330 euro/month. New freelancers can get a cut during the first 2 years (100 euro/month if I remember well)
3. Nope. If you are a freelancer, the "cuota" includes social security (this includes public health service, so you don´t need a private health insurance; and yes, public health system in Spain works really well most of the time)
4. Then, you have the actual tax for your work (IRPF). In every invoice you need to withhold 9% of the gross amount during the first 2 years, 21% afterwards. Every 3 months you need to file "modelo 130" (more or less equivalent to an additional 9% monthly withhold) and once a year the government will net all these amounts. Depending on your personal situation (married,kids,mortage,etc), you may get some money back.
Nevertheless, 5-7K/month seems pretty accurate for Barcelona.
Hope this helps
Rates are much lower compared to London or Germany (where I have worked before, I'm german). However, income tax (IRPF) also, I pay around 20% (in Germany I'd pay at least 30-35%)
I wasn't aware of a cut for the first 2 years, that's either only in Catalonia or a new law (I moved to Madrid 3.5 years ago)
7K/month would be a very good salary in Madrid. I earned around 5K, but now I work remotely for companies in Germany or England (with better rates)
One thing to know though is that working freelance is rare in Spain, I get asked in interviews why the hell I want to stay freelance if they are offering me a permanent position.
Yes, new law. For new autonomos only. The cut is not linear. I believe you have to pay 50 EUR/month first 6 months, then 130 EUR/month for 18 months.
Yes, freelancing is rare in IT, but pretty normal in many professions. There are around 3 millions autonomos in Spain, out of 16 million workers.
Yes I meant freelancers are rare in IT, which makes finding projects harder.
But in general it seems to be considered less safe, for example it makes renting a flat more difficult if you tell you are autonomo (even though I'd earn maybe half of my current salary if I had a permanent position). It is my impression that most freelancer only work that way because they can't find a permanent position (unless they work in a profession that is independent by nature, like accountants etc)
Like the paella, this is the typical Spanish mindset. Safe, permanent job. How I hate this is beyond words ...
About the VAT, well, I usually price VAT included... I just wanted to point out the VAT issue, the "cuota" and the IRPF, I believe it is clear now =)
Thanks for your corrections.
Can you think of any native language sites or IRC channels where you could ask this question?
Madrid and Barcelona rates are up to 30% higher than in the rest of Spain. Cost of living is higher as well.
Then we have a second group: Valencia, Bilbao, Sevilla, Malaga with somehow higher rates.
And then the rest of Spain.