You get a €2,000 gross rise, but your payslip does not go up by €2,000 divided by twelve. The reason is your marginal rate: the rise is taxed at the rate of your top bracket, not your average rate.
Examples in Cataluña
- From €30,000 to €32,000 gross: your net rises €1,290 a year.
- From €35,000 to €38,000: it rises €1,920.
- From €45,000 to €50,000: it rises €2,922.
| Gross per year | Employee, net per year | Employee, per payment (14) | Autónomo, net per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| €30,000 | €23,091 | €1,649 | €20,883 |
| €32,000 | €24,382 | €1,742 | €22,076 |
| €35,000 | €26,317 | €1,880 | €24,193 |
| €38,000 | €28,237 | €2,017 | €26,091 |
| €40,000 | €29,464 | €2,105 | €27,502 |
Why you never lose money
Moving up a bracket does not make your whole salary pay more: the higher rate only applies to the new part. You always keep something from every extra euro. See marginal and effective rates.
The low-salary zone
On salaries between €15,000 and €20,000, a rise can yield less than expected because it shrinks the work-income reduction and the minimum-wage deduction. It still pays, but less.
When negotiating
Ask for the rise in gross but think in net: that way you know whether it is really worth it. See negotiating salary with net in mind.
Enter your current and new salary in the calculator to see the exact difference.