State workers remain among the lowest paid in the country, and what’s more troubling is that their ranking is slipping further. A year ago, Social Security statistics placed Alicante residents as the sixth lowest-paid group in the state. The most recent report on contributions paid to Social Security by both employers and workers pushes them down to third place, just ahead of Cacereños and Badajoz. The shift comes from the two Extremaduran states in this comparison.
Overall, the state faces a widening income gap that affects the entire population. Wages are the main source of income for most families and a key driver of GDP, so the trend carries broad economic implications for the region.
Statistics from SGK show a notable rise in average bases. The increase reflects not only a nationwide rise driven by the implementation of the Inter-Occupational Minimum Wage but also a gradual recovery after the pandemic’s effects on the labor market.
In Alicante, the average contribution base rose from 1,647 euros to 1,763 euros. This figure is used to calculate monthly contributions to the pension system and includes gross monthly salaries plus any supplementary payments. While the rise is meaningful, it did not close the gap with the national average nor did it improve Alicante’s position in the rankings.
— A look at the local context shows the base for Alicante residents stands 284 euros below the national average, totaling 2,047 euros. The gap widened by nine euros over the previous year. In the latest year, Alicante fell behind Almería, Jaén, and Zamora in the provincial rankings, dropping from 6th to 3rd in the national comparisons, with the province moving from a relatively stronger position to a weaker one in terms of worker wages.
On the upside, the Basque Country continues to lead with higher salaries. Gipuzkoa tops the list at an average of 2,471 euros per month, about 708 euros more than Alicante. It is followed by Laval with 2,470 euros and Biscay at 2,419 euros. Navarra ranks fourth with 2,281 euros, trailing Madrid at 2,275 euros and Barcelona at 2,260 euros.
Within the Valencian Community, Castellón ranked 20th with an average base of 1,959 euros, while Valencia stood at 22 with 1,945 euros, both clearly above Alicante’s figure.
This snapshot helps explain how Alicante’s workforce contributes to pension funding. Taken together, the data reflect the structure of Alicante’s productive fabric, characterized by sectors that are often lower paid, such as certain service and manufacturing lines.
SGK data also reveal wage disparities across sectors. The average base in the power supply industry reaches around 3,446 euros, while the financial services sector averages 3,270 euros. The hospitality sector sits toward the lower end, with an average around 1,254 euros per affiliate. Even within the province, industries that typically pay above average tend to focus on lower-added-value activities like footwear and textiles. Experts note that any meaningful shift in production models and investments in technology could enhance the region’s revenue, but such a transformation requires time and sustained effort to raise the value added by local products through modernization.
Women earn notably less, with an average contribution base about 231 euros lower than men. The gap in earnings translates into future pension differences, underscoring gender-based wage disparities in the labor market.
Contract type also influences pay. Civil servants receive the highest national salaries, averaging 2,943 euros, which is roughly 46% higher than the general worker average of 2,047 euros and up to 66% higher than temporary workers at 1,772 euros. Age also plays a role: workers aged 55 to 59 average 2,267 euros, while those under 25 average 1,136 euros. Nationality adds another layer: foreign workers have lower average salaries, around 1,637 euros, with foreign women earning about 1,490 euros on average.