Calculate your take-home pay
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MONTHLY BREAKDOWN
MONTHLY TAKE-HOME PAY
$ 985.45
Total deductions: $ 214.55 · 17.9% of gross pay
Your employer also contributes ISSS 7.5% and AFP 8.75% separately.
Estimate based on current contribution rates and withholding brackets. This does not replace formal payroll calculations or advice. Ask us about your case.
How take-home pay is calculated
Three statutory deductions are subtracted from gross pay before the money reaches your account. The order matters: income tax applies to the amount remaining after ISSS and AFP, rather than gross pay.
- ISSS: 3% of salary, with a contribution base capped at $1,000, meaning a maximum of $30 per month.
- AFP: 7.25% paid by the employee, without a cap equivalent to the ISSS cap.
- Income tax: the monthly withholding table applies to salary after ISSS and AFP deductions.
These three deductions are mandatory for anyone with a formal employment contract in El Salvador, whether in a private company or a public institution. The law does not vary the employee rate by sector, although the fund administrator may differ. This calculator therefore asks for the employment sector and chosen AFP, but the result does not change between those options. What can change each month is gross salary and any additional deductions you authorise.
This calculator helps employees check their payslips and employers estimate the actual cost of a new hire before making an offer. In both cases the result is an estimate: formal payroll submitted to ISSS, the relevant AFP and the Ministerio de Hacienda must include each worker’s full details, including length of service, benefits and any applicable collective agreement. If your business has several employees, it is advisable to entrust the monthly calculation to someone who handles payroll regularly, instead of relying on a different spreadsheet whenever the law changes.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the result differ from my payslip?
Non-statutory deductions are often missing: loans, advances, private health insurance or union dues. Add them under “other deductions”.
Can I use this to calculate aguinaldo?
No. Aguinaldo uses its own calculation base and is subject only to income tax. Use the aguinaldo calculator.
What happens if my gross salary exceeds $1,000 a month?
The 3% ISSS contribution applies only up to that cap: once your salary reaches $1,000, the contribution stays at $30 regardless of earnings above that amount. AFP, in contrast, continues to increase proportionally because it has no similar cap.
Do you store what I enter?
No. Nothing is sent to the server and there are no tracking cookies on this page: when you close the tab, the data disappears.