The adjustment not only impacts the base salary, but also all mandatory payments that companies must cover.
News Colombia.
The new minimum wage in Colombia for 2026 was established in $1,750,095a figure that seeks to respond to the increase in the cost of living and strengthen the income of the country’s formal workers. To this value is added the transportation aid, set at $249,095which raises the direct monthly income of a worker who earns the minimum to $2,000,000.
See: How much would the MIO ticket cost in 2026? This is what is known about the possible new value
This amount represents the money that the employee receives, but behind that figure there is a set of mandatory contributions that the employer assumes and that significantly increase the real cost of payroll. These contributions are mainly related to the social security system and the legal benefits established in Colombian labor legislation.
In terms of social security, the employer must cover contributions to health, pension, occupational risks and family compensation fund. In the case of occupational risk, the ARL Risk I was taken as a reference, corresponding to low-risk activities, with a value of $9,139.72 per month. These payments seek to guarantee worker protection against illnesses, work accidents and access to social services.
Added to this are social benefits, which include severance pay, interest on severance payments, service premiums and vacations. Although these amounts are not all paid month to month to the worker, they must be provisioned by the company, since they are part of the labor rights acquired by the employee during the year.
When the salary, transportation assistance, social security contributions and social benefits are added, the total monthly cost per worker who earns the minimum wage amounts to $2,864,324. This figure reflects the economic effort that companies must assume to maintain formal employment in the country.
The breakdown of the new minimum wage shows not only the worker’s income, but also the financial impact for employers, especially small and medium-sized businesses. At the same time, the scheme seeks to guarantee job stability, social protection and minimum well-being conditions for millions of Colombians who depend on the minimum wage as their main livelihood.
You may be interested in:
