Metal sector wage disparities revealed in Spain

A report by the employers' association Confemetal, titled ‘Collective Bargaining in the Metal Industry and Services in 2025’, highlights significant wage dispersion across Spanish provinces. The data shows that a metal sector laborer (peón) in Guipúzcoa earns 16.20 euros per hour, which is approximately 30% more than a licensed engineer in Cuenca, who earns 12.47 euros per hour.

The report indicates that engineers in 13 different provinces—including Badajoz, Jaén, Cáceres, Lleida, Ciudad Real, Murcia, Lugo, Castellón, Soria, Ourense, Salamanca, and Almería—receive lower hourly wages than a laborer in Guipúzcoa. Guipúzcoa also leads in engineering wages at 27.71 euros per hour.

The analyzed figures are based on provincial collective agreements for 2025 and include base salaries, group bonuses, and certain extras like transport, but exclude overtime, holidays, or seniority. On average, the hourly wage for an experienced laborer in the metal sector reached 11.96 euros in 2025, a 3.4% increase from 2024.