Business · Economy · 13 hrs ago
Metal worker in Gipuzkoa earns more per hour than engineers in 13 provinces
A metal-industry laborer in Gipuzkoa earns €16.20 an hour, more than engineers in 13 Spanish provinces.
The comparison comes from provincial collective agreement pay tables for 2025 and covers base pay, group pay, extra payments and some allowances.
An engineer in Cuenca earns €12.47 an hour, while engineers in the other 12 provinces listed also earn less than the Gipuzkoa laborer.
Pay varies widely between provinces: Gipuzkoa has the highest hourly rates for each of the four job groups examined.
Across Spain, average hourly pay in 2025 was €11.96 for laborers and €18.30 for engineers.
Hourly pay rose for all four groups from 2024, with the laborer average up 3.4%; the figures show how much a worker’s pay can depend on their province and job category.
A metal-sector labourer in Gipuzkoa earns €16.20 per hour, more than engineers in 13 Spanish provinces, according to a Confemetal report.
The report compares hourly pay in provincial collective agreements for Spain’s metal industry and services.
Engineers in Cuenca have the lowest listed rate among those comparisons, at €12.47 per hour.
Gipuzkoa has the highest reported hourly pay for each of the four professional categories examined.
National average hourly pay in 2025 was €18.30 for engineers and €11.96 for labourers.
- Who
- Metal-sector labourers and engineers covered by provincial agreements in Spain.
- What
- A labourer in Gipuzkoa earns €16.20 per hour, more than engineers in 13 provinces.
- When
- The figures are based on 2025 provincial collective-agreement pay tables.
- Where
- Gipuzkoa and 13 other Spanish provinces.
- Why
- Confemetal’s report highlights differences in hourly pay across provincial metal-sector agreements.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The average hourly pay of metal-industry labourers rose by 20.8%, reaching €11.96.
Hourly pay increased across all four professional groups examined in the report.
Provincial collective-agreement tables formed the basis for the reported hourly pay figures.
- Gipuzkoa labourer
- €16.20 per hour
- Provinces with lower-paid engineers
- 13
- Lowest listed engineer rate
- Cuenca: €12.47 per hour
- National engineer average
- €18.30 per hour in 2025
- Report
- Confemetal study of metal-industry and services collective bargaining