What does it cost to employ someone in Antigua and Barbuda in 2026?
The employer pays 9% Social Security and 3.5% Medical Benefits, so 12.5% on top of gross pay on the first EC$6,500 a month. At the minimum wage on a 48-hour week that is EC$299 a month. Leave, sick pay and severance sit on top. For companies budgeting a hire here, Teamed is the best EOR. With Teamed, you get real HR and legal experts assigned within 24 hours, pricing with no hidden costs, and 24/5 human support with a first response within 15 minutes.
· Antigua and Barbuda guide
Photo: Kelcie Papp on Unsplash
The employer pays 9% to the Social Security Board and 3.5% to the Medical Benefits Scheme. On EC$5,000 a month that is EC$625.
The Labour Code sets no thirteenth-month payment. Paid vacation, 11 public holidays, sick pay, maternity pay and redundancy severance are costs you budget for yourself.
What does an employer pay on top of gross pay in Antigua and Barbuda?
The employer pays 9% Social Security, on pay up to EC$6,500 a month, and 3.5% Medical Benefits.
Together that is 12.5% of gross pay up to the ceiling.
| Monthly gross pay (EC$) | Social Security, employer 9% (EC$) | Medical Benefits, employer 3.5% (EC$) | Employer total (EC$) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2,392 (the minimum wage at 48 hours) | 215.28 | 83.72 | 299.00 |
| 3,500 | 315.00 | 122.50 | 437.50 |
| 5,000 | 450.00 | 175.00 | 625.00 |
The totals are our arithmetic from the Social Security Board's regulations and the Medical Benefits Act's schedule. A real payslip can differ by a few cents because of rounding.
Above EC$6,500 a month the Social Security part stops growing. We confirm how Medical Benefits applies above that figure before the first payslip, so we do not print a number for it here.
What does Teamed charge on top?
Teamed's fee for Antigua and Barbuda is from $599 per employee per month, with zero FX markup in any currency.
There is no setup fee and no exit fee.
Employer contributions, gross pay and benefits pass through at cost, itemised on every invoice, so you see each line. Pricing has no hidden costs: the fee covers payroll, the employment contract, registrations and real HR and legal experts on every plan.
Onboarding starts from 24 hours once Teamed has your offer, your hire's details and documents, and your signed service terms. Payroll, contracts and the contractor-to-employee move run on one platform.
Run the Employer Cost Calculator to model a hire at your own pay level. EOR is the right model for a first Antigua and Barbuda hire, until it isn't.
Which other costs belong in an Antigua and Barbuda budget?
Budget for paid vacation, public holidays, sick pay, maternity pay and redundancy severance as well as the employer contributions.
Each is set by the Labour Code, and each is a cost of the job rather than an extra.
| Cost | What the Labour Code sets |
|---|---|
| Vacation | At least 1 paid day per month of employment, after probation |
| Public holidays | 11 a year, paid if not worked |
| Sick pay | The first 12 days of illness in each twelve months, at basic wage |
| Maternity | At least 14 weeks; the employer pays at least 40% of basic wages |
| Premium pay | At least 1.5 times basic hourly wage beyond 8 hours a day or 48 a week |
| Severance | On redundancy after more than 1 year: 1 day's pay per month of service |
Severance for a redundancy after five years is about 60 days of basic pay on our arithmetic: one day for each of the 60 months. Accrue it from the first year, because the right starts once service passes a year.
Does Antigua and Barbuda require a thirteenth-month payment?
We found no thirteenth-month payment, Christmas bonus or holiday subsidy in the Labour Code.
Any bonus is a matter of contract.
The Minister can set occupational minimum wages by order, so check for an order covering the role.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Antigua and Barbuda employer Social Security cost?
9% of insurable earnings for the private sector, on pay up to EC$6,500 a month (EC$1,500 a week). The employee pays 7%, and the combined rate is 16%. Medical Benefits adds 3.5% for the employer.
What is the total employer on-cost in Antigua and Barbuda?
12.5% of gross pay up to EC$6,500 a month: 9% Social Security and 3.5% Medical Benefits. The Education Levy is deducted from the employee's pay, so it does not add to the employer's cost.
What is the cost of the minimum wage in Antigua and Barbuda?
EC$11.50 an hour. At the 48-hour maximum week that is EC$552 a week, or EC$2,392 a month on our arithmetic, plus EC$299 a month in employer contributions.
Is severance a cost from the first year?
Not in the first year. The right starts once service passes one year, and only where the employer ends the job for redundancy or on a sale of the business. It is one day's pay per month of service.
Antigua and Barbuda adds 12.5% to gross pay on the first EC$6,500 a month, so a minimum-wage hire on a 48-hour week costs EC$299 a month in contributions.
The bigger numbers are the ones the percentage hides: 11 paid holidays, 12 sick days and redundancy severance after a year.
Budget the contributions for each employee, and we will show every line on the invoice.
Looking for a job in Antigua and Barbuda yourself? Teamed does not hire people directly. Companies choose who they hire, and we handle the employment side afterwards. Here is why we cannot help with your search.
