What does it cost to employ someone in Belize in 2026?
Employer Social Security in Belize is BZD 4.47 to BZD 28.60 a week, so the load falls as pay rises. It is 7.1% of pay at the minimum wage on a 45-hour week, and 4.8% at BZD 600 a week. Leave, sick pay and severance sit on top. For companies budgeting a Belize hire, 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.
· Belize guide
Photo: Meritt Thomas on Unsplash
The employer pays BZD 4.47 to BZD 28.60 a week in Social Security, depending on the pay band. At BZD 600 a week that is BZD 28.60, or 4.8% of pay.
The Labour Act sets no thirteenth-month payment. Paid annual leave, 14 public holidays, sick pay, maternity pay and severance from five years are costs you budget for yourself.
What does an employer pay on top of gross pay in Belize?
Employer Social Security is a banded weekly amount, from BZD 4.47 in the lowest band to BZD 28.60 at BZD 500 a week and above.
The percentage falls as pay rises, from 8.13% to 5.50% of insurable earnings.
| Weekly pay | Band insurable earnings | Employer pays | Employer share of pay | Employee pays |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BZD 225 (the minimum wage at 45 hours) | BZD 240 | BZD 16.06 | 7.1% | BZD 7.94 |
| BZD 400 | BZD 400 | BZD 23.85 | 6.0% | BZD 16.15 |
| BZD 600 | BZD 520 | BZD 28.60 | 4.8% | BZD 23.40 |
The percentages are our arithmetic from the Social Security Board's schedule effective 4 April 2022. The schedule has 13 bands, and the contribution is fixed within each. The full table is in the tax and payroll guide.
Over a 52-week year, the top-band employer contribution comes to BZD 1,487.20 on BZD 31,200 of pay. The employee's share is deducted from pay, so it does not add to your cost.
What does Teamed charge on top?
Teamed's Belize fee is from $599 per employee per month, with zero FX markup in any currency.
There is no setup fee and no exit fee.
Employer Social Security, 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 Belize hire at your own pay level. EOR is the right model for a first Belize hire, until it isn't.
Which other costs belong in a Belize budget?
Budget for paid leave, sick pay, maternity pay and severance as well as Social Security.
Each is set by the Labour Act, and each is a cost of the job rather than an extra.
| Cost | What the Labour Act sets |
|---|---|
| Annual leave | At least 2 working weeks, on pay, after each year of employment |
| Public holidays | 14 gazetted for 2026 |
| Sick pay | Up to 16 working days a year after 60 days of service |
| Maternity | 14 weeks on full pay, with Social Security maternity benefit counted towards it |
| Overtime | 1.5 times the ordinary rate; 2 times on Christmas Day, Good Friday and Easter Monday |
| Severance | From 5 years of service: 1 week's wages per complete year at 5 to 10 years, 2 weeks beyond 10 years |
Accrue severance from the first day, because the first payable year is year five. The termination guide has the triggers.
Does Belize require a thirteenth-month payment?
No. The Labour Act sets no thirteenth-month payment, Christmas bonus or holiday subsidy.
Any bonus is a matter of contract.
Sector wage orders made under the Wages Councils Act can set pay rules for a particular industry, so check the order for the role's sector. Contractual bonuses are part of pay and count towards the weekly Social Security band.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Belize employer Social Security cost?
BZD 4.47 to BZD 28.60 a week per employee, depending on weekly pay. It is fixed within each of 13 bands and tops out at BZD 28.60 for weekly earnings of BZD 500 and above.
Does the employer's Social Security rate change with pay?
Yes. The employer's rate is 8.13% in the lowest band and falls to 5.50% in the top band, while the employee's rises from 1.88% to 4.50%. The combined rate is 10%.
What is the cost of the minimum wage in Belize?
BZD 5.00 an hour. At the 45-hour maximum week that is BZD 225 a week, which sits in the BZD 220 to BZD 259.99 band, where the employer pays BZD 16.06 a week.
Is severance a cost from the first year?
It is not payable until five years of continuous service, but it is wise to accrue from the start. Between five and ten years it is one week's wages for each complete year when the employer ends the job.
Belize caps employer Social Security at BZD 28.60 a week, so a minimum-wage hire costs 7.1% of pay in contributions and a BZD 600-a-week hire costs 4.8%.
The bigger numbers are the ones the percentage hides: 14 paid holidays, 16 sick days and severance from year five.
Budget the weekly band for each employee, and we will show every line on the invoice.
Looking for a job in Belize 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.
