What does it cost to employ someone in Cameroon in 2026?
The employer's contributions on pay up to FCFA 750,000 a month come to 13.7% once Credit Foncier and the Employment Fund are added to the CNPS family and pension rates. Work-accident cover adds 1.75% to 5%, and leave, maternity and severance sit on top. For companies budgeting a Cameroon 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.
· Cameroon guide
Photo: Edouard TAMBA on Unsplash
The employer pays 7% for family benefits and 4.2% for pensions to the CNPS on pay up to FCFA 750,000 a month, 1.5% to Credit Foncier and 1% to the National Employment Fund. Together that is 13.7% of gross pay for a typical hire, before work-accident cover.
The Labour Code sets no thirteenth-month payment. Paid leave, the CNPS-paid maternity allowance and severance from two years of service are costs you budget for yourself.
What does an employer pay on top of gross pay in Cameroon?
Four employer levies apply to most hires: CNPS family benefits at 7%, CNPS pension at 4.2%, Credit Foncier at 1.5% and the National Employment Fund at 1%.
Work-accident cover is added by risk group at 1.75%, 2.5% or 5%.
| Levy | Employer rate | Base |
|---|---|---|
| CNPS family benefits | 7% | Pay up to FCFA 750,000 a month |
| CNPS pension, invalidity and death | 4.2% | Pay up to FCFA 750,000 a month |
| CNPS work accidents, group A (low risk) | 1.75% | Pay, by risk group |
| CNPS work accidents, group B | 2.5% | Pay, by risk group |
| CNPS work accidents, group C | 5% | Pay, by risk group |
| Credit Foncier (housing) | 1.5% | Gross pay, rounded down to the nearest FCFA 1,000 |
| National Employment Fund | 1% | Gross pay, rounded down to the nearest FCFA 1,000 |
The family and work-accident contributions fall on the employer alone. The pension contribution is split 4.2% each between employer and employee. The CNPS decree sorts activities into the three risk groups. Group A lists banks, insurers, commerce, advertising agencies, accountancy and legal practices, and technology assistance to businesses. The CNPS can reclassify a company after an inspection.
The decree says its rates are revisable every two years. The CNPS site still lists this decree as its contribution scale. Confirm that no newer decree exists before you rely on a rate.
What do those levies come to at real pay levels?
At FCFA 300,000 a month the core employer levies come to FCFA 41,100, or 13.7%. At FCFA 750,000 they come to FCFA 102,750, which is also 13.7%.
Work-accident cover is on top.
| Monthly gross pay | Family | Pension | Credit Foncier | Employment Fund | Core total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FCFA 300,000 | 21,000 | 12,600 | 4,500 | 3,000 | 41,100 |
| FCFA 750,000 | 52,500 | 31,500 | 11,250 | 7,500 | 102,750 |
The figures are our arithmetic from the CNPS decree and the Code General des Impots, in FCFA a month. On top of the core total, work-accident cover at group A adds 1.75% of pay, and group C adds 5%. Above FCFA 750,000 of pay the CNPS family and pension amounts stop growing.
The employee's share, a pension contribution of 4.2%, Credit Foncier at 1% and income tax, is deducted from pay, so it does not add to your cost. The tax and payroll guide has the employee side.
What does Teamed charge on top?
Teamed's Cameroon fee is from $599 per employee per month, with zero FX markup in any currency.
There is no setup fee and no client exit fee.
The levies, 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 Cameroon hire at your own pay level. EOR is the right model for a first Cameroon hire, until it isn't.
Which other costs belong in a Cameroon budget?
Budget for paid leave, the minimum wage for the sector and severance as well as the levies.
Each is set by the Labour Code or its orders, and each is a cost of the job rather than an extra.
| Cost | What the law sets |
|---|---|
| Annual leave | 1.5 working days per month of service, paid by the employer |
| Maternity | 14 weeks, with the CNPS paying the daily allowance |
| Minimum wage | FCFA 60,000 for other sectors, FCFA 45,000 for agriculture, FCFA 43,969 for State agents |
| Severance | From 2 years of service: 20% of monthly pay per year for years 1 to 5, rising to 40% from year 21 |
| Notice | Length set by ministerial order by seniority and job category |
| Abusive dismissal | Damages of at least 3 months of pay, and not above 1 month per year of seniority |
Accrue severance from the first day, because the first payable year is year two. The termination guide has the bands.
Does Cameroon require a thirteenth-month payment?
No. The Labour Code sets no thirteenth-month payment or year-end bonus.
Any bonus is a matter of contract or collective agreement.
A collective agreement for a sector can set pay rules for that industry, so check the agreement for the role's sector. Contractual bonuses are part of gross pay, so they raise the levies and the income tax too.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Cameroon employer social security cost?
For most hires, 7% for family benefits and 4.2% for pensions on pay up to FCFA 750,000 a month, plus a work-accident rate of 1.75%, 2.5% or 5% by risk group. Credit Foncier at 1.5% and the National Employment Fund at 1% apply too.
Is the CNPS contribution capped?
The family and pension contributions are calculated on pay up to FCFA 750,000 a month, or FCFA 9,000,000 a year. Pay above the ceiling does not add to those two amounts.
What is the cost of the minimum wage in Cameroon?
The 2023 decree sets FCFA 60,000 a month for other sectors. On that pay the core employer levies come to 13.7%, or FCFA 8,220, before work-accident cover.
Is severance a cost from the first year?
It is not payable until two years of continuous service, but it is wise to accrue from the start. The rate is 20% of average monthly pay for each year of the first five.
Cameroon's core employer levies are 13.7% of gross pay up to the CNPS ceiling, with work-accident cover on top.
The bigger numbers are the ones the percentage hides: leave that builds all year, a minimum wage that depends on the sector and severance from year two.
Budget the levies for each employee, and we will show every line on the invoice.
Looking for a job in Cameroon 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.
