How much does it really cost to hire in Greece in 2026?

The mandatory cost lines are set by law. There is no negotiation on whether they apply. The illustrative example below uses a EUR 36,000 gross annual salary (EUR 3,000 per month) to show how the lines add up.

These figures are illustrative. They are computed from the 21.79% statutory e-EFKA rate and the verified mandatory bonus rules confirmed for 2026. They are not statutory figures and will vary with actual salary levels, the monthly wage ceiling, and any employer-provided benefits.

Add Teamed from $599 per employee per month and the total rises to around 144 to 148 percent of gross annual salary at the EUR 36,000 point. Use the Employer Cost Calculator to run your own salary figures.

1. Start with annual salary

   Convert any monthly salary offer to an annual figure. Confirm whether the candidate's expectation is 12 or 14 salary events before you make an offer.

2. Add employer e-EFKA

   Apply the employer social security rate to gross earnings up to the monthly cap. Earnings above the cap attract no further social security cost.

3. Budget two bonus months

   Add one full monthly salary for Christmas and one full monthly salary for the combined Easter and summer allowances. Both are mandatory and carry employer e-EFKA on top.

4. Layer in leave and sick-pay exposure

   Annual leave of twenty days is built into the working year. Budget separately for sick-pay waiting days and potential parental leave as event-driven costs.

5. Check for severance exposure

   After twelve months of employment, every dismissal requires severance. Confirm the tenure band before planning any headcount change and see the termination guide for the full schedule.

The 21.79% rate applies to every euro of earnings below the cap. At a EUR 3,000 monthly salary, the employer pays roughly EUR 654 per month in e-EFKA contributions (illustrative). At EUR 7,761.94 per month the contributions plateau; earnings above the cap attract no further social security cost on that employee.

What the e-EFKA rate covers

The unified e-EFKA rate bundles primary pension, supplementary pension, healthcare, unemployment insurance, and several smaller funds. Unlike many EU systems where pension, health, and unemployment are separately reported rates, Greece reports them as a single employer-side rate. This simplifies the payslip calculation but can make Greece look more expensive in headline comparisons against countries with lower headline rates and separate supplement lines.

The wage ceiling and high earners

Once an employee earns above €7,761.94/month, the employer social security cost stops growing. This makes Greece relatively more cost-efficient for senior hires above the ceiling than the headline 21.79% rate suggests. A salary of EUR 10,000 per month attracts the same social security contribution as a salary at the ceiling.

Most salary benchmarking data for Greece shows a monthly figure. That figure does not include the mandatory bonus months. When you budget for a Greek hire, you must add two additional monthly salaries on top of the 12 regular payroll months.

Christmas bonus

The Christmas bonus equals 1 month of the employee's monthly salary for white-collar employees. It must be paid by 21 December each year. For employees who have not been with the company for a full year, it is paid on a pro-rated basis. The employer also pays e-EFKA contributions on the bonus at 21.79%. Joint Ministerial Decision 19040/1981 governs both bonus payments.

Easter and summer bonuses

The Easter bonus equals half a monthly salary and must be paid by Holy Wednesday before Easter. The summer holiday allowance also equals half a monthly salary and is paid by 15 July each year. Combined, these two payments add up to 1 month of monthly salary over the year. Like the Christmas bonus, both are subject to e-EFKA at 21.79% and are pro-rated for partial-year employment.

Why this matters for your budget

A candidate who asks for EUR 3,000 per month is asking for EUR 36,000 in regular salary. The mandatory bonus payments add another EUR 6,000 (two months). The employer e-EFKA on all 14 salary events adds further cost. Budget on an effective 14-salary basis, not 12.

Annual leave of 20 days is for a standard five-day-week employee with at least one year of service. It does not include public holidays, which are separate. After ten years with the same employer, the entitlement rises to 25 days. The additional days after ten years are a cost to budget for when planning long-tenure hires.

Public holidays

Greece observes a significant number of public holidays each year, including both fixed national holidays and Orthodox moveable feasts such as Clean Monday, Orthodox Good Friday, and Orthodox Easter Monday. Sources vary slightly on the precise count; verify the current-year list with your payroll adviser before finalising rosters. Public holidays are paid days in addition to annual leave.

Sick pay structure

The employer pays half the employee's daily salary for the first 3 days of any sickness absence. These are the waiting days. From day four, e-EFKA pays a daily sickness benefit directly to the employee. The employer cost is low for typical short absences. For extended illness, the employer has no ongoing wage obligation once EFKA payments begin.

Maternity and parental leave

Statutory maternity leave is 17 weeks. Fathers get 14 days of paid paternity leave under Law 4808/2021. Each parent is also entitled to 4 months of additional parental leave per child, usable until the child turns eight. The first two months of parental leave are state-subsidised; the remaining two months are unpaid. These are not direct employer wage costs but they are real capacity-planning considerations.

Working time baseline

The standard working week is 40 hours under Law 4808/2021. Overtime rules apply above this threshold. Budget for overtime compliance if your roles regularly run over the standard hours.

The 14-salary trap

Many salary benchmarks and job boards in Greece quote monthly figures. The candidate expects 14 salary events per year (twelve monthly plus Christmas plus Easter/summer). If you budget at 12 monthly events and then discover the two bonus months at payroll, the cost jump is substantial. Always convert any Greek monthly salary offer to an annual 14-salary basis before comparing it to your global salary budget.

Severance on dismissal

Greece requires mandatory severance pay when an employee is dismissed after twelve months of service. The amount depends on tenure and whether notice is given. For a five-year employee dismissed with notice, the minimum is two months of salary. Without notice, it rises. Severance is paid at or before the termination date. See the Greece termination guide for the full schedule.

The first twelve months

Greek law allows termination without notice or severance during the first twelve months of an open-ended contract. This is a broader protection window than the six-month contractual probation introduced by Law 5053/2023. Even if you set a six-month probation in the contract, the statutory twelve-month window continues. No dismissal process is needed during this period, but good documentation from day one is still advisable.

e-EFKA registration and ERGANI

Every new hire must be registered with e-EFKA before work starts. The ERGANI information system at the Ministry of Labour also requires pre-hire notification. Payroll cannot run until both registrations are active. Late registration attracts fines. Teamed handles both filings as part of the onboarding process.

Real HR and legal experts handle your Greek hires from the first offer letter through every e-EFKA submission, ERGANI notification, and bonus payment event. An actual person, not a chatbot or a pooled queue. There is no setup fee and no exit fee. Every employer cost passes through at cost, itemised on every invoice. You see the e-EFKA line, the Christmas bonus line, and the holiday bonus line. Nothing is hidden inside the management fee.

EOR payroll, contractor onboarding, and entity setup all live on one platform. A Greek contractor who converts to PAYE keeps their record. That same employee can graduate from EOR to your own Greek entity without switching systems. EOR is the right structure for a first Greek hire, until it isn’t. Teamed does not lock you in. Start from the Greece hiring overview or run the Employer Cost Calculator to see the full picture.