What does it cost to employ someone in Saint Kitts and Nevis in 2026?
The employer pays 5% Social Security on pay up to EC$6,500 a month, a 3% levy on all pay and 1% into the severance fund. That is up to 9% on top of gross pay, or EC$195 a month at the minimum wage. For companies budgeting a hire here, Teamed's real HR and legal experts, assigned within 24 hours, check the route first and show you the statutory costs. You also get 24/5 human support with a first response within 15 minutes.
· Saint Kitts and Nevis guide
Photo: Hugh Whyte on Unsplash
The employer pays 5% Social Security up to EC$6,500 of pay a month, a 3% levy on all pay and 1% of normal wages into the Severance Payments Fund. On EC$4,000 a month that is EC$360.
The Acts we read set no thirteenth-month payment. Paid leave, maternity cover and severance pay are costs you budget for yourself.
What does an employer pay on top of gross pay in Saint Kitts and Nevis?
The employer pays 5% Social Security up to EC$6,500 of pay a month, a 3% levy on all pay and 1% of normal wages into the severance fund.
That is up to 9% of gross pay.
| Monthly gross pay (EC$) | Social Security, 5% to the ceiling (EC$) | Levy, 3% (EC$) | Severance fund, 1% (EC$) | Total on top (EC$) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2,167 (about the minimum wage) | 108.35 | 65.01 | 21.67 | 195.03 |
| 4,000 | 200.00 | 120.00 | 40.00 | 360.00 |
| 6,500 | 325.00 | 195.00 | 65.00 | 585.00 |
| 10,000 | 325.00 (the ceiling) | 300.00 | 100.00 | 725.00 |
The totals are our arithmetic from the Social Security Contributions Regulations, the Housing and Social Development Levy Act and the Protection of Employment Act. Wages for Social Security include overtime, commission, bonuses and service charges. A real payslip can differ by a few cents because of rounding.
The regulations we could read give the employer 5%, with 1% for employees under 16 or aged 62 and over, and a ceiling of EC$6,500 a month. We confirm the current rate and ceiling with the Social Security Board before the first payslip.
What does Teamed add to the cost?
Statutory costs pass through at their real amounts, itemised, so you see each line.
Teamed prices every country the same way, with zero FX markup in any currency, and the pricing page shows the fee.
Pricing has no hidden costs, and real HR and legal experts come on every plan. Our experts check which route fits your Saint Kitts and Nevis hire before any contract is signed, because the route decides which costs are yours.
Contractor, employer-of-record and own-entity routes 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 hire in many countries, until it isn't.
Which other costs belong in a Saint Kitts and Nevis budget?
Budget for paid annual leave, maternity cover, severance pay and long service gratuity as well as the three charges.
Each is set by statute, and each is a cost of the job rather than an extra.
| Cost | What the law sets |
|---|---|
| Annual leave | 14 days a year, with pay, not counting Sundays and public holidays |
| Overtime | 1.5 times the normal rate over 40 hours a week or 8 hours a day, and 2 times on a rest day or public holiday |
| Maternity | 13 weeks. The Social Security Board pays 65% of average weekly wages where she qualifies, and the employer pays the Social Security rate where no benefit is payable |
| Severance pay | 2 weeks' pay a year up to 5 years, then 3 weeks, then 4 weeks, up to 52 weeks, after a year of service |
| Long service gratuity | Paid from the severance fund at the severance rate, after 10 years in one place of employment and on retirement or death |
| Service charge | Where customers pay one, the employer keeps 10% and shares the rest every four weeks |
At EC$800 a week, five years of service gives 10 weeks of severance on our arithmetic, which is EC$8,000. Severance is due only on certain grounds, mainly redundancy, and the 1% severance fund contribution is paid every month whether or not anyone is made redundant. Accrue the cost from the first year, because the right starts at one year.
Does Saint Kitts and Nevis require a thirteenth-month payment?
We found no thirteenth-month payment, Christmas bonus or holiday subsidy in the Acts we read.
Any bonus is a matter of contract.
The Minister can set minimum wages by order for a sector, so check the schedule for the role. A bonus counts as wages for Social Security.
Frequently asked questions
How much do employer charges cost in Saint Kitts and Nevis?
Up to 9% of gross pay: 5% Social Security on pay up to EC$6,500 a month, a 3% Housing and Social Development Levy on all pay, and 1% of normal wages into the Severance Payments Fund.
What is the total employer on-cost in Saint Kitts and Nevis?
On EC$4,000 a month it is EC$360 on our arithmetic. Employees' own Social Security and levy come out of their pay, so they do not add to the employer's cost.
What is the cost of the minimum wage in Saint Kitts and Nevis?
EC$12.50 an hour from 1 July 2025, which is EC$500 for a 40-hour week and about EC$2,167 a month. Employer charges add about EC$195 a month on our arithmetic.
Is severance pay a cost from the first year?
Not in the first year. The right starts once service reaches one year, and it is due on redundancy and a few other grounds. The 1% severance fund contribution is a monthly cost from day one.
Saint Kitts and Nevis adds up to 9% to gross pay, and the 1% severance fund contribution is paid from the first month.
The bigger numbers are the ones the percentages hide: paid leave, maternity cover and severance pay after a year.
Budget the three charges for each employee, and our experts will show every line.
Looking for a job in Saint Kitts and Nevis 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.
