Updated: October 2026

Spain’s economy has grown faster than most of Europe in recent years, and employment is at record levels – but unemployment is still higher than in northern Europe, and salaries are lower. For expats, the trick is to look where demand is strongest. Here are the sectors with the best chances in 2026 and how to find a job.

Sectors with the most opportunities

• Tech and IT: software development, cybersecurity, data and AI. Málaga, Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia have growing tech hubs, and many international companies hire in English.
• Tourism and hospitality: hotels, restaurants and tour companies need staff with languages – especially on the coasts and islands.
• Healthcare and elderly care: nurses, doctors and carers are in short supply. Foreign qualifications must be recognised first.
• Renewable energy: solar and wind projects need engineers, technicians and project managers.
• Customer service and sales: multilingual call centres and shared service centres hire native speakers of many European languages.
• Education: English teachers for language schools, international schools and business clients.
• Construction and trades: electricians, plumbers and builders are in demand in growing coastal areas.

Good to know about working in Spain

• Minimum wage 2026: €1,221 per month in 14 payments (€17,094 per year).
• Contracts: since the 2022 labour reform, permanent contracts (indefinido) are the norm, and temporary contracts are limited.
• Working week: 40 hours is the legal maximum, and many collective agreements set less.
• Remote work: common in tech and creative jobs. Working remotely for a foreign company is possible with the digital nomad visa.

How to find a job as an expat

1. Get your paperwork ready: NIE, social security number and – for non-EU citizens – the right work permit.
2. Adapt your CV to Spanish style (short, with a photo is still common) and translate it if you apply for Spanish-speaking jobs.
3. Use the right job sites: InfoJobs, LinkedIn, Indeed and the public employment service SEPE.
4. Network: expat groups, coworking spaces and local business events are often the fastest way in.
5. Get your qualifications recognised if you work in a regulated profession such as healthcare, law or teaching.

FAQ: working in Spain

Useful links

• SEPE – Spanish public employment service
• InfoJobs – Spain’s largest job portal
• LinkedIn Jobs
• TEFL.com – English teaching jobs

Disclaimer: This article is general information only. Always check the current rules for work permits and qualifications with the official authorities.

Updated: October 2026

Salaries in Spain are lower than in northern Europe, but some sectors and roles pay very well. This guide is for foreigners planning a career in Spain. It uses the latest official salary data to show which jobs and sectors pay best, and then looks at the career paths where newcomers most often find work.

What Spaniards earn: the official picture

The national statistics office INE published its latest wage structure survey in May 2026, with data for 2024. The key figures, all gross per year:

Location matters too. The Basque Country had the highest average salary (€35,170) and Extremadura the lowest (€24,979). Andalusia, which includes Málaga, averaged €26,090. For a deeper look, read our overview of salaries in Spain.

Ten of the best-paid career paths in Spain

Individual salaries depend on experience, company size and city, so treat these as directions rather than promises. Pay is typically highest in Madrid, Barcelona and the Basque Country, and at multinational companies.

1. Senior management: directors and managers are the best-paid occupational group in INE’s data, averaging over €63,000 a year.
2. Medical specialists: doctors, especially specialists with private practice on top of public work. Foreign degrees must be recognised, and non-EU doctors usually need the specialist training (MIR) or homologation.
3. Energy engineers and managers: energy supply is the best-paid sector in Spain, and the renewables build-out keeps demand high.
4. Finance and insurance professionals: banking, investment, risk and compliance roles are among the top-paying sectors, concentrated in Madrid and Barcelona.
5. Software engineers and architects: senior developers, cloud and DevOps engineers are well paid, and many international tech hubs operate in Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Málaga.
6. Cybersecurity, data and AI specialists: scarce skills that command a premium in banking, telecoms and consultancy.
7. Corporate and tax lawyers: well paid at large firms. To practise as a lawyer you must be a member of a Spanish bar association, which requires recognised qualifications.
8. Airline pilots and aviation engineers: high pay, but strict licensing and long training.
9. Pharmaceutical and life-science professionals: research, regulatory affairs and medical science roles in Spain’s growing pharma sector.
10. International sales and business development: multilingual sales managers who can open foreign markets often earn a good base salary plus commission.

Career paths where foreigners often start

Many newcomers do not walk straight into a top-paid role. These are common entry points, and several can lead to well-paid jobs over time:

• Multilingual customer service: international companies in Málaga, Barcelona, Madrid and Valencia hire native speakers of many European languages. Team leader, quality and training roles pay more.
• Tech and digital: development, QA, UX, digital marketing and SEO, often in English-speaking teams.
• Language teaching: academies, schools and private classes. Pay is modest at first, but experienced teachers and exam examiners do better.
• Tourism and hospitality: plentiful jobs, especially on the coast, but the lowest-paid sector on average. Management and revenue roles pay better.
• Real estate and property services: agents and property managers serving international buyers, usually with commission-based pay.
• Skilled trades: electricians, metal and PVC carpentry fitters and crane operators are on Spain’s official shortage list, which can make it easier for non-EU workers to get a work permit.
• Remote work and self-employment: keeping a foreign employer or clients, for example under the digital nomad visa, or starting a business as an autónomo.

Work permits, qualifications and language

• EU/EEA and Swiss citizens can work freely and only need to register as residents.
• Non-EU citizens need a work authorisation. Routes include employer-sponsored work permits, the highly qualified professional permit and the digital nomad visa. Jobs on the quarterly shortage occupation list (Catálogo de Ocupaciones de Difícil Cobertura) are easier to get approved. The list for the third quarter of 2026 mainly covers sport, maritime and construction trades. See our guide to visas and work permits.
• Regulated professions such as medicine, nursing, law, architecture and teaching in state schools need degree recognition (homologación or equivalencia) before you can practise.
• Spanish is the biggest salary booster for most foreigners. Even in English-speaking companies, promotion is easier when you can work in Spanish.

How to find well-paid work

1. Adapt your CV to Spanish format and include a LinkedIn profile in Spanish and English.
2. Search on LinkedIn and Spanish job portals, and EU citizens can also use the European job mobility portal EURES.
3. Check the sector’s collective agreement (convenio) to see the minimum pay for your category.
4. Negotiate gross annual salary, number of payments (12 or 14), remote-work days and bonuses before signing.

For sector trends and demand, see our guide to the Spanish job market.

Useful links

• INE: annual wage structure survey 2024
• BOE: shortage occupation list, third quarter 2026 (PDF)
• European Commission: what is EURES
• Visas and work permits in Spain
• Spain’s digital nomad visa

FAQ: well-paid jobs in Spain

Disclaimer: This article is general information only and is not legal or career advice. Salaries, permits and shortage lists change. Always check the official source before you act.

Updated: October 2026

Málaga has become one of Spain’s busiest hubs for multilingual customer service. International companies and outsourcing firms hire native speakers of many European languages to answer calls, chats and emails for customers across Europe. This guide is for newcomers thinking about a call centre or customer service job in Málaga. It explains the work, the pay, office versus remote set-ups and how to get hired.

What the jobs involve

“Telemarketing” in Spain today covers much more than cold calling. Most vacancies in Málaga fall into these groups:

• Customer support: helping customers of travel, tech, gaming, e-commerce or financial companies by phone, chat and email.
• Technical support: first-line help with software, devices or accounts, often with better pay.
• Sales and bookings: hotel reservations, travel packages or subscriptions, usually with a commission or bonus on top of base pay.
• Retention and back office: handling cancellations, complaints, payments and content moderation.

Employers include in-house service centres of international brands and large outsourcing companies such as Transcom, which regularly advertises roles in Málaga. Many offices are in the city centre or at the Málaga TechPark (PTA) on the western edge of the city.

Languages in demand

Your native language is your biggest asset. Recent Málaga job ads ask for native or advanced speakers of languages such as German, Dutch, French, Italian, Portuguese and the Nordic languages, usually plus a good level of English. Spanish is often not required for the job itself, although it helps a lot with daily life and promotion.

Rarer languages, such as Danish, Norwegian, Finnish or Dutch, tend to bring higher pay or a language bonus because fewer candidates are available.

Pay, contracts and the sector agreement

Most call centre jobs in Spain fall under the national collective agreement for the contact centre sector (III Convenio Colectivo de Contact Center). It runs until the end of 2026, and salary tables for 2026 were raised by 3.4%. The agreement sets minimum pay by job level, rules on shifts and breaks, and compensation for teleworking.

• Entry level: base pay for agents is close to the national minimum wage. In 2026 no full-time job can pay less than €17,094 gross a year (€1,221 in 14 payments).
• Multilingual roles: companies serving foreign markets often pay above the convenio minimum, with language allowances, performance bonuses or sales commission. Check the gross annual figure and what part is variable.
• Contracts: permanent contracts (indefinido) are now the norm in Spain, often with a trial period. Many roles are part-time or include weekend and evening shifts.

Because the current agreement expires at the end of 2026, check whether a new one has been signed when you compare offers. For a wider view of pay, see our overview of salaries in Spain.

Office, hybrid or remote

After the pandemic, many Málaga contact centres moved to hybrid or fully remote set-ups. Each option has trade-offs:

If you work from home, ask how the telework compensation in the agreement is paid and what equipment the company provides. Remote roles almost always require you to live and be registered in Spain. If you are interested in co-working, our guide to Málaga for digital nomads covers the main spaces and neighbourhoods.

How to get hired

1. Check your right to work. EU citizens can start straight away and register as residents. Non-EU citizens need a work permit, see our guide to visas and work permits.
2. Search the right places. Company career pages, LinkedIn, Spanish job portals and the European job portal EURES. You can also register with the Andalusian employment service (SAE).
3. Prepare for a language test. Most employers test your native language and English by phone or online.
4. Expect paid or unpaid training. Ask before you start whether the initial training period is paid and whether it counts towards the trial period.
5. Get your paperwork ready. You need an NIE, a Social Security number and a Spanish bank account for your salary.

Is it a good long-term career?

For many newcomers, a multilingual customer service job is a practical first step: it pays a regular salary, gives you a contract for your residence paperwork and lets you live by the sea while you learn Spanish. The work can be repetitive and target-driven, so plan your next move. Team leader, quality, training, workforce planning and account management roles pay more, and the experience is useful for jobs in tech and tourism. Read more in our guide to the Spanish job market.

Useful links

• Servicio Andaluz de Empleo (SAE): services
• European Commission: what is EURES
• BOE: 2026 minimum wage (Royal Decree 126/2026)
• Málaga for digital nomads
• Visas and work permits in Spain

FAQ: call centre jobs in Málaga

Disclaimer: This article is general information only and is not legal advice. Pay, collective agreements and job offers change. Always check your contract and the official source before you act.