MigrantoAverage salary in Guatemala
Gross and take-home pay, by industry and against other countries
Average salary
Take-home / mo
GTQ 3,610
Gross / yr
GTQ 47,100
Guatemala is the largest economy in Central America, though that size doesn't translate into big paychecks — a real career earns in the global middle and on the lower rungs regionally. What helps is the tax: it takes almost nothing, so you keep nearly all of it.
Salaries in Guatemala by industry
Your field carries real weight here. Finance, public administration, and tech sit at the top, while hospitality, personal services, and farming and fishing sit at the bottom. For someone who already has a profession, that's the deciding factor — the same career can mean a steady living or a stretched one depending purely on the sector.
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What you could earn in Guatemala
Tell us what you do and what you earn today — we'll estimate what someone with your background could earn in Guatemala, what your living costs might be, and what you could save
- What someone in your field earns
- What you could spend and save
- How it compares with today
Take-home in Guatemala
GTQ 2,420/mo
vs GTQ 9,140 in your country
Cost of living
GTQ 876
vs GTQ 6,100 in your country
Potential savings
GTQ 1,540
more than in your country
Standard of living
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How salaries in Guatemala compare
Guatemala ranks low for the region and mid-table for the world. Its economy is large by headcount but light on high-paying industry, so wages stay soft across the board — and with tax taking so little, what you actually keep holds up better than the rank first suggests.
Data source: Mean monthly earnings 2024 (ILOSTAT), adjusted to 2026 using IMF GDP-per-capita growth
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Frequently asked questions
What is the average salary in Guatemala?
The average salary in Guatemala is GTQ 3,920 a month before tax, or GTQ 3,610 take-home after tax and social contributions. Over a year that's GTQ 47,100 before tax and GTQ 43,300 after.
What is the average salary in Guatemala in US dollars?
The average salary in Guatemala in US dollars is about $6,180 a year before tax, or $474 a month after tax.
What salary do you need to live comfortably in Guatemala?
A typical person in Guatemala spends about GTQ 2,650 a month, while the average take-home pay is GTQ 3,610. How much you need to live comfortably depends on the city, your family situation, and how you usually spend. See the cost of living in Guatemala for the full picture.
What are the highest-paying jobs in Guatemala?
The highest-paying jobs in Guatemala are in finance, public sector, and IT. Take-home pay in these industries averages around GTQ 6,870 a month (about GTQ 89,600 gross a year), roughly 90% above the national average.
What are the lowest-paying jobs in Guatemala?
Agriculture is the lowest-paying industry in Guatemala. Pay there averages around GTQ 2,140 a month take-home (about GTQ 28,000 gross a year). For comparison, the highest-paying industries pay about 3.2 times more.
What is a good salary in Guatemala?
A good salary in Guatemala is generally one above the national average — more than GTQ 3,610 take-home a month, or GTQ 47,100 gross a year. But a lot depends on your spending, where you live, and your financial goals.
Is Guatemala a high-salary country?
Moderately. By average after-tax pay, Guatemala is ahead of 37% of countries worldwide and ranks 23rd out of 27 countries in Latin America.
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Living in Guatemala
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