Home Country Guides Romania

Romania Hiring Guide

Hire in Romania compliantly. Navigate one of Europe’s lowest employer contribution rates at just 2.25% CAM, a minimum wage that increases mid-year from RON 4,050 to RON 4,325, mandatory REVISAL employee registration, an IT sector income tax exemption that has been scaled back, and an Orthodox holiday calendar that creates different closures than Western European markets.

Compare EORs Now

Capital

Bucharest

Language

Romanian

Average Salary

RON 8,000

Payroll Cycle

Monthly

Employer Cost

2.25%

Paid Leave

20 days

Public Holidays

15 days

Tax Rates

10%

Romania Guides

Hiring guides covering regulations, contributions and costs when you hire in Romania. Updated for 2026.

Average Salary in Romania: The Complete 2026 Guide

Romania’s average gross salary reached approximately RON 9,500–10,000 per month (~€1,870–1,970) by late 2025, with an average net salary of around RON 5,500–5,700 (~€1,100–1,115). However, averages are heavily skewed by high earners in Bucharest and the IT sector. The median net salary is approximately RON 4,700 (~€940), meaning half of Romanian workers earn below this figure. This guide covers average salaries by sector and region, the gap between gross and net pay, employer costs (including Romania’s uniquely low CAM contribution of 2.25%), the IT sector income tax exemption, salary benchmarks for key roles, and what international companies hiring in Romania need to know about compensation planning.

Read Article

Minimum Wage in Romania 2026: Two-Step Rate & Costs

Romania's minimum wage is RON 4,050 (H1) rising to RON 4,325 from July 2026. See the full breakdown with gross-to-net calculation, construction sector rate, and the 2.25% employer burden.

Read Article

Best Employer of Record in Romania

Romania’s 2.25% employer CAM makes it one of the cheapest EU markets for mandatory payroll charges, but the complexity sits elsewhere: REVISAL registration that must happen before day one, an IT sector tax exemption that was scaled back from 2025, Orthodox Easter and Pentecost holidays that differ from Western calendars, and a mid-year minimum wage increase that requires payroll recalculation in July.

Our assessment of EOR providers in Romania evaluates REVISAL compliance, CAS/CASS/CAM accuracy, IT sector exemption handling, onboarding speed and local advisory capability.

Best EORs in Romania

Before You Hire in Romania

The employer’s only mandatory contribution is 2.25% CAM. The labour insurance contribution (contribuția asiguratorie pentru muncă) is the sole employer-side social charge for standard working conditions. Special/hazardous conditions attract an additional 4-8% CAS employer supplement. Employee-side contributions (CAS 25% + CASS 10%) and income tax (10%) total 45% of gross.
Minimum wage increases mid-year in 2026. RON 4,050/month gross from January to June, rising to RON 4,325 from July. The construction sector minimum is RON 4,582 and the agriculture/food sector is RON 4,050. All employment contracts at minimum wage must be updated in July.
Every employment contract must be registered in REVISAL before day one. REVISAL is the electronic employee registry maintained by the Labour Inspectorate. Failure to register carries fines of RON 40,000 per unregistered employee (doubled from RON 20,000 in 2026), with a cumulative cap of RON 1 million.
The IT sector income tax exemption has been scaled back. From January 2025, the full exemption from 10% income tax was removed for IT employees. The exemption now only applies through a RON 300/month tax-free allowance (January-June 2026), reducing to RON 200/month (July-December 2026). EOR providers must apply the correct allowance by period.
Romania follows the Orthodox calendar for Easter and Pentecost. These holidays fall on different dates than in Western Europe (Catholic/Protestant Easter). In 2026, Orthodox Easter is April 10-13 (Friday through Monday) and Pentecost is May 31-June 1. Companies accustomed to Western European holiday schedules must adjust planning accordingly.

Why hire in Romania

One of Europe's lowest employer payroll burdens

At just 2.25% CAM, Romania has the lowest mandatory employer contribution in the EU. Total cost-to-company is approximately 1.025x gross salary. For companies building larger teams, this cost advantage compounds significantly compared with markets like France (1.45x) or Germany (1.21x).

Deep engineering and IT talent pool

Romania has over 200,000 IT professionals concentrated in Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, Iași and Timișoara. The country ranked #2 globally in Employsome's research on the best countries to hire software developers. English proficiency in tech roles is high and the timezone (UTC+2/+3) overlaps comfortably with Western European business hours.

EU member with eurozone trajectory

Romania joined the EU in 2007 and is on track for eurozone accession. Companies that hire in Romania gain EU single market access, GDPR compliance as default, and free movement of goods and services. The RON is pegged informally to the EUR, providing currency stability.

Competitive salaries with strong quality

The average salary of ~RON 8,000/month (~EUR 1,600) is roughly half the level of Germany or France for comparable professional roles. Senior developers in Bucharest or Cluj earn EUR 2,500-4,000, significantly below Western European equivalents.

Key Employment Facts

When you hire in Romania, the 20-day annual leave minimum, 15 public holidays (including 3-4 day Orthodox Easter) and relatively straightforward payroll create a cost-efficient but administratively careful hiring environment.

Date	Holiday
January 1	New Year’s Day (Anul Nou)
January 2	Day after New Year’s Day
January 24	Union of the Romanian Principalities (Ziua Unirii Principatelor Române)
April 10	Orthodox Good Friday (Vinerea Mare)
April 12	Orthodox Easter Sunday (Paștele)
April 13	Orthodox Easter Monday (A doua zi de Paște)
May 1	Labour Day (Ziua Muncii)
May 31	Orthodox Pentecost Sunday (Rusalii)
June 1	Children’s Day / Orthodox Pentecost Monday (Ziua Copilului / A doua zi de Rusalii)
August 15	Assumption of the Virgin Mary (Adormirea Maicii Domnului)
November 30	St. Andrew’s Day (Sfântul Andrei)
December 1	National Day of Romania (Ziua Națională)
December 25	Christmas Day (Crăciunul)
December 26	Second Day of Christmas

Good to Know: Romania’s sick leave compensation changed from August 2025. Rates are now 55% for up to 7 days, 65% for 8-14 days, and 75% for 15+ days. The employer pays the first 5 calendar days, then the national health insurance fund (CNAS) takes over. For work-related injuries or certain conditions (TB, cancer, HIV), compensation is 100% from day one. Overtime is compensated with paid time off within 60 days, or if not possible, at 175% of the hourly rate. The medical certificate must be submitted within 3 days of issuance. Romania’s Labour Code requires salary payment at least once per month, with many companies paying by the 10th-15th.

What to Watch When Hiring in Romania

REVISAL registration carries heavy fines

Every employment contract must be registered in REVISAL before the employee starts work. Fines for unregistered employees doubled in 2026 to RON 40,000 per employee, with a cumulative cap of RON 1 million. This is one of the most frequently cited compliance failures for companies new to Romania.

The IT tax exemption is no longer what it was

The full 10% income tax exemption for IT employees was removed from January 2025. What remains is a modest tax-free allowance of RON 300/month (H1 2026) dropping to RON 200/month (H2 2026). EOR providers still advertising a full IT tax exemption in Romania are quoting outdated information.

Minimum wage changes mid-year

Unlike most EU countries that set the minimum wage once per year, Romania's 2026 minimum wage increases from RON 4,050 to RON 4,325 on July 1. All employment contracts at or near minimum wage must be updated. Payroll systems must recalculate from July. Construction and agriculture sectors have separate, higher minimums.

Termination during probation is easy; after probation it is not

During the 90-day probation (120 days for managers), either party can terminate without cause on a single day's notice. After probation, dismissal requires documented justification (redundancy, incompetence, or misconduct), proper notice (20 working days standard, 45 for management), and careful procedural compliance. Wrongful dismissal claims are common and courts tend to rule in favour of employees.

Employer Costs and Employee Taxes in Romania

When you hire in Romania, the employer's mandatory contribution is just 2.25% CAM, making it one of the cheapest EU markets for payroll charges. The complexity is entirely on the employee side, where CAS, CASS, and income tax consume 45% of gross salary.

Employer Contributions (2026)
Contribution	Employer Rate
Labour Insurance Contribution (CAM)	2.25%
Additional CAS (special/hazardous conditions only)	4-8%
Total Employer Cost (normal conditions)	2.25%

Employee Taxes (2026)
Tax / Contribution	Employee Rate
Pension Insurance (CAS)	25%
Health Insurance (CASS)	10%
Personal Income Tax (PIT)	10% flat
CAS ceiling	24x minimum gross wage/month
Total Employee Deductions	~45% (before CAS ceiling)

Good to Know: Romania’s employer cost structure is the simplest and cheapest in the EU: a single 2.25% CAM contribution with no additional mandatory charges for normal working conditions. For an employee earning RON 8,000/month gross, the employer pays just RON 180 in CAM. Total annual employer cost: approximately RON 98,160 for a RON 96,000 gross salary, or about 1.023x gross. Compare with Croatia (1.165x), Germany (1.21x) or France (1.45x). The catch is on the employee side: 25% CAS + 10% CASS + 10% PIT = 45% deductions, meaning an RON 8,000 gross salary yields approximately RON 4,400-4,600 net depending on the IT allowance and personal deductions. The CAS ceiling of 24x minimum gross wage (RON 97,200/month in H1, RON 103,800 in H2) means pension contributions are capped for very high earners, reducing the effective employee rate above that threshold.

Public Holidays in Romania (2026)

Romania has 16 public holidays, including a 4-day Orthodox Easter and a 2-day Pentecost. Orthodox holidays fall on different dates than Western (Catholic/Protestant) Easter.

Date	Holiday
January 1	New Year’s Day (Anul Nou)
January 2	Day after New Year’s Day
January 24	Union of the Romanian Principalities (Ziua Unirii Principatelor Române)
April 10	Orthodox Good Friday (Vinerea Mare)
April 12	Orthodox Easter Sunday (Paștele)
April 13	Orthodox Easter Monday (A doua zi de Paște)
May 1	Labour Day (Ziua Muncii)
June 1	Children’s Day (Ziua Copilului)
May 31	Orthodox Pentecost Sunday (Rusalii)
June 1	Orthodox Pentecost Monday (A doua zi de Rusalii)
August 15	Assumption of the Virgin Mary (Adormirea Maicii Domnului)
November 30	St. Andrew’s Day (Sfântul Andrei)
December 1	National Day of Romania (Ziua Națională)
December 25	Christmas Day (Crăciunul)
December 26	Second Day of Christmas

Good to Know: Romania’s Orthodox Easter follows a different calendar than Western European Easter. In 2026, Orthodox Easter falls on April 12-13 (Western Easter is April 5-6), creating a one-week offset. Orthodox Pentecost is May 31-June 1. Good Friday was added as a public holiday in 2018 and extends the Easter break to 4 days (Friday through Monday). Children’s Day (June 1) and Pentecost Monday (June 1) fall on the same date in 2026, effectively merging into one day off. Employees belonging to other religious denominations are entitled to 2 additional paid days for their own religious holidays. Public holidays falling on weekends do not automatically generate a substitute day off.

Compare All EOR Providers for Romania

Ready to hire in Romania? Filter providers by REVISAL compliance, CAS/CASS/CAM accuracy, IT exemption handling and pricing using the Employsome Comparison Tool. Over 130 providers compared.

Request Custom Quote