Hire in Tunisia compliantly. Navigate employer social charges exceeding 20% of salary, a restructured 8-bracket income tax system and a maternity leave that tripled overnight in 2024.
Capital
Tunis
Language
AR, FR
Average Salary
TND 1,570
Payroll Cycle
Monthly
Employer Cost
20-21%
Paid Leave
12 days
Public Holidays
15 days
Tax Rates
0-40%
Hiring guides covering regulations, contributions and costs specific to Tunisia. Updated for 2026.
The average salary in Tunisia is about 1,570 TND per month ($530 USD), making it one of the cheapest formal labour markets in the Mediterranean. But the IT sector pays 2,500 to 7,000+ TND while call centres sit near the 528 TND minimum wage. This guide covers real salaries by sector, job title, and city, the 2025 minimum wage increase (7.5%), employer costs including the new CNSS rates and unemployment fund introduced by the Finance Law 2025, the restructured income tax brackets (0% to 40%), how Tunisia compares to Morocco and Egypt for francophone outsourcing, and what international companies hiring through an EOR need to know.
Read ArticleThe minimum wage in Tunisia in 2026 is TND 528.32 per month (USD 168) for the 48-hour workweek and TND 448.24 (USD 142) for the 40-hour workweek under SMIG, plus TND 20.32 per day for agricultural workers under SMAG. This guide covers the dual SMIG and SMAG framework, hourly equivalents, the legal framework, recent wage history, overtime rules, and penalties for non-compliance under the Tunisian Labour Code.
Read Article
Tunisia’s CNSS employer rate increased to 17.07% from January 2025 and maternity leave tripled to 3 months from August 2024. Any provider still using the old 16.57% rate or 30-day maternity entitlement is non-compliant.
Our assessment of EOR providers in Tunisia evaluates CNSS accuracy, income tax withholding under the new 8-bracket IRPP scale and compliance with the 2024 family leave reforms.
When you hire in Tunisia, annual leave starts at just 12 working days. But the 2024 family leave reform, 30 paid sick days via CNSS and 16 public holiday days bring total entitlements above many regional peers.
| Key Employment Facts | |
| Minimum Wage | TND 528.32/month (48-hour week) or TND 448.24/month (40-hour week), from January 2025 |
| Probation Period | Up to 6 months (qualified staff), varies by role |
| Standard Working Hours | 48 hours/week (40 hours common in services/admin) |
| Paid Annual Leave | 12 working days (1 day/month), +1 day per 5 years seniority, max 18 days |
| Notice Period | Typically 1 month (varies by convention collective) |
| 13th Salary | Not statutory (some sectors provide via collective agreements) |
| Sick Leave | Up to 180 days/year at 66.7% via CNSS (5-day waiting period) |
| Maternity Leave | 3 months postnatal at 66.7% via CNSS (from August 2024) |
Good to Know: Tunisia’s 48-hour workweek is the legal standard for most sectors, but 40-hour weeks are increasingly common in services, administration and tech. The minimum wage differs between regimes: TND 528.32 for 48 hours vs TND 448.24 for 40 hours. Workers also receive mandatory transport and attendance allowances of TND 38.19/month on top of the minimum. Severance is modest: 1 day’s salary per month of service, capped at 3 months.
When you hire in Tunisia, total employer social charges sit around 20-21% of gross salary. This is competitive for a Mediterranean economy with French-speaking talent and European timezone overlap.
| Employer Contributions (2025/2026) | |
| Contribution | Employer Rate |
| CNSS (Social Security + Unemployment Fund) | 17.07% of gross |
| TFP (Development Levy) | 2% (1% for industrial manufacturers) |
| FOPROLOS (Housing Levy) | 1% |
| Accident Insurance | ~0.5% |
| Total Employer Cost | ~20.5-21% |
| Employee Taxes (from January 2025) | |
| Tax / Contribution | Employee Rate |
| IRPP (Income Tax, progressive, 8 brackets) | 0-40% (0% on first TND 5,000/year, 40% above TND 70,000/year) |
| CNSS (employee share + unemployment fund) | 9.68% of gross |
Good to Know: Tunisia’s 2025 income tax reform added three new brackets and raised the top rate from 35% to 40%, but reduced the effective rate for roughly 60% of salaried workers through the new 0% floor on the first TND 5,000. For high earners above TND 70,000/year, Tunisia now has one of the highest marginal rates in North Africa. When you hire in Tunisia, your real competitive advantage is the all-in cost: a mid-level developer at TND 3,500/month costs roughly TND 4,230 with employer charges, approximately USD 1,370/month total. That’s less than half the equivalent cost in France for comparable French-language skills.
Tunisia has approximately 15 public holiday days per year, combining secular national days with Islamic holidays whose dates shift annually based on the lunar calendar.
| Date | Holiday |
| January 1 | New Year’s Day |
| March 20 | Independence Day |
| March 20-22 | Eid al-Fitr (approximate, 3 days, overlaps with Independence Day) |
| April 9 | Martyrs’ Day |
| May 1 | Labour Day |
| May 27-28 | Eid al-Adha (approximate, 2 days) |
| June 16 | Islamic New Year (1 Muharram, approximate) |
| July 25 | Republic Day |
| August 13 | Women’s Day |
| August 25 | Mawlid (Prophet’s Birthday, approximate) |
| October 15 | Evacuation Day |
| December 17 | Revolution and Youth Day |
Good to Know: In 2026, Eid al-Fitr falls on March 20, the same date as Independence Day, creating a rare overlap. Employers should confirm whether the government grants substitute days. All Islamic holiday dates depend on moon sighting and may shift by 1-2 days. August 13 (Women’s Day) is unique to Tunisia and celebrates the 1956 Code of Personal Status, which gave Tunisian women among the most extensive rights in the Arab world. Employees who work on public holidays are entitled to double pay.
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