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Employment guide

Hire and pay employees
in Mexico

Employment law, payroll compliance, taxes, benefits, and hiring requirements for Mexico — curated and reviewed by Remote&.

Capital
Mexico City
Currency
MX$ Mexican Peso (MXN)
Working Hours
40–48 hours per week
Min. salary
MXN 315.04–440.87
01 — Country basics

Mexico at a glance

Capital
Mexico City
Language
Spanish
Currency
MX$ Mexican Peso (MXN)
Working Hours
40–48 hours per week
Public Holidays
8 days per year
Minimum Salary
MXN 315.04–440.87
Tax Year
Jan 1 – Dec 31
Worker misclassification risk
Misclassifying workers in Mexico carries fines of MXN 192,440–4,811,000 (approximately EUR 9,155–228,895). Workers providing full-time exclusive service must be classified as employees under the Federal Labour Law (Ley Federal del Trabajo), regardless of contract format.
02 — Tax obligations

Taxes in Mexico

Employer Contributions

Total employer tax: 39.69%–46.72%

Contribution TypeRate
Social Security (IMSS)26.54%–33.58%
Retirement (SAR)5.15%
National Housing Fund (INFONAVIT)5%
Payroll tax (state-level)~3%
Employer contributions

Total employer tax: 39.69%–46.72%

Contribution TypeRate
Social Security (IMSS)26.54%–33.58%
Retirement (SAR)5.15%
National Housing Fund (INFONAVIT)5%
Payroll tax (state-level)~3%
Employee contributions

Total employee tax: 4.7%–37.7%

Contribution TypeRate
Social Security (IMSS)1.65%
Retirement (SAR)1.1%
Income tax (ISR)1.92%–35%
Income tax brackets
Monthly Income (MXN)Rate
Up to 8,952.491.92%
8,952.50 – 15,116.176.40%
15,116.18 – 26,538.6910.88%
26,538.70 – 30,751.6416%
30,751.65 – 36,822.8417.92%
36,822.85 – 74,228.0421.36%
74,228.05 – 116,565.4823.52%
116,565.49 – 136,272.4030%
136,272.41 – 409,076.5032%
409,076.51 – 818,496.0034%
Over 818,496.0035%
03 — Remote& EOR

Employer of Record in Mexico

How Remote& EOR Works

Remote& acts as the legal employer of your Mexican workers — managing IMSS, SAR, INFONAVIT contributions, payroll, tax filings, and employment contracts in accordance with the Federal Labour Law, while you direct the work.

PartyRole
Your CompanyManages work tasks, performance, and team direction
Remote&Runs payroll, files IMSS/SAR/INFONAVIT/ISR, administers statutory benefits, ensures Ley Federal del Trabajo compliance
EmployeeWorks for your company under a locally compliant Mexican contract

Ask Remi:

"Hire a cloud architect in Mexico City — MXN 75,000/month, starting next quarter" Remi handles everything: contract, IMSS registration, INFONAVIT enrollment, ISR withholding, and payroll.
04 — What employees receive

Benefits in Mexico

Statutory
  • IMSS (social security): Mandatory. Covers healthcare, disability, maternity, and retirement. Employer contributes 26.54%–33.58%
  • INFONAVIT (housing fund): Employer contributes 5% of salary to employee's housing fund account
  • Christmas bonus (aguinaldo): Minimum 15 days' salary, paid before December 20
  • Vacation bonus (prima vacacional): Minimum 25% on top of vacation salary
  • Profit sharing (PTU): Eligible employees receive 10% of company's prior-year net taxable income, distributed annually
Common additional
  • Private medical insurance
  • Major medical expense insurance (Gastos Médicos Mayores)
  • Life insurance
  • Remote and flexible work options
  • Paid relocation support
05 — Time away from work

Leave entitlements

Leave typeEntitlement
Paid Annual Leave12 days (year 1), increasing by 2 days per year up to 20 days; plus 8 public holidays
Paid Sick LeaveUp to 52 weeks (+ 26 additional weeks for certain conditions), via IMSS
Maternity Leave12 weeks (6 before, 6 after birth)
Paternity Leave5 days
Parental LeaveUnpaid upon request
06 — Contracts & rights

Employment conditions

Probation

Probation periods in Mexico range from 30 to 180 calendar days, depending on the role.

Non-Compete

Exclusivity or non-compete clauses cannot be embedded in standard employment contracts unless set out in a separate services agreement — and their enforceability is limited under Mexican law.

Employee Rights & Protections

Mexican workers are entitled to: written employment contract, payslip, Right to Disconnect, anti-discrimination protection, personal data protection, profit sharing (PTU), union membership, and intellectual property protections.

07 — Payroll cadence

Payments

Payment frequency
Weekly or bi-weekly
Payday
Deadlines may not exceed one week for manual labor roles, or 15 days for other employees.
08 — Off-boarding

End of employment in Mexico

The Federal Labour Law recognizes several grounds for termination including mutual consent, employer insolvency, and physical or mental incapacity preventing work. Employees dismissed during probation carry no further employer liability.

Unlawful dismissal entitles workers to either reinstatement or constitutional indemnification — three months' salary plus 20 days' salary per year of service, plus accrued vacation, seniority premium, and outstanding bonuses.

09 — Common questions

Frequently asked questions

Four routes: run payroll from HQ (generally non-compliant long-term); engage contractors (non-compliant for full-time dedicated workers); establish a Mexican entity (S.A. de C.V. or similar) for direct employment; or use Remote& as Employer of Record for the fastest compliant path.

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