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Payroll in Ecuador
Payroll in Ecuador runs in USD on a usually monthly or semi-monthly cycle, with statutory employer contributions and mandatory 13th and 14th salaries; reserve-fund obligations arise after qualifying service. Gracemark operates it end-to-end, humans, not tickets.
Currency
USD, United States dollar
Payroll cycle
Usually monthly or semi-monthly
Working week
40 hours
Minimum wage
Unified Basic Salary is set annually; use the current Ministry of Labor resolution
13th-month
Mandatory 13th and 14th salaries; reserve-fund obligations arise after qualifying service
Employer cost
Core employer social-security contributions are commonly modeled around 12%, before 13th/14th pay, reserve fund and leave accruals
Probation
Up to 90 days for an indefinite contract when properly documented
Notice period
Employer-initiated separation can create statutory severance and dismissal payments
Two ways to run payroll in Ecuador
Own-entity payroll
For long-term presence in Ecuador. Gracemark manages statutory filings, pay runs, and year-end reporting under your entity, with a named operator on South America time.
EOR-run payroll
No entity in Ecuador? Employ and pay talent under Gracemark's local infrastructure via EOR, onboard in 2–3 weeks (eor), no local incorporation.
Compliance essentials in Ecuador
- Both a 13th (décimo tercero) and 14th (décimo cuarto) salary are mandatory
- The US dollar is the official currency, no FX risk on pay
- IESS social security is the core employer contribution
- Severance and desahucio apply on termination
- Cost-effective, growing bilingual support and tech talent
Get a payroll quote for Ecuador
Send your headcount and salary band. We reply with employer burden, net-to-gross, and setup timeline, no sales scripts.
Deeper guide
Hiring guide: Ecuador →
Employ without entity
EOR services →
All countries
Global payroll overview →