Hidden Overtime Behind High Monthly Incomes
For many self-employed workers in Spain, monthly earnings of €2,500 to €3,500 may look impressive on paper, but when factored into actual working hours, the results are significantly diminished. According to calculations by the Union of Professionals and Self-Employed Workers (UPTA), freelancers must work approximately 217 hours per month to achieve these income brackets. This means working five to six days a week, at nearly 10 hours a day.
Under such high-intensity conditions, a net monthly income of €2,500 translates to an actual hourly wage of just €11.52. Even if monthly earnings reach €3,000 or €3,500, with the same base working hours, the hourly rates are only €13.82 and €16.13, respectively.
Unbillable Hidden Working Hours
Beyond low on-paper hourly wages, self-employed individuals also face extensive hidden hours in their daily operations that do not directly generate revenue. UPTA President Eduardo Abad points out that outsiders evaluating this group’s income often only see the final invoice. For example, when a client pays a €70 repair fee, they typically mistakenly believe the technician earned that entire amount in just one hour.
In actual practice, professionals spend a considerable amount of time traveling to client locations, drafting initial quotes, purchasing necessary materials, handling related administrative procedures, and communicating with clients. These hidden time costs are prevalent among electricians, plumbers, installation and maintenance personnel, as well as highly experienced architects, engineers, and legal consultants, severely dragging down their effective hourly wage.
Institutional Appeal: Rejecting Normalized Overwork
In response to this situation, UPTA urges all sectors of society to look beyond total monthly income when discussing freelancer earnings. Instead, there should be a greater focus on actual working hours, effective hourly wages, and the proportion of unbillable time.
Eduardo Abad emphasizes that raising the income levels of self-employed workers cannot simply rely on infinitely extending working hours. Maintaining a chronic state of overwork at nearly 10 hours a day just to earn a monthly salary of €2,500 to €3,500 must never be accepted as normal. He suggests that future industry development should pivot toward enhancing professionalization and optimizing production efficiency, thereby achieving healthy income growth while ensuring reasonable working hours for practitioners.
