PayMetric Labs
Hong Kong · Employer cost, 2026

Hong Kong Employer Cost of Hiring Calculator

Enter a monthly salary to see the mandatory employer MPF contribution, plus the post-MPF-offsetting-abolition severance/LSP exposure now sitting on top of every Hong Kong hire.

Total annual cost on top of salary

HK$33,000

Load on top of salary

+9.2%

Annual salary

HK$360,000

Employer MPF contribution (5%, capped)

5% of relevant income, capped at HK$1,500/month above HK$30,000/month

HK$18,000

Severance/LSP accrual (post-abolition, 1yr rate)

2/3 x wage (capped HK$22,500) x 1 year, no MPF offset available for service from 1 May 2025

HK$15,000

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Frequently asked questions

1

How much does an employer actually pay on top of salary in Hong Kong?

The mandatory employer MPF contribution is 5% of relevant income, capped at HK$1,500/month (HK$18,000/year) once monthly salary passes HK$30,000. On top of that, since the 1 May 2025 MPF offsetting abolition, employers carry a real severance/LSP cost for future service that can no longer be offset against mandatory MPF contributions, which this calculator surfaces as an illustrative annual accrual.

2

Is the 5% employer MPF contribution the same cap as the employee side?

Yes. Both sides use the same minimum relevant income level (HK$7,100/month, below which no mandatory contribution is required) and the same maximum relevant income level (HK$30,000/month, above which the contribution caps at HK$1,500/month), mirrored exactly between employee and employer.

3

What is the MPF offsetting abolition and why does it affect hiring cost?

Before 1 May 2025, employers could use accrued mandatory MPF contributions to reduce the severance pay or long service payment they owed a departing employee. That offsetting is now abolished for service from 1 May 2025 onward, so any employee's future severance/LSP entitlement is a real, largely un-offset cash liability an employer now has to plan for as part of the true cost of keeping someone on payroll long-term.

4

Does an employer have to contribute MPF below the HK$7,100 floor?

No, it's not mandatory, but some employers choose to contribute voluntarily for staff earning below that floor as a retention benefit. This calculator lets you toggle that option to see the cost either way.

5

Is there an employer payroll tax in Hong Kong like the UK's Employer NI?

No. Hong Kong has no employer payroll tax equivalent to UK Employer National Insurance or similar social-charge systems elsewhere. MPF and the (largely un-offset, post-abolition) severance/LSP exposure are the two real employer-side cost lines modelled here.

6

How is the severance/LSP accrual figure calculated here?

It's an illustrative one-year accrual using the statutory formula (2/3 x monthly wages, capped at HK$22,500, x years of service) at a 1-year rate, reflecting that this portion of any future severance/LSP entitlement can no longer be offset by mandatory MPF contributions for service from 1 May 2025 onward. It is not a guaranteed future payout, actual severance/LSP depends on whether and when an employee's service ends and under what circumstances.

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