Working in Malta 2026: Jobs, Salaries and Work Culture Guide

Short answer: working in Malta is attractive for English speakers: the language of business is English, the job market is tight, and the National Statistics Office’s Labour Force Survey put unemployment at 3.5% in the first quarter of 2026. The biggest employers of newcomers are online gaming, financial services, tourism and hospitality, health and care, and tech. A standard full-time week is 40 hours, there are 14 public holidays a year, and the national minimum wage for adults is €229.44 a week in 2026 (before Budget 2027 on 26 October 2026). EU citizens can work freely; non-EU nationals need a work permit, which is handled through official channels. Here is how it works in practice, plus the after-work social side nobody tells you about.

I have worked here in offices and alongside friends in hotels, clinics and start-ups. The pattern is the same everywhere: getting a job is often easier than getting a flat, salaries are modest compared with rents in the harbour towns, and the people who enjoy their working life here are the ones who build something outside the office too.

The Malta job market in 2026: the numbers

The labour market has been growing for years. According to the NSO’s Labour Force Survey for the first quarter of 2026, as reported by the Malta Business Weekly in June 2026:

Source: NSO Labour Force Survey Q1 2026 via Malta Business Weekly, 12 June 2026. Last checked October 2026.

Low unemployment means employers are hiring, but it does not mean every job pays well. The gap between a financial services salary and a hospitality salary is large, and rent does not adjust to your sector.

Main sectors for newcomers

Online gaming (iGaming)

Malta has been a European base for online gaming companies for many years, regulated by the Malta Gaming Authority. These companies hire customer support, marketing, compliance, payments, data and software roles, often in English and other European languages. Many offices are in St Julian’s, Sliema, Ta’ Xbiex, Gżira and San Ġwann.

Financial services

Banking, insurance, funds, payments and the professional services around them (audit, tax, legal, corporate services) are major employers of graduates. These roles usually pay above average and often ask for professional qualifications.

Tourism and hospitality

Hotels, restaurants, bars and tour operators hire constantly, especially from spring to autumn. The work is easy to find and often a first job for newcomers, but pay is lower and hours are long in summer. Check that your hours and pay meet the relevant Wage Regulation Order for your sector.

Health and care

Nurses, carers and allied health professionals are in demand in public and private healthcare and in elderly care. Regulated professions need registration with the relevant Maltese council before you start, so begin that process early.

Tech and digital

Software development, IT support, cybersecurity and digital marketing roles cut across all the sectors above. Remote-friendly employers exist, and some newcomers arrive on remote contracts from abroad. A separate guide to digital nomad life in Malta is coming soon.

Jobs for English speakers

English is an official language and the working language of most international companies here, so you can build a career without Maltese. Some roles, particularly in the public sector, customer-facing local services and some healthcare settings, prefer or require Maltese. If you speak another European language as well as English, you have an edge in customer support, sales and compliance roles that serve markets abroad.

Where to look:

• Jobsplus, the public employment service, lists vacancies and runs training courses.
• LinkedIn is widely used by Maltese employers and recruiters, especially for office roles.
• Recruitment agencies specialise by sector (gaming, finance, hospitality, healthcare). Ask whether a role is direct or through an agency, and who will employ you.
• Word of mouth. Malta is small. Tell everyone you meet what you are looking for. Plenty of jobs are filled through a friend of a colleague.

Working hours, holidays and leave

The standard full-time week is 40 hours, with a legal ceiling on average weekly working time including overtime. Malta has 14 public holidays, set by law. For 2026 they are: 1 January, 10 February (St Paul’s Shipwreck), 19 March (St Joseph), 31 March (Freedom Day), Good Friday (3 April), 1 May, 7 June (Sette Giugno), 29 June (St Peter and St Paul), 15 August (the Assumption), 8 September (Victory Day), 21 September (Independence Day), 8 December (Immaculate Conception), 13 December (Republic Day) and 25 December.

Annual leave for a full-time worker is a basic 192 hours (24 days of eight hours), and when a public holiday falls on a weekend, workers get the equivalent time added to their leave. In 2026, three holidays fall at the weekend (7 June, 15 August and 13 December), which brings a full-time worker’s total to 216 hours, or 27 days. Check your contract and the Department for Industrial and Employment Relations (DIER) for your exact entitlement.

Salaries and the minimum wage

Salaries vary widely by sector. The NSO figure above (financial and insurance activities averaging €3,105 a month in Q1 2026) is at the top end. Hospitality, retail and care roles often pay much closer to the minimum.

The national minimum wage for workers aged 18 and over is €229.44 a week in 2026 (Legal Notice 289 of 2025), with lower rates for 17-year-olds (€222.66) and under-17s (€219.82). Many sectors have Wage Regulation Orders that set higher minimums or extra conditions. These are pre-budget figures: Budget 2027 is presented on 26 October 2026, and the 2027 cost-of-living adjustment is usually announced then. A dedicated minimum wage guide will follow after the budget.

Your net pay depends on your tax status and social security contributions. This site does not give tax advice; the Commissioner for Revenue publishes the official tax rates and calculators.

Salaries versus rent

The honest maths: Housing Authority data for the first half of 2025 put the median new two-bedroom rent at €1,500 a month in St Julian’s and €850 in St Paul’s Bay. On a modest salary, living alone in the harbour area is hard. Most newcomers share at first or live a bus ride from the office. Our guide to moving to Malta step by step has the area and rent table.

Getting a job: step by step

1. Check your right to work. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens can work in Malta. Non-EU nationals usually need a single permit tied to a specific job, applied for through Identità. Read the official page for your situation; this site does not give immigration advice.
2. Prepare a Maltese-style CV. Clear, two pages at most, with your languages listed prominently.
3. Apply widely. Jobsplus, LinkedIn, agencies and direct applications to the companies you want.
4. Interview, often online first. Many employers do a video call before an in-person meeting.
5. Read the contract. Check hours, salary, probation period, leave and notice. Ask whether your role falls under a Wage Regulation Order.
6. Get registered. Your employer registers your employment with Jobsplus. Ask how your tax and social security numbers will be issued.
7. Sort the rest. Residence document, bank account and a personalised tallinja card for free bus travel.

Work culture: what to expect

• Relationships matter. People like to know who you are. Small talk, coffee and lunch with colleagues are part of doing business.
• Hierarchy can be more visible than in Northern European workplaces, especially in traditional firms.
• Summer hours exist in some public offices and traditional companies, with shorter days in the hottest months. International firms usually keep standard hours.
• Commutes are about traffic, not distance. A 10-kilometre trip can take 45 minutes at rush hour. Living near work changes your quality of life more than an extra €100 a month.
• Turnover is high in international sectors. Colleagues come and go, which keeps the social scene fresh and means you need to keep making new friends.

Self-employed, freelance or remote

Not everyone comes for a local payroll job. Some newcomers freelance, start a small business or keep working remotely for an employer abroad. Each of these has its own registration, tax and social security steps, and the rules for EU and non-EU nationals differ. The safe order is: confirm your residence basis with Identità, register as self-employed where that applies, and speak to the Commissioner for Revenue or a qualified adviser about tax before you invoice anyone. Remote workers from outside the EU should look at the official Nomad Residence Permit pages of the Residency Malta Agency rather than relying on summaries.

The practical side is easier. Coworking spaces and cafés with good wifi are spread around Sliema, St Julian’s, Gżira and Valletta, and the biggest risk of remote work here is not the internet but isolation. Book a desk somewhere with other people two or three days a week, and put one social plan in your diary on the days you work from home.

Getting to work

Most office areas (St Julian’s, Sliema, Gżira, Ta’ Xbiex, Msida, San Ġwann, Valletta) are on frequent bus routes, and with a personalised tallinja card the bus is free. Our guide to Malta bus routes and fares lists the core lines by area. If your office is in an industrial estate or outside the harbour area, check the bus timetable before you sign a lease: a route that runs every hour can make a short distance feel long.

Cycling, e-scooters and ride-hailing apps fill the gaps, and some companies offer parking or transport allowances. Ask at interview.

After-work social life

Work is where most newcomers meet their first friends here, and that is a good start. But because international teams turn over quickly, it is worth building a life that does not depend on one office. A few habits that help:

• Say yes to the Friday drink and the team lunch in your first months, even if you are tired.
• Join one thing outside work: a sports club, a class, a hiking group or a language exchange. Same people, same day, every week.
• Use the long evenings. From spring to autumn, an after-work swim or a walk along the Sliema or Gżira promenade is free and easy to suggest.
• Suggest small plans. “Coffee on Thursday at 6 in Gżira, pay your own” is easier to accept than a vague invitation.

Our 30-day plan for making friends in Malta goes into this in detail, with a sample week that fits around a full-time job.

Frequently asked questions

Is it easy to find a job in Malta as a foreigner?

For EU citizens with English, usually yes, especially in gaming, financial services, hospitality, health and tech. The NSO put unemployment at 3.5% in the first quarter of 2026. Non-EU nationals generally need a job offer and a work permit, which takes longer.

What is the minimum wage in Malta in 2026?

€229.44 a week for workers aged 18 and over, €222.66 at 17 and €219.82 under 17 (Legal Notice 289 of 2025). Budget 2027 on 26 October 2026 is expected to announce the 2027 cost-of-living adjustment, so check for the new rate after that date.

How many public holidays does Malta have?

Fourteen. When a public holiday falls on a weekend, workers get the equivalent time added to their annual leave, so in 2026 a full-time worker’s total leave comes to 216 hours (27 days) on a 40-hour week.

Do I need to speak Maltese to work in Malta?

No, for most private-sector jobs. English is an official language and the working language of most international companies. Some public-sector, healthcare and local customer-facing roles prefer or require Maltese.

Do non-EU citizens need a work permit in Malta?

Generally yes. Most non-EU nationals need a single permit linked to a specific job, applied for through Identità. Check the official requirements for your situation before you accept an offer or travel.

Which sectors pay the most in Malta?

In the NSO’s Q1 2026 data, financial and insurance activities had the highest average monthly salary, at €3,105. Pay in other sectors varies widely, and hospitality and retail roles often pay closer to the minimum wage.