2026 values
Current minimum wage and transportation allowance, with the regulation behind them.
Free tool
Service bonus calculator
Is June or December coming up and you don't know how much service bonus (prima) to pay each employee? Calculate it with the transportation allowance and variable pay included, as the law requires.
Fast. Simple. Accurate. And best of all, free.
This tool follows Colombian law (Código Sustantivo del Trabajo, the Labor Code). If your business is in another country, the result may not apply.
- Built for Colombia
- No sign-up
- Your data never leaves your browser
Instructions
Enter the employee's monthly salary, the days they worked in the half-year and, if they had any, their variable pay.
Calculator results
Monthly settlement base--
Days worked--
Bonus to pay--
Calculated with 2026 parameters · UVT $52.374 · SMMLV $1.750.905
This tool is a calculation guide and does not constitute legal or tax advice. Always check with your accountant.
With the full base
Adds the transportation allowance and averages overtime and commissions.
Private
The salaries you enter never leave your browser.
How is the service bonus calculated in Colombia?
The service bonus is 30 days of salary per year, paid in two installments: no later than June 30 and within the first 20 days of December.
All employees with an employment contract are entitled to it, including domestic workers. It doesn't apply to independent contractor agreements or to all-inclusive salaries (salario integral).
Calculating it ahead of time lets you set the money aside and pay it without stress.
The formula
(Salary + transportation allowance + average variable pay) × days worked ÷ 360. With the 2026 minimum wage and a full half-year: $1.000.000.
Common mistakes
Forgetting the transportation allowance, leaving out overtime and commissions, or dividing by 365 instead of 360.
Service bonus=(Salary + transportation allowance + average variable pay) × days worked360
Tiendana Enseña tip
Set the bonus aside every month, not in June
The bonus equals one month's salary per year, so one-twelfth builds up each month: about 8,33 % of the salary plus the transportation allowance. If you move that amount into a separate account every month, the money is already there in June and December and doesn't come out of the day's cash.
Check your June and December cash flow in advance: on top of the bonus, other payments usually come due in those months. Knowing how much you'll need lets you negotiate with suppliers early and keep buying inventory.
Did you know?
The service bonus is not salary: Article 307 of the Labor Code says it never counts as a salary factor, so it doesn't increase other benefits or contributions.
Step by step
How to calculate an employee's service bonus
Enter the salary
Enter the employee's monthly base salary, without the transportation allowance.
Enter the days
Enter the days worked in the half-year, up to 180.
Check the allowance and variable pay
The allowance is included only if it applies; add overtime, surcharges and commissions if there were any.
See the bonus
The calculator shows you the base, the days and the bonus to pay using the legal formula.
We answer your questions
Frequently asked questions
What is the service bonus formula?
Multiply the monthly base (salary + transportation allowance + average variable pay) by the days worked in the half-year and divide by 360.
When is the service bonus paid?
Half no later than June 30 and the other half within the first twenty days of December, under Article 306 of the Labor Code.
Is the transportation allowance included in the bonus?
Yes, when the employee is entitled to it: Law 1 of 1963 adds it to salary for calculating benefits. In 2026 it's $249.095 and applies to those earning up to 2 minimum wages ($3.501.810).
How much is the bonus on the 2026 minimum wage?
For a full half-year, $1.000.000: ($1.750.905 + $249.095) × 180 / 360.
Do overtime and commissions count toward the bonus?
Yes. What the employee receives as variable pay, such as overtime, surcharges and commissions, is averaged per month and added to the settlement base.
Does a domestic worker get the bonus?
Yes. Since Law 1788 of 2016, Article 306 of the Labor Code covers domestic workers, family drivers and day workers.
If they worked less than a half-year, is the bonus paid?
Yes, in proportion to the days worked. For example, 60 days on minimum wage with transportation allowance comes to $333.333.
Does someone on an all-inclusive salary get the bonus?
No. The all-inclusive salary (salario integral), which must be at least 10 minimum wages plus a 30 % benefits factor ($22.761.765 in 2026), already covers the legal bonuses under Article 132 of the Labor Code.
Is an independent contractor entitled to the bonus?
No. The bonus is a benefit for workers with an employment contract. An independent contractor agreement doesn't generate it, unless in practice it's an employment relationship.
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