Discover & Hire Top Talents in Solomon Islands
Everything you need to know about the country's employment laws, culture, and workforce insights.
Honiara UTC+11
Honiara
Solomon Islands Dollar (SBD)
English, Solomon Islands Pijin
weekly, fortnightly, or monthly
7.50%
Talent Landscape in Solomon Islands
The Solomon Islands has an estimated labor force of about 449,000 (2025), with talent demand concentrated in forestry, fisheries, mining, agriculture, construction and public services. International employers are most likely to find relevant candidate pools for Forestry, Fisheries, and Construction. The market is compact, so targeted hiring and regional talent mobility are important for scarce specialist roles.
Major Economic Hubs
Honiara
Skills In-Demand
Forestry
Working Culture
Wantok Networks and Community Responsibility
In Solomon Islands workplaces, wantok relationships can create strong loyalty and mutual assistance. Employers need transparent policies so community obligations are respected without creating perceptions of favouritism.
Oral Communication and Personal Presence
Face to face discussion is often more effective than relying only on written instructions. Managers should explain expectations clearly, invite questions and follow up personally.
Island Logistics and Flexible Planning
Travel between islands, weather and limited infrastructure can disrupt schedules. Realistic planning and early communication are essential for maintaining trust when timelines change.
Average Salary
| Job Title | Avg Monthly Salary (SBD) | |
|---|---|---|
| Accounting & Finance | ||
| Administrative Executive, Junior (1-3 years) | 3,300 SBD | S$4,488 |
| Administrative Executive, Mid (3-5 years) | 4,400 SBD | S$5,984 |
| Book Keeper, Junior (1-3 years) | 3,000 SBD | S$4,080 |
| Book Keeper, Mid (3-5 years) | 4,050 SBD | S$5,508 |
| Finance Executive, Junior (1-3 years) | 3,800 SBD | S$5,168 |
| Finance Executive, Mid (3-5 years) | 5,000 SBD | S$6,800 |
| Creatives | ||
| Graphic Designer, Junior (1-3 years) | 3,800 SBD | S$5,168 |
| Graphic Designer, Mid (3-5 years) | 5,500 SBD | S$7,480 |
| UI/UX Designer, Junior (1-3 years) | 4,050 SBD | S$5,508 |
| UI/UX Designer, Mid (3-5 years) | 7,000 SBD | S$9,520 |
| Data Analytics | ||
| Data Analyst, Junior (1-3 years) | 5,500 SBD | S$7,480 |
| Data Analyst, Mid (3-5 years) | 7,200 SBD | S$9,792 |
| Data Engineering | ||
| Data Engineer, Junior (1-3 years) | 5,500 SBD | S$7,480 |
| Data Engineer, Mid (3-5 years) | 8,900 SBD | S$12,104 |
| AI & Machine Learning | ||
| Data Scientist, Junior (1-3 years) | 5,500 SBD | S$7,480 |
| Data Scientist, Mid (3-5 years) | 7,450 SBD | S$10,132 |
| Machine Learning Engineer, Junior (1-3 years) | 4,700 SBD | S$6,392 |
| Machine Learning Engineer, Mid (3-5 years) | 7,000 SBD | S$9,520 |
| Digital Marketing | ||
| Content Marketing, Junior (1-3 years) | 4,450 SBD | S$6,052 |
| Content Marketing, Mid (3-5 years) | 6,600 SBD | S$8,976 |
| Digital Marketing, Junior (1-3 years) | 4,450 SBD | S$6,052 |
| Digital Marketing, Mid (3-5 years) | 6,600 SBD | S$8,976 |
| Growth Marketing, Junior (1-3 years) | 4,700 SBD | S$6,392 |
| Growth Marketing, Mid (3-5 years) | 7,000 SBD | S$9,520 |
| Software Development | ||
| Backend Developer, Junior (1-3 years) | 5,750 SBD | S$7,820 |
| Backend Developer, Mid (3-5 years) | 8,500 SBD | S$11,560 |
| Job Title | Avg Monthly Salary (SBD) | |
|---|---|---|
| DevOps | ||
| DevOps Engineer, Junior (1-3 years) | 5,500 SBD | S$7,480 |
| DevOps Engineer, Mid (3-5 years) | 7,450 SBD | S$10,132 |
| Site Reliability Engineer, Junior (1-3 years) | 5,500 SBD | S$7,480 |
| Site Reliability Engineer, Mid (3-5 years) | 7,850 SBD | S$10,676 |
| Customer Support | ||
| Customer Service Officer, Junior (1-3 years) | 2,750 SBD | S$3,740 |
| Customer Service Officer, Mid (3-5 years) | 3,600 SBD | S$4,896 |
| Customer Experience | ||
| Customer Success Manager, Junior (1-3 years) | 4,050 SBD | S$5,508 |
| Customer Success Manager, Mid (3-5 years) | 5,750 SBD | S$7,820 |
| HR Operations | ||
| HR Executive, Junior (1-3 years) | 3,600 SBD | S$4,896 |
| HR Executive, Mid (3-5 years) | 4,900 SBD | S$6,664 |
| FinTech | ||
| Blockchain Developer, Junior (1-3 years) | 4,450 SBD | S$6,052 |
| Blockchain Developer, Mid (3-5 years) | 6,600 SBD | S$8,976 |
| Payments Engineer, Junior (1-3 years) | 4,450 SBD | S$6,052 |
| Payments Engineer, Mid (3-5 years) | 5,950 SBD | S$8,092 |
| Cloud Computing | ||
| Cloud Engineer, Junior (1-3 years) | 5,100 SBD | S$6,936 |
| Cloud Engineer, Mid (3-5 years) | 7,450 SBD | S$10,132 |
Hiring Guide in Solomon Islands
This guide highlights the fundamental rules employers must know to hire compliantly, covering pay structures, leave policies, termination procedures, and compliance requirements.
For details, browse the topics through the tabs below.
Payroll in Solomon Islands
Payroll Cycle
The pay period and payment date follow the employment agreement and local wage rules.
Minimum Wage
A statutory national minimum wage applies, with possible sector specific rates.
Overtime Pay
- Commonly 8 hours per day and 45 hours per week, subject to sector and wage orders. - Confirm the current wage order for the employee’s industry.
- Overtime Pay = Ordinary Hourly Rate × Multiplier in the applicable sector Wage Order, collective agreement or contract × Overtime Hours.
Bonus
13th Month
Solomon Islands does not impose a general statutory 13th month salary on private sector employers. Private sector employees therefore have no automatic entitlement to an additional annual salary unless a binding employment contract, collective agreement, wage order, employer rule, or special sector law provides one.
No statutory private sector calculation applies. Where a binding instrument grants an annual bonus or 13th salary, the amount must be calculated under that instrument; there is no legal default that it equals 1 month of salary.
No private sector employee in Solomon Islands qualifies automatically under the general labour law. Eligibility is limited to employees expressly covered by the applicable contract, collective agreement, wage order, employer rule, or special sector provision. The general law does not prescribe a universal minimum service period, prorating method, payment deadline, or entitlement after resignation or dismissal for a 13th salary. Those points must be determined from the specific binding instrument. Statutory leave pay, severance, end of service benefits, profit sharing, and public sector payments are separate benefits and should not be recorded as private sector 13th month salary unless the local rule expressly treats them that way.
Employees Benefits
| Types of Benefit | Details |
|---|---|
| Mandatory | |
| Statutory termination or end of service entitlement in Solomon Islands | Termination payments in Solomon Islands depend on the Labour Code, the dismissal ground and the employee’s service. Employers must settle notice or pay in lieu, earned salary, unused leave and any statutory severance, gratuity or indemnity that the local rules attach to redundancy, employer initiated dismissal or contract expiry. A resignation does not automatically produce the same entitlement. |
| Work injury protection under Solomon Islands National Provident Fund (SINPF) and workers’ compensation | In Solomon Islands, occupational injury protection is tied to Solomon Islands National Provident Fund (SINPF) and workers’ compensation. The employer must complete the applicable registration or insurance arrangement before exposure begins, report workplace accidents within the legal deadline, and fund the employer portion. Benefits generally cover treatment, temporary incapacity, permanent disability and survivor payments, but the responsible institution and assessable wage follow the local scheme. |
| Solomon Islands National Provident Fund (SINPF) and workers’ compensation | The core employer obligation in Solomon Islands is registration and payroll remittance under Solomon Islands National Provident Fund (SINPF) and workers’ compensation. This is not a general allowance: it is the named statutory arrangement for the pension, retirement, unemployment, medical or related branches stated in the programme title. Coverage must be checked against establishment size, employee status, nationality and earnings limits, and contributions must be paid to the relevant authority by its filing deadline. |
| Public healthcare or mandatory medical coverage in Solomon Islands | Solomon Islands relies mainly on its public health system rather than a universal employer purchased medical policy. The employer must still comply with any payroll health levy, social insurance medical branch or visa linked insurance requirement that applies to the worker. Private group medical cover is therefore supplementary unless local law expressly makes it compulsory for the employee category. |
| Optional | |
| Supplementary private medical insurance in Solomon Islands | Private medical insurance in Solomon Islands should be designed around the gaps left by Solomon Islands National Provident Fund (SINPF) and workers’ compensation. Employers commonly add faster outpatient access, private hospital treatment, dental, optical, mental health and dependant cover. The policy remains optional unless a visa, emirate, collective agreement or sector rule makes insurance compulsory, and any taxable benefit treatment should be processed through payroll. |
| Performance or profit sharing bonus in Solomon Islands | A performance or profit sharing bonus in Solomon Islands is optional unless promised by contract, collective agreement or an established plan. The rules should specify the performance period, measurable targets, proration for joiners and leavers, and treatment during protected leave. Payroll must apply local income tax and social contribution rules to the payment. |
| Meal, commuting and business travel support in Solomon Islands | Meal, commuting and business travel support in Solomon Islands should be split between fixed cash allowances and reimbursements supported by receipts. That distinction determines whether the amount is taxable salary, exempt expense repayment or part of the contribution wage. The policy should state limits, eligible journeys and the treatment of remote work. |
| Housing, relocation and remote work support in Solomon Islands | Housing, relocation and remote work support in Solomon Islands is normally contractual rather than statutory. The policy should identify covered costs, taxable benefit treatment, repayment conditions for early departure and whether the support is temporary or continues throughout the assignment. |
Taxes
Country Tax
Solomon Islands's country tax is known as Goods Tax 15%
Individual Tax
| Tax Component | Contribution Rate (%) | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Income Tax Structure | ||
| Resident Tax Rates | 11% to 40% | Solomon Islands salary tax is withheld under statutory bands starting at 11% and reaching 40% on the highest band. |
| Non-Resident Employment Income | 11% to 40% | Solomon Islands sourced employment income is subject to PAYE under the statutory salary tax schedule. |
| Taxable Income Adjustments | ||
| Main Deductions and Allowances | Country specific | Country specific deductions, allowances and employee contribution rules may reduce taxable income. The applicable items, eligibility conditions and caps must be confirmed against the cited local source for the relevant tax year. |
| Taxable & Exempt Components | ||
| Bonuses and Cash Allowances | Generally taxable at marginal employment rate | In Solomon Islands, cash salary, commissions, performance bonuses, and recurring cash allowances are generally taxable employment income and subject to payroll withholding at the applicable marginal rate unless a specific statutory exemption applies. |
| Benefits in Kind | Taxable value at marginal rate where applicable | In Solomon Islands, employer provided housing, vehicles, meals, insurance, equity, and other noncash benefits may be taxable under local valuation rules. Business reimbursements and de minimis exemptions require local support. |
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