How much does a member of Congress earn in Guatemala? The September 2026 main payroll published by the Congreso de la República (Congress) lists Q46,700 in base pay, Q5,000 in gastos de representación (representation expenses) and Q9,600 in dietas por sesiones plenarias (plenary attendance fees): Q61,300 for a diputado (deputy) without a leadership position. The separate committee attendance payments cover August 2026, with Q5,000 payments listed. Because the lists cover different months, they do not establish a combined same-month salary. Members of the Junta Directiva (Congress’s governing board) receive between Q71,300 and Q81,300 on the main payroll.
Quick summary (Congress’s September 2026 main payroll): Deputy Q61,300 · Governing board secretaries Q71,300 · Vice presidents Q76,300 · President Q81,300. Committee attendance payments appear separately for August. Base pay rose from Q9,550 to Q46,700 in February 2025.
What the August 2026 payroll says
Congress publishes its deputies’ payroll and attendance payments in the transparency section, under Información Pública de Oficio (mandatory public information), numeral 4, covering salaries, attendance fees, bonuses and other remuneration. The August 2026 document was prepared by the Departamento de Nóminas de la Dirección de Recursos Humanos (Human Resources payroll department):
| Position | Base pay | Representation expenses | Plenary attendance fees | Governing board representation expenses | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| President of the governing board | Q46,700 | Q5,000 | Q9,600 | Q20,000 | Q81,300 |
| Vice presidents (first, second and third) | Q46,700 | Q5,000 | Q9,600 | Q15,000 | Q76,300 |
| Governing board secretaries | Q46,700 | Q5,000 | Q9,600 | Q10,000 | Q71,300 |
| Deputies | Q46,700 | Q5,000 | Q9,600 | — | Q61,300 |
The August payroll also contains a deputy’s entry with partial-month amounts totaling Q26,511.93, and an entry without amounts.
Source: Congress, August 2026 deputies’ payroll (PDF), listed under mandatory public information, numeral 4, covering salaries, professional fees, attendance fees, bonuses, travel allowances and other remuneration. The newer September 2026 main payroll (PDF) lists the same standard pay amounts shown in this table.
Attendance payments on separate lists
The August payroll PDF includes separate lists:
- Committee attendance payments, July 2026: 146 entries of Q5,000 each. These committee payments cover a different month from the August main payroll.
- Comisión Permanente (Standing Committee), first recess: 7 members. The president receives Q6,000; the vocales (committee members), Q5,000 or Q6,000; and the secretaries, Q4,000 or Q6,000.
- Jefes de bloque (legislative bloc leaders), 2026: 25 entries, 11 for Q2,000 and 14 for Q1,000. Prensa Libre reported in March 2025 that bloc leaders and deputy leaders received these payments for weekly meetings.
We do not add these amounts person by person: the committee list covers July and the main payroll covers August. The newer September PDF likewise separates its September main payroll from its August committee payments. It also includes August attendance payments for the governing board and bloc leaders.
Where the Q46,700 base salary came from
- November 2024: when approving the legislative branch’s 2025 budget, deputies approved a provision allowing the governing board to make the adjustments needed to bring a deputy’s salary into line with that of a magistrado de la Corte de Apelaciones (Court of Appeals judge), according to La Hora. Prensa Libre dated approval of the budget increase to 26 November 2024.
- 4 February 2025: seven governing board members endorsed the adjustment in acta 10-2025 (meeting minutes). According to Prensa Libre, the only vote against it came from the third secretary, Juan Carlos Rivera.
- February 2025: that month’s payroll showed each deputy’s base salary at Q46,700, up from Q9,550, according to Prensa Libre’s March 2025 report.
- 25 November 2025: Congress approved Acuerdo Legislativo 12-2025 (legislative agreement) with 132 votes, setting the legislative branch’s 2026 budget at Q1,087 million. La Hora reported that it maintained deputies’ pay at around Q66,000 for 2026. At the same session, a motion concerning deputies’ affiliation with the Instituto Guatemalteco de Seguridad Social (IGSS, Guatemala’s social security institute) received 73 votes in favor and 74 against and was excluded from the agreement.
The August and September 2026 main payrolls both list Q46,700 in base pay.
For comparison
See the separate pages on the 2026 minimum wage, teacher pay in Guatemala and PNC police pay.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a member of Congress earn in Guatemala in 2026?
Congress’s September 2026 main payroll lists Q46,700 in base pay, Q5,000 in representation expenses and Q9,600 in plenary attendance fees: Q61,300 for a deputy without a leadership position. The separate committee attendance list covers August 2026 and lists Q5,000 payments. These are different months; they do not establish a combined same-month salary.
How much does the president of Congress earn?
The September 2026 main payroll lists Q46,700 in base pay, Q5,000 in representation expenses and Q9,600 in plenary attendance fees, plus Q20,000 in governing board representation expenses: Q81,300.
How much did a deputy earn before the increase?
According to Prensa Libre’s reporting on the February 2025 payroll, base pay rose from Q9,550 to Q46,700. The increase followed Congress’s November 2024 approval of budget adjustments to bring deputies’ pay into line with that of a Court of Appeals judge. The governing board formalized the adjustment in acta 10-2025 on 4 February 2025.
Was the Q66,000 salary maintained in 2026?
La Hora reported that it was. On 25 November 2025, Congress approved Acuerdo Legislativo 12-2025 with 132 votes, setting the legislative branch’s 2026 budget at Q1,087 million and, according to the newspaper, maintaining pay of around Q66,000. The September 2026 main payroll confirms Q46,700 in base pay and Q61,300 before separately listed committee payments.
Where can I find the deputies’ payroll?
On Congress’s website, under Transparencia, Información Pública de Oficio, numeral 4: salaries, professional fees, attendance fees, bonuses, travel allowances and other remuneration. The deputies’ payroll and attendance payments are available as a PDF. The latest payroll reviewed here is September 2026.
Sources
- Congreso de la República: September 2026 deputies’ payroll, with separate August attendance lists; and Congress: August 2026 deputies’ payroll, with Standing Committee, bloc leader and July committee attendance lists. Listed under Congress: mandatory public information, numeral 4.
- Prensa Libre: reporting on the February 2025 payroll, 8 March 2025.
- La Hora: reporting on Congress’s 2026 budget, 25 November 2025, and La Hora: salary breakdown, 22 December 2025.
