Preparing to move
Your first salary in Italy: when it arrives and what is deducted
Preparing to move · · 2 min read
By Lorenzo Schiavone · calculator developer
Your first salary arrives at the end of the first month of work or early in the next, depending on the contract, already net of contributions and IRPEF. If you start mid-month it is proportional to the days worked. Bring a few weeks of living costs: nothing comes in before the first payslip.
When and how you are paid
There is no single date for everyone: the collective agreement or the company sets it. Pay must be made by a traceable method, normally a bank transfer, so you need an account, even a basic account.
What is deducted in the first months
From the first payslip the employer withholds INPS contributions and IRPEF, worked out as if that pay lasted all year. If you work only part of the year, the year-end adjustment in December or when the job ends recalculates the tax on actual income, often in your favour.
Regional and municipal surtaxes follow a different calendar: most of what is due for one year is withheld in instalments during the following year. That is why, for the same gross, the payslip can be a little lower from the second year.
Probation
The contract can include a probation period, during which either side can end the job. The maximum is six months and depends on the collective agreement and level; in fixed-term contracts it is proportional to the length. It must be in writing. Your pay rights are the same during probation.
If the job ends
You are owed what has accrued: days worked, unused holiday, the share of the 13th payment and TFR. If you lose the job involuntarily you can claim NASpI with at least thirteen weeks of contributions in the last four years.
Frequently asked questions
Is the first salary lower? ▾
If you start mid-month, yes, because it covers only the days worked. Deductions follow the same rules as other months.
Why does net pay change in the second year? ▾
Because withholding of the regional and municipal surtaxes for the previous year begins.
Can I be paid in cash? ▾
No: employees’ pay must be made by traceable methods. Domestic work follows its own rules.
Sources and method
- INPS · requirements to claim NASpI
- Agenzia delle Entrate · IRPEF rates and calculation
- INPS · circular 12 of 5 February 2026, TFR accrual
- QuantoNetto.Com · method, sources and limits of the estimates
Each guide states the period it covers and the assumptions behind its examples. Net pay estimates flag any prior-year municipal rates. The actual monthly payslip may differ from the annual average.