Jobs in Madrid: FIND Work in Madrid Spain 2024

Madrid is both the capital of Spain and the country’s largest city. It is also the third-largest city in the EU following London and Paris.

Just like Barcelona, Madrid is a very popular destination particularly among expatriates searching for new job opportunities.

Being in the center of the Iberian Peninsula, Madrid is a jump-off point and the country’s transportation hub which makes it highly accessible from various locations.

The Madrid Barajas Airport is strategically located in the city center and can be easily reached by car in 20 minutes as well as by the metro in just one hour. The Madrid Metro is one of the world’s best public transit systems and is cited as the world’s eighth longest underground network in 2013. See live views of Madrid right now from Madrid webcams.

Bustling with energy and a nightlife like no other, Madrid is a vibrant city filled with a number of options for socializing and building strong business relations. From Puerta del Sol and the Gran Via boulevard, the street that never sleeps, to Plaza de España, Chueca, Malasaña and the Real Madrid stadium, it’s no wonder why Madrid boasts a warm atmosphere and artistic heritage that never fails to attract expats from various parts of the world.

Since 2001, Madrid has seen a steady inflow of foreign workers with almost 78 percent of them being employed in the service sector. The majority of the city’s foreign nationals come from Latin American countries such as Colombia, Bolivia and Ecuador.

Foreigners looking for work in Madrid may find the city’s laid-back lifestyle a bit odd and may even deem the Spaniard’s work habits as inefficient. In reality, Spain’s working class enjoys a relaxed atmosphere without compromising productivity. Some of the things you can expect include long lunch hours, businesses not being open before 9 a.m. and closing hours set before 8 p.m.

You might like to watch this video of Madrid to get a flavour of what the city has to offer if you want to work and live there:

On this page, we will give you a guide on how to find work in Madrid and what kind of jobs you can expect to find if you primarily speak English and can speak Spanish either fluently or at a beginner’s level.

Employers – Are you looking for staff and employees in Madrid?

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Add your name in the newsletter box located in the right-hand navigation sidebar to get our free email job alerts for Madrid. You can also list down the type of job you want in Madrid in the comments box found at the bottom of this page.

You may also be interested to check other vacancies in Spain which are listed on our main job page.

Before you even think of moving to Spain then do some research, we have a helpful page on living in Spain.

Work for English Speakers

If you don’t speak any Spanish and you wish to find a job in Spain right away, your chances in the job market will be reduced by at least 95 percent, leaving you with job options that are meant solely for “Expats.” Speaking a bit of Spanish will not only widen your options but will also allow you to meet and satisfy what is indicated in the job description.

Fortunately, people in Madrid speak Castilian Spanish, which is most widely spoken in Spain and even worldwide. Compared to Barcelona where the people speak Catalan Spanish, most people in Madrid will find no trouble understanding the type of Spanish that you’ve been trying to learn in your language classes.

In the next sections of this page, we will focus on the best possibilities on finding English jobs in Madrid. As a native English speaker, you can think about using your speaking skills to your advantage by not restraining your research to jobs that would only require English-speaking applicants. Typically, most foreigners would start with an English teaching job. Some of those who started out on this route eventually ended up with having their own promising business and have never looked back since.

Apart from teaching English, other job options you may want to consider could include those that would require an international presence or those that would need a lot of dealing with foreigners. In Madrid, the sectors that are considered as the strongest include tourism and transportation which should not be a surprise since the capital is Spain’s most touristic city as well as the country’s transportation hub.

Likewise, if you’re aiming to find employment in the hotel or service industry, some professional experience may provide you with a bit of ease in doing your job search.

If you are wondering what it is like to move to Madrid, we have an interview with Peter Lavelle who now lives there.

Madrid Summer Jobs 2024

Summer is actually a good time of the year to visit Madrid since there is less traffic and the mood is quiet. Looking for summer jobs in Madrid can also be a good way to start for English speakers as the city is known for its growing tourist industry.

This is also the time when many restaurants and shops are closed in Madrid which is probably caused by the summer phenomenon wherein locals would leave the city en-masse during August.

However, there are still some that remain open although they are less busy than normal.

To be honest for summer work you are going to find jobs easier to come by in beach resorts such as Benidorm and Marbella and islands such as Tenerife, Lanzarote, Ibiza, Mallorca (Magaluf) and Gran Canaria.

Large cities such as Madrid and Barcelona also have a number of opportunities for au pair work. This is a great way to gain an immersive experience while earning money on the side as you will be living with a family and then look after their children while the parents are out for work. These Spanish families are also interested to employ English speakers so that their children can also have some English lessons in the house.

If you are a student hoping to find work in Madrid, you can actually find a lot of work for college students in bars, clubs and pubs that are sprawled within the city. It is certainly a great place to start your job search if you’re the type who enjoys the nightlife and meeting different kinds of people from every part of the globe.

Bar Work in Madrid

Madrid has one of the best nightlife in Europe and is known for the famous Flamenco tablao bars which is a must-visit if you happen to be in town. Generally speaking, Madrid boasts more bars per capita compared to any other city in Europe and perhaps even in the world. Some of its well-loved drinks include sherry, Sangria, wine, vermouth and Gin & Tonic.

Finding a job in a bar may not require fluency in speaking Spanish although it can be a useful way to communicate with your workmates. Of course, speaking and understanding Spanish will help you in knowing all the different drinks that the guests will ask for.

The most popular area for bars and discos is around Plaza Santa Ana. While it is popular among tourists, there are also quite a number of Madrileños who like to frequent the place. Here, you can find a great opportunity in finding work at a bar since bars are usually found one after the other.

Several chic bars and clubs are also sprawled along the Castellana where most of the bar-goers are professionals belonging to the age group of 25 and above. Other popular districts include Malasaña, Chueca, Huerta, La Latina, Alonso Martinez, Arguelles – Moncloa, Retiro and Salamanca, a favourite meeting spot of the pijos, Spain’s version of yuppies.

The best place to start looking for a bar job in Madrid would be in one of the expat bars that specifically cater to foreign customers. Luckily, Madrid has seen a number of English pubs and Irish bars opening in the city which should be enough in providing great working opportunities.

We recommend the following bars in Madrid where you can ask for work:

1. The Irish Rover – Av. de Brasil, 7, Metro: Santiago Bernabéu, Tel. 915-974-811

2. O’Connell, St – Calle de Espoz y Mina, 7, Metro: Sol, Tel. 915-222-293

3. La Fontana de Oro – Calle de la Victoria, 1, Metro: Sol, Tel. 915-310-420

4. The Handyman Irish Tavern – Torquemada 3, Metro: Mar de Cristal, Tel. 916-520-422

5. James Joyce – Calle de Alcalá, 59, Metro: Banco de España, Tel. 915-754-901

6. El Cisne – The Swan – Calle Ventura Rodriguez, 4, Metro: Ventura Rodriguez, Tel. 915-420-590

7. Paddy’s – Avenida de Concha Espina, 69, Metro: Concha Espina, Tel. 915-622-654

8. The Lock Inn – Calle de Santa Teresa, 14, Metro: Alonso Martinez, Tel. 913-103-984

9. Molly Malone’s – Calle de Manuela Malasaña, 11, Metro: Bilbao, Tel. 915-941-635

10. La Ardosa – Calle de Colón, 13, Metro: Tribunal, Tel. 915-214-979

Sales and Marketing

There are a number of sales and marketing internships available in Madrid wherein some companies even offer paid internship positions to English speakers.

Madrid is also home to a number of huge and multinational companies where you can also find vacancies in the sales and marketing departments. There are also several businesses that have their own call centres which are usually on the lookout for English speakers in order for them to cater to the growing expat population in Spain.

IT & Computer Jobs

IT and computer jobs are also one of the highly sought after posts in Madrid where a large number of international companies would require to get their complicated computer systems running smoothly at all times.

One of the “perks” of getting an IT job in Madrid is that you are not expected to speak any Spanish at all. Most part of the job entails providing backend computer support to companies which need very minimal communication and contact.

Some of the huge companies that you can find in Madrid include Telefonica de España, Grupo Santander, El Corte Ingles and Kimberly Clark.

What Type of Work Can Most Expats Find in Madrid?

In reality, expats will find that there are more job opportunities in Madrid compared to other Spanish cities knowing for a fact that Madrid’s unemployment rate is relatively lower than the country’s unemployment rate of about 22.7 percent.

Expats who are European Union (EU) nationals have more advantage than their non-EU counterparts since they are not required to secure a work permit for Spain. Moreover, employers would normally offer job contracts to nationals from other European nations before searching outside the continent.

Non-EU nationals are then advised to seek a job offer or they can apply to be self-employed for them to work in Madrid legally.

Apart from IT, other industries that remain popular among expats include finance, engineering and skilled labor.

ESL/TEFL Teaching Jobs

If you are looking for an English teaching job, Madrid is definitely a very promising location for finding a number of good and decent opportunities for teaching. There are several Spanish language schools that are always in the lookout for native English speakers to become part of their teaching staff and administration.

For British teachers, since they are European citizens themselves, getting a work permit can be really easy when they need to find an English teaching job in the city’s academies.

If you’re coming from the United States, you may have to do a lot more work in order to land your first big “dream teaching” job that would also include a contract and a residence permit. In the beginning, you may first secure a student’s visa for six months while studying Spanish and trying to finish a CELTA (Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) course. Another option is to come overusing a tourist visa, conduct private and company classes and then pop in and out of the country for visa stamping and renewal which you can do every three months.

It is advised that teachers who are looking for work in Madrid should have enough money in their savings before they come over since they would need it to pay for a big part of their stay in the beginning.

You can check these high-quality certified academies in Madrid for taking a CELTA course.

1. The British Language Centre – Plaza Castilla, 28046 Madrid, Spain (www.british-blc.com)
2. Hyland Language Centre – C/Serrano 19, 28001 Madrid, Spain (www.hylandmadrid.com)

In Madrid, you can find a variety of bilingual and international schools that are attended by expat kids. Since international educational standards had become a norm in the capital, many schools which follow the British and American curricula are now made up of a student body that is predominantly of Spanish descent.

Some of these prominent international schools in Madrid where you can consider finding employment in teaching include:

1. Endaze British International School (www.endazeinternationalschool.com)
2. Hastings School (www.hastingsschool.com)
3. International College Spain (www.icsmadrid.org)
4. International School of Madrid (www.internationalschoolofmadrid.com)
5. King’s College (www.kingscollegeschools.org)
6. Runnymede College (www.runnymede-college.com)
7. The America School of Madrid (www.asmadrid.org)

You can also go to these sites in finding a number of ESL/TEFL teaching opportunities: www.eslbase.com, www.academias.com, and www.tefl.com.

Paperwork and Regulations

It’s always best to secure an official job contract prior to working in a company in order to enjoy certain benefits such the country’s free medical care and pension system as well as those that are outlined in the Spanish social security system.

Other non-EU nationals such as Canadians and Australians will also be required to secure a visa from the Spanish embassy or consulate in their own country prior to travelling to Spain. Visas normally last three months and can be renewed although this may require you to leave the country first while waiting for the result of the renewal process.

If there’s a need to come up with a decision on accepting a job offer, try to consider the option that comes with an official working contract which is normally valid for three months. Getting an official contract will allow you to enjoy a number of benefits that include unemployment and pension, free Spanish school system and free Spanish state healthcare system.

Foreign workers who are working officially in the country would also be required to get a tax identification number otherwise known as the N.I.E. number for foreigners in Spain. The good thing is that it is actually very easy to obtain. You only need to bring along your passport or driver’s license to the nearest police station or Social Security office. Then, you will be asked to fill out a form before they can finally give you a temporary number and certificates.

Where to Find Work

Madrid job websites & forums. With more and more people gaining access to the internet whether at home or in public places, it’s now easier to get valuable information from the web which can come really handy particularly to those who are on the hunt for work opportunities outside their country. There are actually a number of job sites and forums where you can also find a variety of ads on the latest job vacancies. We also offer a similar service by providing employers and job seekers a way to enter important job details and opportunities in Madrid at the bottom of our page.

Numerous professional jobs in Madrid are listed on Jobs in Spain

Craigslist Madrid – Craigslist Madrid is a popular classified advertisement website where you can find a number of available jobs in Madrid.

Other popular sites for job hunting in Madrid include infojobs.net and infoempleo.com. As of this writing, Infoempleo has over 19,000 jobs advertised and more than 3,000 companies seeking for job applicants. The top 10 categories which have the most number of available jobs include:

• Commercial sales
• Engineering and production
• Professional, arts and crafts
• Quality, R & D, PRL and Environment
• Banking and Insurance
• Sanitation, health and social services
• Information technology
• Purchasing, logistics and transport
• Hospitality, Tourism
• Administrative and secretarial

Word of Mouth – While in Madrid, it’s also good to ask around and make contacts in order to get really good information on the current job opportunities that are available in your area. Most of the time, company and business owners in Madrid will simply put a notice in their window if they have any vacancies particularly if the post is part-time or if it is only needed for the summer.

Madrid newspapers – Madrid, which is the center of publication in Europe, boasts a number of free magazines and newspapers in English where you can find several sections that feature classified job advertisements.

Some of the best known daily newspapers that are published in Spain which have their headquarters located in Madrid include ABC, El Mundo, El País, and La Razon.

It would surely help a lot if you can speak and read some Spanish which will then allow you to take a look at the classified job sections found in most newspapers and magazines.

Vibbo publishes job offers, real estate offers, trade offers, and more classifieds.

Definitely try looking at the English newspaper In Madrid.

We also have our main employment page where you can find some job sources that specifically apply to Madrid such as employment agencies or recruitment agencies.

Some of the recruitment agencies that you can find in Madrid include:

1. Antal International – Plaza de Colon 2, Torres de Colon, 28046 Madrid, Tel. 913-106-015
2. Talent Search People – c/ Serrano 93, 5˚ A, 28006 Madrid, Tel. 915-900-431

Resources:

 Visit Madrid is the official Madrid tourism website that features a number of relevant information which include things to do, special events, getting around and maps and guides among others.

Turismomadrid is the official portal of tourism and promotion for the region of Madrid. It also offers an online training program called “Experts in Tourism in the Region of Madrid” which is perfect for those who are in the field of tourism and plan to use their expertise in Madrid.

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Summary

We regularly receive hundreds of e-mails from people who are seeking to find jobs in Madrid. Compared to Barcelona, it is definitely much easier to find work in Madrid being the center of major industries and multinational companies.

It is also easier to get around in Madrid using basic Spanish speaking skills as opposed to Barcelona where most of the population only speak Catalan.

In other words, expats looking for work in Madrid will find more success in their job hunt in the capital which offers a number of opportunities all throughout the year.

Below are some of the main sections and frequently asked questions on finding jobs in Madrid.

• Is the cost of living in Madrid high?
• Jobs in Madrid for Americans
• Are there jobs in Madrid for English speakers?
• Popular Types of Work and Job Vacancies
• Where can I find jobs in Madrid?
• Part-Time Work in Madrid
• Summer Jobs in Madrid 2024

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