The headline rate is the same 15% of the Monthly Salary Credit (MSC) as for employees — but with no employer to split it, you pay the full 15% yourself. Self-employed members add a small EC fee (₱10 or ₱30); voluntary and OFW members pay 15% with no EC. Land-based OFWs start from a higher ₱8,000 minimum MSC (₱1,200 a month).
Every SSS member in the Philippines pays the same headline rate in 2026: 15% of the Monthly Salary Credit, the final step-up under Republic Act 11199 with no further increase scheduled. The difference for self-employed, voluntary, and OFW members is simple but expensive — there is no employer to shoulder part of it. Employed members hand over only a 5% slice from their paycheck; everyone here remits the whole 15%.
If you're an employee looking for the split between your share and your employer's, our main guide on how to compute your SSS contribution in 2026 covers the employed-member case in detail. This page focuses on the three membership types who pay it all themselves.
How the MSC works
SSS does not compute on your exact income. It snaps your declared monthly income to a standardized figure — the Monthly Salary Credit — grouped in ₱500 steps from a floor of ₱5,000 to a ceiling of ₱35,000. You declare your income, SSS assigns the matching bracket, and your contribution is 15% of that MSC.
What each member type pays
Self-employed
You pay 15% of your MSC, plus your own EC (Employees' Compensation) fee: ₱10 if your MSC is below ₱15,000, or ₱30 if your MSC is ₱15,000 or higher. The EC is the only difference between you and a voluntary member.
Voluntary member
Voluntary members — typically people who were previously employed or self-employed and now keep contributing on their own — pay the full 15% of the MSC, with no EC fee.
Land-based OFW
OFWs pay the full 15%, with no EC, but start from a higher minimum MSC of ₱8,000 — a minimum contribution of ₱1,200 per month. OFWs may also pay contributions in advance, for instance settling the whole year at once, which is convenient when working abroad.
Worked examples (2026)
Here's the exact arithmetic across member types and declared income levels.
| Member type / income | MSC | 15% of MSC | EC | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Self-employed, ₱15,000 | 15,000 | 2,250 | 30 | 2,280 |
| Self-employed, ₱25,000 | 25,000 | 3,750 | 30 | 3,780 |
| Voluntary, ₱20,000 | 20,000 | 3,000 | — | 3,000 |
| OFW minimum | 8,000 | 1,200 | — | 1,200 |
| OFW, ₱30,000 | 30,000 | 4,500 | — | 4,500 |
| Maximum (MSC ceiling) | 35,000 | 5,250 | 30 | 5,280 |
The EC column applies to self-employed members only. At the ₱35,000 ceiling, a self-employed member pays ₱5,280 total (₱5,250 + ₱30 EC); voluntary and OFW members pay ₱5,250.
Take the self-employed, ₱25,000 row in detail. Declaring ₱25,000 a month gives an MSC of ₱25,000. The contribution is ₱25,000 × 15% = ₱3,750, and because the MSC is above ₱15,000 the EC fee is ₱30 — a total of ₱3,780. Unlike an employee, there is no employer share; the member remits the entire ₱3,780.
Skip the math
Pick your membership type, enter your declared income, and get your exact contribution — 15% share, EC where it applies, and Pension Booster — in one tap.
Open the SSS Calculator →Minimum and maximum for 2026
- Self-employed & voluntary minimum: ₱750 per month, at the ₱5,000 MSC floor.
- OFW minimum: ₱1,200 per month, at the higher ₱8,000 MSC floor.
- Maximum (all types): ₱5,250 at the ₱35,000 MSC ceiling — or ₱5,280 for a self-employed member once the ₱30 EC is added.