How much to pay SSS, PhilHealth and Pag-IBIG as a freelancer

SSS voluntary contribution, PhilHealth and Pag-IBIG for self-employed freelancers in 2026: how much each costs a month and when to pay, from each agency.

8 min read. Updated . By Catalyst Outsourcing.

When you freelance or work on a contract, no employer pays your SSS, PhilHealth or Pag-IBIG, so you pay all three yourself. Here's how much each one costs a month, how to pay it and when it's due, from each agency's own pages, read on 7 October 2026.

If you take a role on DayShift, you contract with Catalyst Outsourcing as an independent contractor, so these payments are yours to sort out. Your contract sets the terms, so read it too. This guide quotes the agencies' rules. It isn't legal or tax advice, so check your own case with each agency.

How much is SSS a month if you're self-employed?

First, work out which kind of member you are. SSS describes a self-employed member as one "engaged in any trade, business, or occupation, who has no ER other than himself". A voluntary member is someone who was covered before and "is no longer engaged or working as either an EE, SE, or OFW, or has no income/earnings as such for a given period".

On our reading, if you earn from freelance or contract work, SSS counts you as self-employed. Voluntary is for periods when you have no work income.

SSS Circular No. 2024-008 sets the contribution at 15% of your monthly salary credit (MSC), on a schedule from P5,000 to P35,000 that took effect in January 2025, and you pay the whole 15% yourself:

Here's an example from the self-employed table. If you declare earnings of P20,000 a month, your MSC is P20,000 and you pay P3,030: P3,000 for SSS and P30 for EC. SSS credits the part of your MSC above P20,000 to your own MySSS Pension Booster account.

Every salary credit, for employees as well as self-employed, voluntary and OFW members, is on our SSS contribution table, with a calculator.

So how much is the SSS voluntary contribution in 2026? On SSS's circulars page on 7 October 2026, the latest schedule for voluntary members was still Circular No. 2024-009, effective January 2025: P750 to P5,250 a month.

When is the SSS deadline, and what if you miss it?

How much is PhilHealth a month if you're self-employed?

PhilHealth calls you a self-paying member: "individuals without a formal employer who have the capacity to pay their own premium contributions". Its July 2026 advisory says direct contributors pay "five percent (5.0%) of the monthly income effective January 2025", with a minimum of P500 a month.

PhilHealth's own examples: a monthly income of P10,000 pays P500, P30,000 pays P1,500, and P100,000 pays P5,000, which is the ceiling.

Our PhilHealth calculator works it out for any income.

How and when to pay:

How much is Pag-IBIG a month if you're self-employed?

Pag-IBIG's own FAQ answers it in Filipino: "Simula Pebrero 2024, ang buwanang hulog ng mga self-employed members ay P400 na, mula sa dating P200." In English, since February 2024, self-employed members pay P400 a month, up from P200.

On our reading, that's 2% for you and 2% in place of an employer, on a Maximum Fund Salary of P10,000. Pag-IBIG's FAQ adds that you can pay more than P400 if you want to save more.

To join, register online on Pag-IBIG's membership page. You get a Registration Tracking Number (RTN) first, and your permanent Membership ID (MID) number "after two (2) to three (3) working days". Then pay through Virtual Pag-IBIG with your MID number ready, or through one of Pag-IBIG's payment channels.

We couldn't find a payment deadline for self-employed members on the Pag-IBIG pages we read, so ask Pag-IBIG before you skip a month.

What all three cost you each month

On our reading of the three agencies' pages, the lowest you'd pay as a self-employed freelancer is P1,660 a month: P760 for SSS, P500 for PhilHealth and P400 for Pag-IBIG. SSS and PhilHealth both rise with what you earn, up to P5,280 and P5,000 a month.

The deadlines differ. SSS wants each month paid by the end of the next month, or each quarter by the end of the month after it, and a missed month can't be paid later. PhilHealth's circular lets you pay any number of months up to 31 December, as long as the whole year is paid.

Nothing is deducted from a freelancer's pay for these, so the P1,660 or more comes out of what your client pays you, along with any transfer fees. Our guide on how to get paid by overseas clients shows what each way of getting paid costs, and how to answer "what is your expected salary" helps you set a number that covers them. If your clients are in Singapore, read what it's like working with Singapore clients too.

Looking for daytime work? It's free to apply on the job board.

Questions

How much is the SSS voluntary contribution in 2026?

Under SSS Circular No. 2024-009, still the latest schedule on 7 October 2026, a voluntary member pays 15% of the monthly salary credit they choose: P750 a month at an MSC of P5,000, up to P5,250 at P35,000.

Should a freelancer pay SSS as self-employed or voluntary?

SSS describes a self-employed member as someone with no employer other than themselves, and a voluntary member as a past member with no work income for a period. On our reading, freelance income makes you self-employed. If you're not sure, ask SSS on its hotline, 1455.

Can I pay SSS for months I missed?

No. SSS says late payments from self-employed and voluntary members aren't allowed, so missed months stay as gaps. You can still pay the months ahead of you.

How much is PhilHealth for self-employed members?

PhilHealth's July 2026 advisory says 5% of your monthly income, with a minimum of P500 a month. At P100,000 a month or more you pay P5,000, the ceiling. Pay the whole year by 31 December.

How much is Pag-IBIG for self-employed members?

P400 a month since February 2024, up from P200, according to Pag-IBIG's own FAQ. You can pay more if you want to save more.

Sources

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