asalariada

Asalariada is a Spanish term used as both an adjective and a noun to describe a person who works in exchange for a salary or wages paid by an employer. The feminine form of the masculine asalariado is asalariada, allowing the word to agree with gender in Spanish grammar. As a noun, it can refer to an individual worker who is salaried; as an adjective, it describes employment arrangements or statuses, such as “empleada asalariada” or “clase asalariada.”

Etymology and usage: The word comes from the verb asalariar, meaning to pay wages, which itself derives from salario, salary. In social science, economics, and labor law, asalariada is commonly used to denote someone whose work is compensated by a regular wage under an employment contract, as opposed to self-employed workers (autónomos) or freelancers. The term is often found in discussions of wage labor, labor markets, and employment rights.

Context and implications: The concept of the “clase asalariada” is used in analyses of how wage-based employment shapes bargaining power, income distribution, and access to social protections. Salaried workers typically participate in payroll systems, contribute to social security, and may be subject to formal employment contracts, though the specifics vary by country and legal regime. The term can appear in political, economic, and sociological discourse when contrasting salaried employment with other forms of work arrangements.

See also: trabajador por cuenta ajena, trabajador autónomo, contrato laboral, seguridad social, derechos laborales.