Accessible summary This study investigates the quality of life in healthcare personnel and the relationship to burnout syndrome. The health‐related quality of life reported by healthcare personnel from five Spanish hospitals was lower than the reference population. The results showed that perceived health, especially mental health, was worse amongst personnel that reported a high level of burnout. The results highlight the need to prevent burnout through organizational strategies and programmes to promote occupational health. AbstractThe purpose of this study was to analyse the relationship between perceived quality of life and levels of burnout among healthcare personnel. A sample of 1095 participants (nurses, physicians, nursing assistants and orderlies) from five hospitals in the province of Girona (Spain) were studied (78% women, mean age = 36.6 years, SD = 8.8) using the 36‐item short‐form health questionnaire (SF‐36) and the Maslach Burnout Inventory. The results showed that health‐related quality of life reported by this sample of healthcare personnel was lower than the reference population values, especially in those SF‐36 dimensions that comprise the mental component. In comparing the dimensions of the SF‐36 by profession, we found that physicians had better perceived health in the dimensions of the physical component than nurses and other professionals (P < 0.01). No statistical differences were observed between profession and the dimensions of the mental component (P > 0.05). Moreover, perceived health was worse among those that reported a high level on any of the components of burnout. These results should be taken account when designing a burnout prevention programme in the workplace.