This Is the Average Salary in the European Union (2024 Update – All Countries)

Let’s check out the average monthly wages across the entire European Union in 2024! I consider this data extremely important for those who are looking to move to a specific country in the EU, as it makes it easier to estimate the cost of living.

Knowing how much the average person earns in each of the countries below helps you see where you stand if you’ve been offered a job.

At the very least – you know how much a middle class life would cost per month.

With all these in mind, let’s check out the average salary in all EU countries in 2024. I am converting all values to Euros (some still don’t use it) and we’re talking about take home monthly salaries below.

Average salary in the European Union by Country

CountryAverage Net Salary
1. Luxembourg€4,300
2. Denmark€4,200
3. Netherlands€3,650
4. Ireland€3,375
5. Germany€2,750
6. Sweden€2,680
7. Belgium€2,650 (tie)
8. France€2,650 (tie)
9. Finland €2,450
10. Austria€2,300
11. Spain€1,850
12. Italy€1,820
13. Portugal€1,650
14. Slovenia€1,475
15. Cyprus€1,375
16. Malta€1,350
17. Czechia€1,300
18. Lithuania€1,275
19. Greece€1,250
20. Croatia€1,150
21. Poland€1,150
22. Slovakia€1,050
23. Estonia€1,050
24. Latvia€1,000
25. Hungary€980
26. Romania€945
27. Bulgaria€850

If we are to do the math, the overall average wage in the European Union in 2024 would be:

2,006 Euros / Month

Compared to 2023, the average wage has increased by a solid €150/month, following an increase of €50 in 2022 and another one of €150 in 2021.

Overall, steady growth and for the first time ever that the overall average wage has gone over the €2,000/month mark.

This also reflects in major increases in the minimum salaries in the EU, so if you’re planning to relocate and find a job in an European country, the timing is great!

I also estimate that next year, we’ll see all average salaries in the EU of over €1,000/month.

Important things to know about the monthly average wages in Europe

As you can see for yourself in the table above, there are huge differences in Europe and countries toward the end of the table are earning around 4 times less than those at the top.

For example, the average wage in Luxembourg is 5 times higher than what people in Bulgaria are earning.

The drops in the average salary are also substantial even in the top 10: a massive, €2,000 difference, between the 1st and the 10th placed!

This means that there’s a huge discrepancy when it comes to earnings throughout the Union. Add to that the differences between the cost of living in each country to make things even more complicated.

But all in all, salaries have increased greatly in the EU in 2024 and we now only have three countries earning, on average, less than 1,000 Euros per month.

Important note: The economy changes constantly and the research I am doing to gather all this information regarding the average wages in all these countries might end up with slightly incorrect values (as they change from month to month throughout the year).

Take everything with a pinch of salt, as the real average salary in a country might be a bit different than the numbers shared below as they also vary by city and influenced by other factors.

However, for informational purposes, the data above is better than no data at all and it took me several hours to compile – usually with plenty of Google Translate involved in checking out websites in languages I don’t speak.

I personally believe that salaries will remain pretty much flat throughout 2024 (if not for longer), but time will tell.

However, at the moment, the data shows that in most EU countries, if you do earn an average salary, you can live at least a decent life.

PIN it for later

Average salaries in the EU Pinterest Pin

Wrapping up

As we see that the average throughout all countries in Europe is €2,006, yet 17 of the 27 EU countries earn a lot less.

But despite all of these discrepancies, I think it’s safe to say that earning the average salary in any of Europe’s countries (including those in the EU) would allow you to live at least a decent life here.

So, for guidance and estimations, this article is a good starting point and, based on my research, the numbers are as close to reality as possible when it comes to NET (take home) pay.

It would still be great if people living in the various countries of the European Union listed above could confirm the data that I managed to gather – or let me know what the situation is in the countries they know. This will help make this list better and even more useful.

Here are some of the sources that I have used for my research: Wikipedia, Croatia Wise, Romania Experience, Poland Statistics and many other local websites.

Sharing is caring!

8 thoughts on “This Is the Average Salary in the European Union (2024 Update – All Countries)”

  1. Great thing to note, Dan! For this year’s numbers, I did not take the extra salaries in consideration, just the average monthly pay. From next year, I am planning to try and gather the data to include the extra salary some countries offer.

    Reply
  2. Numbers are not right at all.
    Today came out new statistics about Baltic states. it’s totally not as in this list.
    For example in Estonia it’s before taxes. In Lithuania it’s more like after taxes. In Latvia even average lowest salary after taxes isn’t so low.

    Reply
    • Thanks for the comment. Do you have a link to the new study, so I can update the article with the correct numbers? I searched a bit online and found nothing…

      Reply

Leave a Comment