Salaries have increased in total by 12-46% over the last five years in the 20 sectors with the greatest employment, according to the Labor Ministry’s Ergani database.
Employees working on a full-time contract receive 1,433 euros per month gross on average. In September 2,830,818 workers were employed with salary labor contracts (full- and part-time), with an average salary per worker at €1,252 gross (total for full-time and part-time contracts).
Comparing the September data with the same month in 2019, it stems that a large part of the increase in wages is affected by the rise in the minimum wage.
Leading the wage hikes is the food service industry, which recorded a 46% increase on average in September this year compared to September 2019.
This is followed by rental and leasing activities, with a 35% increase, while average salaries have grown 34% in the sectors of services to buildings’ outdoor spaces, legal and accounting activities, and personal services (e.g. barbershops, hairdressers, cleaners, care centers).
Average gross earnings in the motor vehicle and motorcycle repair industry stood at €1,120 in September this year, up from €848 in September 2019, representing an increase of 32%.
The increase in average wages in retail reached 30%, to €952 from €732 five years earlier.
Average salaries in the head office and management consulting sector increased 29%, with the average salary reaching €1,556 gross in September 2024 against €1,203 gross in September 2019.
Average earnings in the sector of specialized construction activities increased from €818 euros in September 2019 to €1,045 this year, marking an increase of 28%.
Workers in the food industry and computer programming and consulting sectors also saw a 23% increase in average wages, with average salaries reaching €1,120 and €2,186 respectively.
The increase in average wages in wholesale trade amounted to 22%, with the mean salary reaching €1,349 in September.
In some sectors the monthly earnings fall short of the minimum wage, since the average is calculated based on the total number of employees, which includes part-timers.
