Among EU countries, the highest earnings are in Luxembourg
According to Deutsche Welle, in Germany, Austria, Ireland, and Finland, salary levels are roughly similar: about 30,000 euros per year. Slightly lower earnings are in Belgium and France.
Lithuania has the lowest salary level in the EU. A similar situation is observed in Bulgaria and Romania. Things are better in the Czech Republic, Estonia, Croatia, Latvia, Poland, and Slovakia – about 10,000 euros per year after taxes.
Significant differences in wages are observed not only between EU countries but also within them. For example, in Germany, the highest hourly wage is almost four times the lowest hourly wage. In Belgium, Denmark, Finland, and France, this difference is two to three times. The smallest gap is in Sweden, and the largest is in Poland.
In Romania, for instance, a person engaged in low-paid work (earnings are two-thirds or less of the average salary) receives about 1 euro per hour, in Lithuania and Latvia – two euros, in Germany – eight euros, in Sweden – 14 euros, in Denmark and Ireland – about 18 euros.
Eurostat also compared how much Europeans spend on taxes and social contributions. Low-paid work was taken as a basis. On average in Europe, 38.4% is deducted from salaries. The highest percentage of tax and social payments (over 40%) is in Belgium, Hungary, Germany, Austria, France, Italy, Latvia, and Sweden. The lowest (less than 30%) is in Malta, Ireland, and the United Kingdom.
The statisticians also identified the most profitable sectors of the EU economies. Finance and insurance, IT and telecommunications are leaders in salaries in most EU countries. In Belgium, Germany, Spain, Austria, the highest wages are in the energy supply sector. In Denmark, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, the top salaries are in the mining industry (in Poland and Romania – second). Interestingly, in Luxembourg, the highest earners are educators and teachers.
At the other end of the ranking are the hotel and restaurant industry. In these sectors, workers' incomes are the lowest. Exceptions are Spain, Malta, and Slovenia, where salaries in these areas are not last but second-to-last. Generally, work in the service sector promises relatively good incomes only in a few countries. These include Estonia, Cyprus, Malta, and Hungary.
Another trend highlighted by European statisticians is the persistent gender pay gap. On average, it is 16.7% in favor of men. The smallest gap is observed in Belgium, Italy, Luxembourg, Romania, and Slovenia. The most significant (over 20%) is in Estonia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, and the United Kingdom.