According to the OECD report Taxing Wages 2026, the average annual gross salary ranges from €18,590 in Turkey to €107,487 in Switzerland. The study includes 27 European countries, of which 22 are EU members. Latvia is officially recognized as one of the lowest-paid countries in Europe.
According to the OECD report Taxing Wages 2026, the average annual gross salary ranges from €18,590 in Turkey to €107,487 in Switzerland. The study includes 27 European countries, of which 22 are EU members. Latvia is officially recognized as one of the lowest-paid countries in Europe.
The Most Generous
As reported by Euronews, Switzerland is the only country where the average salary before taxes exceeds €100,000.
Iceland ranks second with an average of €85,950. Luxembourg leads in the European Union with €77,844 and occupies the third position in the overall ranking.
Denmark (€71,961) and the Netherlands (€69,028) complete the top five. Norway, with €68,420, is not far behind.
Among the five largest economies in Europe, Germany leads with €66,700, closely followed by the United Kingdom at €65,340. The other three major economies lag significantly behind.
In France, the figure is €45,964, in Italy €36,594, and in Spain €32,678. The average salary in Germany and the United Kingdom is more than twice that of Spain.
Austria (€63,054), Belgium (€62,348), Ireland (€60,258), Finland (€55,462), and Sweden (€50,338) occupy an intermediate position between these two groups, with all amounts exceeding €50,000.
The Poorest
The lowest average annual salary in the EU is in Slovakia at €19,590. Only nine out of the 22 EU countries represented in the list do not reach the €30,000 level.
Hungary (€21,257), Latvia (€21,321), the Czech Republic (€23,685), Portugal (€24,254), and Poland (€24,490) all remain below the €25,000 mark. Estonia (€25,603), Greece (€26,563), and Lithuania (€28,474) exceed this threshold but still fall short of €30,000.
In nominal terms, the top positions in the ranking are occupied by countries in Northern and Western Europe, while Southern and Eastern states are concentrated at the bottom.
It Could Be Worse
When considering purchasing power, the salary gap across Europe narrows compared to nominal figures.
Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) refers to exchange rates that equalize the purchasing power of different currencies, eliminating price level differences between countries. The data presented here is calculated in US dollars, as PPP statistics in euros have not yet been published.
Considering PPP, the average annual salary before taxes ranges from €38,118 in Slovakia to €106,532 in Switzerland. The figures for Germany (€93,985), Luxembourg (€93,203), and the Netherlands (€92,905) exceed €90,000. Close behind are Denmark (€88,454) and Norway (€87,722).
In Latvia, the annual salary in PPP is €42,975, placing the country second to last, just ahead of Slovakia. Estonia, however, is not far ahead of Latvia at €43,448, ranking third from the bottom.
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