Average salary in Poland and Germany – wage comparison for investors

The average salary in Poland remains significantly below the German level. Comparable Eurostat figures for 2024 show average annual salaries of EUR 21,246 in Poland and EUR 53,791 in Germany. The nominal gap is narrowing, but average salaries alone do not provide a complete comparison of employment costs.

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What is the average salary in Poland in 2026?

According to Statistics Poland (GUS), data published on 7 October 2026 shows that the average gross monthly salary in Poland reached PLN 9,651.59 in April 2026, approximately EUR 2,189. This was 5.5% higher than in April 2025.

The median gross salary was PLN 7,695, approximately EUR 1,745, representing growth of 6.0% year on year. The average was therefore around 25.4% above the median.

Company size also affects salary levels. The median amounted to:

• PLN 9,098.87 in organisations employing at least 1,000 people,
• PLN 4,806 in the smallest businesses with up to nine people working.

EUR figures use the National Bank of Poland rate of 28 October 2026: EUR 1 = PLN 4.4090. The conversion does not make Polish and German national statistics methodologically comparable.

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What is the average salary in Germany?

According to Destatis, the average gross monthly salary for full-time employees in Germany was EUR 4,851 in 2025, excluding special payments. The corresponding 2024 figure was EUR 4,691, representing growth of approximately 3.4%.

In April 2025, average gross monthly earnings were EUR 4,784 and the median was EUR 4,123. The median annual salary for 2025, including special payments, reached EUR 54,066.

Germany also has a wide earnings distribution. The lowest-paid 10% of full-time employees earned no more than EUR 33,828 annually, while the highest-paid 10% received at least EUR 100,719.

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How do salaries in Poland and Germany compare?

Eurostat provides a more consistent basis for cross-country comparison through its average annual full-time adjusted salary indicator.

For 2024:

• Poland: EUR 21,246,
• Germany: EUR 53,791,
• EU average: EUR 39,808.

Germany’s average was approximately 2.53 times the Polish level, while Poland’s figure represented around 39.5% of the German average.

Between 2023 and 2024, salaries measured in euros increased by 16.6% in Poland and 5.5% in Germany. The nominal gap narrowed from EUR 32,770 to EUR 32,545.

However, euro-denominated growth may also reflect exchange-rate movements, while nominal increases do not account for inflation.

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What does the salary gap mean for employers?

Lower nominal salaries can affect decisions concerning manufacturing, logistics and shared services locations in Poland.

However, an average gross salary does not represent the total cost of employment. Employer social security contributions, employment arrangements, additional benefits, skilled labour availability and productivity must also be considered.

National averages also do not automatically represent salary levels for specific roles such as IT specialists, engineers, manufacturing employees or senior managers.

For businesses assessing payroll in Poland against Germany, GUS, Destatis and Eurostat data therefore provide a starting point rather than a complete employment-cost calculation.

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If you have any further questions or require additional information, please contact your business relationship person or use the enquiry form on the HLB Poland website.

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