Fair full-time pay – how much should it be? Poles indicated the amount

Only 12 percent of surveyed Poles would agree to a lower salary in exchange for easier work – according to the Personnel Service Polish Labor Market Barometer. Half of the respondents believe that a fair salary for full-time physical work is PLN 6,500. PLN net.

Who will agree to a pay cut?

The Personnel Service Polish Labor Market Barometer shows that most Poles accept the possibility of working for lower wages, but impose clear conditions. As much as 46 percent respondents declare that they would agree to a salary reduction only if the difference in earnings was “not large.” Every third respondent (32%) cannot imagine such a scenario at all, and every tenth (10%) has no opinion on this matter. Only a small group would be ready for a lower salary in exchange for lighter duties or better working conditions (12%).

At the same time – as the authors of the study note – willingness to work for lower wages varies depending on the industry. The most people willing to make such a compromise are in trade and e-commerce, because almost every sixth (17%) in this sector would be ready to earn less in exchange for lighter duties or better working conditions. In transport and logistics, slightly less, 16 percent, declare this. respondents, in construction 14 percent, and in production and industry – 12 percent.

“This is a signal that although few Poles today openly declare their willingness to work for less money, under appropriate conditions the number of such people could be significantly larger,” says Krzysztof Inglot, a labor market expert and founder of Personnel Service.

He claims that if there are industries in which employees are allowed to earn a lower salary, this should encourage companies to invest in workplace ergonomics, flexible schedules and a better work-life balance.

“But if there are few such declarations, it means a low level of the so-called trade-off, i.e. the willingness to compromise between pay and work comfort, which in practice translates into further wage pressure,” he added. In his opinion, trying to compensate for harder work with facilities alone, without increasing rates, will not work. “Therefore, we recommend that companies adjust salaries, introduce efficiency bonuses or actually relieve workloads through automation, micro-breaks or rotation of activities,” Inglot said.

Fair pay – what is it?

Half of Poles consider fair remuneration for full-time physical work the amount of PLN 6.5 thousand PLN net. In turn, 24 percent indicated a range from 5.5 thousand up to 6.49 thousand PLN “on hand”. However, 19 percent believes that a fair salary should be between PLN 4.5 thousand and 5.49 thousand PLN, and 7 percent indicates a range from 3.5 thousand up to 4.49 thousand PLN “in hand”. Almost every fifth employee (18%) believes that from 6.5 thousand up to 7.49 thousand PLN net you can do physical work. Only every tenth respondent (10%) believes that a fair rate should be considered today as a salary exceeding PLN 8,500. PLN per month.

The authors of the report pointed out that differences in expectations depend on place of residence and form of employment. For every tenth rural resident (10%), earnings amount to PLN 3.5-4.49 thousand. PLN on hand are fair today, while in large cities (100-500 thousand inhabitants) only 4% think so. respondents. In turn, the highest expectations, above 8.5 thousand PLN net, appear more often among residents of the largest agglomerations (14%) than in small towns with a population of up to 20,000. inhabitants (8%). 17% would also like to receive a salary at this level. self-employed people, with only 2 percent working under civil law contracts, such as commission or specific work.

“Meanwhile, data from the Central Statistical Office from May 2025 indicate that the median salary in the national economy is PLN 7.08 thousand gross, i.e. approximately PLN 5.28 thousand net. In the private sector, this amount is even lower, PLN 6.46 thousand gross, which translates into less than PLN 4.85 thousand net. This shows that even what employees consider fair remuneration is still out of reach for many. On the other hand, it is clear that more and more Not only the amount of salary, but also the quality and comfort of work begins to play a greater role in professional decisions,” Inglot sums up.

The study was conducted on a nationwide sample of 1,090 people. The amounts were selected according to the representation in the population of Poles aged 18 and over, gender, age and size of place of residence. The study was carried out between October 30 and November 3, 2025.

ewes/ mrr/