Romania has among the lowest average salaries in Europe. The countries of the old continent where people earn the highest incomes
Romania has among the lowest average salaries in Europe, two times lower than France and four times lower than Luxembourg, with incomes higher than average salaries only in Slovakia, Hungary, Greece and Bulgaria.
Romania has among the lowest average salaries in Europe. Archive photo
Official statistics show major discrepancies between European states, with the highest average salaries being 4-5 times higher than the lowest incomes.
While some European workers earn wages comparable to those in the United States, others take home less than 20,000 euros (about $23,700) a year, highlighting the wide income gap in Europe's economy, according to visualcapitalist.com.
The table shows the average annual full-time salary in each European country, using data from Eurostat and the OECD.
Countries with the highest salaries in Europe
Luxembourg ranks first in Europe with an average full-time salary of around €83,000, also placing it among the highest paying countries in the world.
In addition to being driven by high-wage industries such as IT and finance, Luxembourg also uses a wage indexation system that automatically adjusts wages for inflation to maintain purchasing power.
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Iceland ranks second among the highest paying countries in Europe, with the average worker taking home just over €77,000. The country also has strong union coverage, with around 90% of employees covered by a union, which could allow greater leverage in wage negotiations.
Several Nordic and Western European countries also rank in the top spots. Switzerland, Denmark and Iceland all report average salaries above €70,000 per year. Meanwhile, Germany and France – Europe's two largest economies – are near the middle, with average full-time wages of €53,791 and €43,790 respectively.
The East-West divide in European wages
Moving to southern and eastern Europe, average wages drop significantly.
While Southern European countries such as Spain, Italy and Portugal are approaching the €30,000 mark, Eastern European nations are at the bottom of the rankings. Bulgaria reports the lowest average full-time salary in Europe at just €15,387, ahead of Greece, Hungary, Slovakia and Romania.
However, while total salaries are useful for comparison, they do not provide a complete picture. Countries with higher wages also tend to have higher costs of living, especially for housing, childcare and services. Meanwhile, lower-wage countries often benefit from cheaper housing and daily expenses, partially offsetting income gaps.
The average net salary reached 5,914 lei in December 2025
The average net salary was 5,914 lei in December 2025, up 299 lei (+5.3%) compared to November, according to data published on Thursday by the National Institute of Statistics (INS). The average gross salary income reached 9,868 lei, being higher by 497 lei (+5.3%) compared to the previous month.
Compared to December 2024, the average net salary increased by 4.8%. At the same time, the real wage earnings index was 95.5% compared to December 2024 and 105.1% compared to November 2025, the evolution being influenced both by the salary dynamics and the inflation rate.
The highest values of the average net wage gain were recorded in crude oil and natural gas extraction (13,012 lei) and in information technology service activities, including computer services (12,588 lei). At the opposite pole, the lowest average net wages were recorded in hotels and restaurants (3,557 lei) and in the manufacture of clothing (3,581 lei).
