The median gross salary in Austria is €3,713 per month (Statistik Austria, 2024), but that is not what arrives in your bank account. After wage tax and social security contributions, the median employee takes home around €2,711 per month (Statistik Austria, 2024).
Austria also has one important salary feature that many international comparisons overlook: most employees receive 14 salary payments per year, not 12. The 13th salary, or holiday pay, and the 14th salary, or Christmas pay, are taxed more favourably than regular income and are included pro-rata in Statistik Austria’s monthly income figures (Statistik Austria, 2024).
For anyone moving to Austria, negotiating a job offer, or comparing salaries across Europe, the key question is not only “What is the average salary?” but also “How much do I actually keep?”
Methodology Note
Austria publishes several official income datasets that use different methodologies.
The national salary figures in this article come from Statistik Austria’s Monthly Income 2024 publication, released in December 2025 (Statistik Austria, 2024).
Industry and regional salary figures come from the latest available Allgemeiner Einkommensbericht dataset, which uses 2023 reference-year income data and was published in December 2024 (Statistik Austria/Rechnungshof, 2023).
Because these datasets measure different populations and periods, figures should not be compared directly.
Average Salary in Austria — Key Numbers
| Metric | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Median gross salary | €3,713/month | Statistik Austria, 2024 |
| Median net salary | €2,711/month | Statistik Austria, 2024 |
| Median gross annual salary | €38,043/year | Statistik Austria, 2024 |
| Median gross annual salary, full-time and full-year | €55,678/year | Statistik Austria, 2024 |
| Statutory minimum wage | No national minimum wage | Austrian Ministry of Social Affairs, 2026 |
| Typical collective-agreement wage floors | €1,800–€2,000+/month | Austrian collective agreements, 2025–2026 |
| Estimated effective tax rate at median salary | ~27% | Finorum calculation |
| Nominal salary growth | +8.5% | Statistik Austria, 2024 |
| Inflation | +2.9% | Statistik Austria CPI, 2024 |
| Estimated real wage growth | ~+5.6% | Finorum calculation |
Calculate your exact net salary in Austria with our Net Salary Calculator.
Gross vs Net — Understanding Your Take-Home Pay
Austria’s salary system deducts two main items from gross pay:
- Social security contributions
- Wage tax, or Lohnsteuer
Social security contributions finance pensions, healthcare, unemployment insurance, and related benefits. Wage tax is progressive, meaning higher earnings are taxed at higher marginal rates.
Median Salary Calculation
Using the national median salary:
| Step | Amount |
|---|---|
| Gross salary | €3,713 |
| Tax and social contributions | -€1,002 |
| Net salary | €2,711 |
This represents an effective deduction rate of roughly 27% (Finorum calculation based on Statistik Austria, 2024).
Your actual net salary may differ significantly depending on:
- Family status
- Tax allowances
- Commuter deductions
- Church tax status
- Overtime payments
- Bonuses and special payments
Austria’s 13th and 14th salary payments are also taxed at preferential rates, increasing take-home income compared with countries that pay the same annual salary in only 12 monthly instalments.
For more detail on Austria’s tax system, see our Austria Tax Guide.
Salaries by Industry in Austria
Latest Available Sector Data: 2023
The latest official sector-level earnings data available in Austria comes from the Allgemeiner Einkommensbericht 2024, which uses 2023 income data (Statistik Austria/Rechnungshof, 2023).
The sector figures below are annual median gross earnings and may be affected by part-time and seasonal employment patterns.
| Industry | Median gross salary |
|---|---|
| Energy / Utilities | €66,292/year (Allgemeiner Einkommensbericht 2024, reference year 2023) |
| Finance / Banking | €55,402/year (Allgemeiner Einkommensbericht 2024, reference year 2023) |
| IT / Technology | €52,469/year (Allgemeiner Einkommensbericht 2024, reference year 2023) |
| Public Administration | €48,067/year (Allgemeiner Einkommensbericht 2024, reference year 2023) |
| Education | Approximately public-sector median levels (Allgemeiner Einkommensbericht 2024, reference year 2023) |
| Manufacturing | Above national average in many industrial occupations (Statistik Austria, 2024) |
| Healthcare | Varies significantly due to part-time employment patterns (Allgemeiner Einkommensbericht 2024, reference year 2023) |
| Construction | Generally above average for skilled workers (Collective Agreements, 2025) |
| Retail / Trade | Entry-level CBA wages around €2,010/month (Retail CBA, 2025) |
| Hospitality / Tourism | €15,166/year (Allgemeiner Einkommensbericht 2024, reference year 2023) |
The highest-paying sector in Austria is Energy and Utilities, with median annual earnings of €66,292 (Allgemeiner Einkommensbericht 2024, reference year 2023).
Finance follows at €55,402, while Information and Communications reaches €52,469 annually (Allgemeiner Einkommensbericht 2024, reference year 2023).
At the opposite end of the scale, Hospitality and Tourism reports median earnings of €15,166 per year (Allgemeiner Einkommensbericht 2024, reference year 2023).
This figure should be interpreted carefully because the sector includes large numbers of seasonal and part-time workers, which reduces annual median earnings.
Salaries by Region
Residence-Based Income Data: 2023
Regional income figures come from the latest available Allgemeiner Einkommensbericht dataset and refer to employees’ place of residence rather than workplace location (Statistik Austria/Rechnungshof, 2023).
This distinction is particularly important for Vienna and surrounding commuter regions.
| Region | Median gross annual income |
|---|---|
| Burgenland | €39,286/year (Allgemeiner Einkommensbericht 2024, reference year 2023) |
| Lower Austria | €38,829/year (Allgemeiner Einkommensbericht 2024, reference year 2023) |
| Upper Austria | €38,178/year (Allgemeiner Einkommensbericht 2024, reference year 2023) |
| Austria average | €36,313/year (Allgemeiner Einkommensbericht 2024, reference year 2023) |
| Vienna | €33,342/year (Allgemeiner Einkommensbericht 2024, reference year 2023) |
Burgenland reports the highest median earned income at €39,286 per year (Allgemeiner Einkommensbericht 2024, reference year 2023).
Lower Austria follows closely with €38,829, while Upper Austria records €38,178 (Allgemeiner Einkommensbericht 2024, reference year 2023).
Vienna appears last in residence-based income statistics at €33,342 per year (Allgemeiner Einkommensbericht 2024, reference year 2023). However, this does not mean Vienna has the lowest-paying jobs.
Many high-income workers commute into Vienna but live in surrounding regions such as Lower Austria or Burgenland. Their income is therefore counted outside Vienna.
This phenomenon is often referred to as the Vienna Paradox.
For a broader picture of everyday expenses, see our Cost of Living in Austria guide.
Salary Trends — Is Austria Keeping Up with Inflation?
Austria experienced strong wage growth during 2024. Total gross wage income increased by 8.5% year-on-year (Statistik Austria, 2024).
Median annual earnings for all employees rose to €38,043, representing annual growth of 7.7% (Statistik Austria, 2024).
For full-time, full-year employees, median earnings reached €55,678, an increase of 8.1% (Statistik Austria, 2024).
Inflation averaged 2.9% during 2024 (Statistik Austria CPI, 2024), substantially lower than the inflation peaks seen during 2022 and 2023.
As a result, Austrian workers experienced estimated real wage growth of approximately 5.6% during 2024 (Finorum calculation based on Statistik Austria data).
This marked an important reversal after several years in which inflation reduced purchasing power. Although real incomes improved overall, housing costs remain a significant challenge in Vienna and other major urban areas.
Compare salaries and purchasing power across all 27 EU countries on our interactive EU Country Comparison Map.
For long-term financial planning, see our Investing in Austria Guide.
Disclaimer
The salary, tax and net income figures in this article are provided for general informational purposes only. Actual take-home pay may vary depending on personal circumstances, tax allowances, social security status, family situation, place of residence, bonuses, special payments and other individual factors. Some net salary figures and effective deduction rates may be estimates based on publicly available data and simplified calculations. They should not be considered tax, legal, financial or employment advice. Before making financial, employment or relocation decisions, consult an official authority, qualified tax adviser, payroll specialist or other relevant professional.
Average salary in Austria
Iva Buće is a Master of Economics specializing in digital marketing and logistics. She combines analytical thinking with creativity to make financial and investment topics accessible to a broader audience. At Finorum, she focuses on translating complex economic concepts into clear, practical insights for everyday readers and investors.
Sources & References
EU regulations & taxation
- Bmf.gv.at — 13th salary, or holiday pay, and the 14th salary, or Christmas pay, are taxed more favourably
- Wage tax is progressive
Additional educational resources
- Oesterreich.gv.at — Social security contributions finance pensions, healthcare, unemployment insurance
- Rechnungshof.gv.at — Allgemeiner Einkommensbericht 2024
- Allgemeiner Einkommensbericht dataset
- Sozialministerium.gv.at — Statutory minimum wage
- Statistik.at — 2.9% during 2024
- Median gross annual salary
- Monthly Income 2024 publication