Average salary in Europe 2026, after tax
Every statistics office measures pay differently: an average or a median, full-time jobs or all jobs, with or without bonuses. This page shows each country's official figure and what it leaves after tax, then puts 6 countries on the same Eurostat definition so they can be compared fairly.
- Irelandhas the highest average full-time salary of the 6 countries Eurostat measures on the same basis: €61,051 in 2024, or €3,790 a month after 2026 tax.
- 2.5×the average full-time salary in Ireland compared with Portugal (€24,818). After tax the gap narrows to 2.4×.
- 77%of an average full-time salary is kept in Spain, the most of the 6. In Germany it is 64%.
- €4,046a month after tax on the national average in the Netherlands (€69,000 a year, 2025), the highest of the 8 national figures.
Average full-time salary on the same basis
- Take-home
- Income tax and social security
| Country | Average full-time salary, 2024 | Take-home a year | Take-home a month | You keep |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ireland | €61,051 | €45,479 | €3,790 | 74.5% |
| Germany | €53,791 | €34,345 | €2,862 | 63.8% |
| France | €43,790 | €31,606 | €2,634 | 72.2% |
| Spain | €33,700 | €25,950 | €2,162 | 77.0% |
| Italy | €33,523 | €25,284 | €2,107 | 75.4% |
| Portugal | €24,818 | €18,939 | €1,578 | 76.3% |
Eurostat's average salary per employee adjusted to full time, from the national accounts, for 2024. Take-home pay applies the 2026 tax rules to that salary for a single employee without children (Spain: Madrid; Italy: Milan; France: after income tax). There is no figure in this series for the Netherlands or the UK.
National average salaries after tax
| Country | What it measures | Gross a year | Take-home a year | Take-home a month | You keep |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | Average, full-time, incl. holiday allowance, 2025 | €69,000 | €48,551 | €4,046 | 70.4% |
| Ireland | Average, full-time, incl. bonuses, 2025 | €62,010 | €45,985 | €3,832 | 74.2% |
| Germany | Average, full-time, incl. special payments, 2025 | €64,441 | €39,811 | €3,318 | 61.8% |
| UK | Median, full-time, 2025 | €46,626 (£39,039) | €37,774 (£31,628) | €3,148 | 81.0% |
| France | Average, private sector, full-time equivalent, 2024 | €43,224 | €31,283 | €2,607 | 72.4% |
| Spain | Average, full-time, 2024 | €33,827 | €26,035 | €2,170 | 77.0% |
| Italy | Average, full-time adjusted, 2024 | €33,523 | €25,284 | €2,107 | 75.4% |
| Portugal | Average, all jobs incl. part-time, 2025 | €20,328 | €15,964 | €1,330 | 78.5% |
The latest figure from each country's statistics office; Italy uses the Eurostat figure. Sorted by take-home pay. The UK figure is converted at the ECB rate of 23 October 2026. Each country name links to a page with more salary levels around its benchmark.
Why the national figures don't compare directly
- Average or median. The UK publishes a median, the salary in the middle: £39,039 for full-time employees in 2025. The mean was £48,512, 24% higher, because high earners pull an average up. Every other country here reports an average.
- Full-time or all jobs. Portugal's figure of €20,328 covers part-time jobs as well, which pulls it down. Eurostat's full-time-adjusted figure for Portugal was €24,818 in 2024.
- What is included. Ireland includes bonuses, Germany special payments such as Christmas bonuses, and the Netherlands its 8% holiday allowance. Portugal's and Spain's averages include their 13th and 14th payments.
- Private sector only. France's figure covers private-sector employees, converted to full-time equivalents.
- Different years. The latest figures are for 2024 or 2025. Pay has usually risen since, so a current salary should be compared with a slightly higher number.
The Eurostat series at the top avoids most of these problems: it uses the national accounts, counts part-time work as fractions of a full-time job and covers the whole economy. It is the better guide to how pay levels compare.
What these averages mean for a job offer
An average is a benchmark for a whole country, not a fair salary for a particular job. Pay depends a lot on the sector, the city and your experience, and capitals usually pay more than the national average. To see what a real offer leaves after tax, use the calculator for the country, or compare the same salary across countries. To find the salary that keeps your take-home pay when you move, use the salary equivalent calculator.
At the bottom of the pay scale, see minimum wages in Europe; for take-home pay at fixed salaries in every country, see the report take-home pay in Europe 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Which European country has the highest average salary?
On the same Eurostat definition, Ireland: €61,051 for an average full-time employee in 2024, ahead of Germany (€53,791) and France (€43,790). That series has no figure for the Netherlands or the UK; their national figures are in the first table.
How much of the average salary do you keep after tax?
Between 64% in Germany and 77% in Spain for a single employee on the Eurostat average, after income tax and employee social security with the 2026 rules.
Is the average salary what most people earn?
No. A few high earners pull the average up, so most people earn less. In the UK the median full-time salary was £39,039 in 2025 and the mean £48,512, 24% higher.
Why does Portugal's average look so low?
Its official figure, €20,328 in 2025, covers all jobs including part-time ones. Adjusted to full time, Eurostat puts it at €24,818 for 2024. It is still the lowest of the countries here.
Why is Turkey not included?
We have not yet added an official yearly earnings figure for Turkey on a basis that compares with these. Its minimum wage is on the minimum wage page.
How is the UK figure converted to euros?
At the European Central Bank reference rate of 23 October 2026: £0.83728 per euro. The pound amounts are shown next to the euro figures.
Sources: Eurostat: average full-time adjusted salary per employee (nama_10_fte), CSO: Earnings and Labour Costs annual data (table EHA05), CSO: Earnings analysis using administrative data sources 2025, INE: average gross monthly pay, December 2025, CBS: the labour market in figures 2025, wages, CPB: key figures, Macro Economic Outlook 2027, INE: annual wage structure survey 2024, Destatis: press release 113 of 1 April 2026, Eurostat: structure of earnings survey, annual earnings (earn_ses_annual), INSEE Première 2079: private sector salaries in 2024, ONS: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings 2025, European Central Bank: euro foreign exchange reference rates. Take-home pay comes from the same engines as the country calculators; see the methodology.