Average gross wages across Europe - OECD report for 27 countries: Switzerland leads with 107,487 euros. Turkey 18,590 euros
Average wages vary significantly across Europe, and when purchasing power is taken into account, the gap narrows. But the divide between the continent's highest and lowest-paid countries remains wide. According to the OECD report, average annual gross wages range from €18,590 in Turkey to €107,487 in Switzerland. The data covers 27 European countries, 22 of which are EU members.
Switzerland is the only country where average gross salaries exceed 100,000 euros. Iceland ranks second with 85,950 euros. Luxembourg leads the EU with 77,844 euros, ranking third. Among Europe's five largest economies, Germany leads with 66,700 euros, followed by the United Kingdom with 65,340 euros. Slovakia has the lowest annual salaries in the EU at 19,590 euros.
In nominal terms, Northern and Western European countries dominate the top end of the rankings. Southern and Eastern Europe remain at the bottom.
Experts from the International Labour Organization (ILO) say that changes in wages across Europe mainly reflect three factors: productivity and economic structure, labour market institutions and the cost of living.
Countries with high value-added sectors, such as finance and technology, tend to pay more, as do those with strong unions and collective bargaining. Higher price levels also generally push nominal wages up. In purchasing power terms, the wage gap across Europe is narrowing compared to nominal figures.
The average wage estimates refer to full-time employees working in selected industry sectors, mostly public. They cover most of the economy - including manufacturing, construction, retail, transportation, finance and other business services - but exclude agriculture, public administration, education and health.
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