What Is a Good Salary in Austria? [+Average Salaries 2022]
Salary is the most important factor when accepting a job offer in another country. If you are interested in relocating, you need to be aware of the current wages in Austria, so that you can set the right expectations.
In Austria, the net monthly salary between 2,000 EUR and 3,000 EUR is good, and everything above 3,500 EUR is very good. For this, you need to earn between 40,000 EUR and 55,000 EUR before income tax. While the median gross salary in Austria in 2022 is 52,000 EUR (34,517 EUR after-tax).
Austrians don’t like to talk about compensation and money in general. So figuring out how much you should earn while working in this country might be difficult. This article gives insights into the minimum wages in Austria and Vienna and the cost of living.
What is considered a good salary in Austria in 2022-2023?
In 2022, for a working person living in Austria, net monthly income of 2,000 EUR and 3,000 EUR is considered to be good. This translates to an annual salary of about 40,000 – 55,000 EUR before tax (including bonuses). You can easily cover all your living expenses and even save money monthly.
On average, Austrians earn around 52,000 EUR median salaries yearly or 2,876 EUR monthly after taxes. The most typical annual salary in Austria is 47,812 EUR before income tax.
Where the majority of Austrian workers fall into the following median salary ranges:
- between 27,600 – 41,399 EUR: 20%
- between 41,400 – 59,800 EUR: 31,3%
- and between 59,800 – 87,299 EUR: about 27% of salaried employees
In Austria, you will have better employment chances with impressive collective bargaining agreements when looking for jobs that are in high demand.
What Jobs Are In-Demand in Austria in 2022?
Average salary Austria in 2022
Development of average wage over the last 10 years
The average annual gross salary of full-time employees in Austria is 52,000 EUR in 2022 or 4,333 EUR per month. That comes to 34,517 EUR (2,876 EUR monthly) after tax, including all bonuses.
It’s around 8,000 EUR more than in 2020. In 2019, the average monthly salary (14 times) in Austria was around 2,560 EUR.
The average Austrian salary is comparable with Western European countries and Scandinavia in most cases.
Minimum wage
There is no regulated minimum wage in Austria. However, the law says all salaried employees should receive at least 1,500 EUR gross per month.
This minimum average monthly salary applies to all industries and companies in the country.
Also, almost all working contacts in Austria are regulated by collective agreements, so you won’t be under or overpaid. Salaried employees get paid 14 times, including a typical 12 salaries plus a holiday and Christmas allowance.
Average salary and location
Furthermore, several factors are influencing the average salary in Austria. Location plays a significant role.
So, full-time employees in the region of Vorarlberg enjoy the highest income, whereas the population working in Tyrol have the lowest salaries. Incomes in Vienna are right in the middle.
Nevertheless, specialists and executives earn the most in the Austrian capital on average. For example, in Bregenz median income is 55,600 EUR. In Innsbruck 51,700 EUR, in Graz – 51,000 EUR and in St. Pölten – 50,250 EUR.
Here is an overview of average salaries in 2022:
- Vienna: €54.931
- Vorarlberg: €54.101
- Upper Austria: €51.979
- Salzburg: €51.703
- Styria: €49.752
- Lower Austria: €49.285
- Tirol: €49.028
- Carinthia: €48.152
- Burgenland: €44.169
Read about salaries in Vienna in this in-depth guide.
What Is A Good Salary in Vienna? [2022 Guide]
Bonuses
All Austria employees receive 14th salaries. Two additional salaries are the holiday allowance and Christmas bonus. When you see a minimum salary advertised on a job board (gross), it already includes these two bonuses. Hence, you need to divide it into 14 to see your average monthly salary.
According to the job platform, StepStone’s best-paid industries in Austria in 2022 are:
- chemical and petroleum processing industry
- pharmaceutical industry
- IT sector
- banking
- consumer goods
- energy and water supply
- consulting and auditing
- electrical engineering
With averages ranging from 60,000 EUR to 64,250 EUR annually.
While average salaries in different sectors:
- Agriculture – €2,646
- Arts and culture – €2,945
- Banking – €4,227
- Cars – €3,405
- Commerce – €3,420
- Construction – €3,736
- Education – €3,110
- Electrical engineering – €3,580
- IT – €4,677
- Journalism – €3,101
- Law – €4,354
- Management – €5,313
- Marketing, advertising, and PR – €3,779
- Technology development – €4,807
- Textiles – €2,183
- Transport – €2,937
Also, the company size makes a difference: you can expect a higher salary in a company with more than 1,000 employees. Plus, someone who has a high education earns 34% more on average.
In fact, workers with completed university degrees earn about 14,000 EUR all year round than those without.
Highest average salaries
Among high earners are:
- Doctors (79,000 EUR)
- Managers (73,000 EUR)
- Financial experts (72,250 EUR)
- Investment advisors or controllers
- Lawyers (63,650 EUR)
Whereas, Austrian industries with the best salaries are:
- Banking: €64,252
- Consumer goods/Consumer goods: €63,568
- Chemical and petroleum processing industry: €62,792
- Pharma: €62,495
- Medical technology: €60,565
- Mechanical and plant engineering: €59,083
- Financial services: €58,233
- IT & Internet: €56,852
- Telecommunications: €56,522
Average salary in Austria and education
| University degree | Average salary (EUR) |
| Doctor (Med) | 79,060 |
| Doctorate(PhD) | 77,368 |
| Master | 69,806 |
| Master of engineering | 62,342 |
| Diplom Engineer FH | 61,415 |
The average MONTHLY salary in Austria by experience
Aside from positions and sector, your salary will grow with the experience:
- 0-2 years – €40,067/year
- 2-4 years – €44,538/year
- 4-8 years – €54,009/year
- 8-12 years – €64,480/year
- 12-16 years – €70,906/year
- 16-20 years – €83,007/year
- 20+ years – €91,288/year
What Jobs Are In-Demand in Austria in 2022?
Below is a representation of how salary figures vary in terms of skills.
Source: Take-profit
Is 36,000 EUR per year a good minimum salary for Austria?
A gross salary of 36,000 EUR will give you 25,812 EUR net, including bonuses or incentives, that’s 2,083 EUR per month. You can live comfortably on around 2,000 EUR per month. Therefore, a gross salary of 36,000 EUR is a decent income in Austria.
Salaries in Vienna, Austria
A net salary between 2,000 EUR – 3,500 EUR per month is considered a good value in Vienna, Austria.
The average salary in Vienna is 52,000 EUR per year. For example, below, you can see the average wages in Vienna for each profession.
| Job | Average salary per month (gross in EUR) |
| Hospitality Industry | |
| Hotel receptionist salary | 1,650 |
| Cleaner ( hotel, restaurant) | 1,650 |
| Cook / Chef | 1,900 |
| Waiter | 1,700 |
| Restaurant / Hotel Manager | 2,100 |
| Information Technology Industry | |
| IT Analyst | 2,400 |
| Data Scientist | 2,900 |
| Frontend Developer | 2,500 |
| App Software Developer (Android) | 2,700 |
| Python Developer | 2,900 |
| Full Stack Developer | 3,500 |
| Project Manager | 3,000 |
| Engineering and Logistic Industry | |
| Driver (car / van) | 2,000 |
| Civil Engineer | 3,000 |
| Architect | 3,000 |
| Mechanical Engineer | 3,200 |
| Warehouse Engineer | 2,300 |
| Healthcare Industry | |
| Nurse | 2,200 |
| Doctor(GP) | 5,000 |
| Dentist | 6,000 |
| Pharmacist | 3,500 |
| Finance Industry | |
| Accountant | 2,400 |
| Lawyer | 4,000 |
| Real Estate Agent | 2,200 |
| Sales Representative | 1,800 |
| Financial Manager | 3,200 |
| Media and Marketing Industry | |
| Designer | 2,300 |
| Journalist | 2,500 |
| Photographer | 1,900 |
| Translator | 2,200 |
Is Vienna the best city to live in Austria? Check out this article on our top cities in this beautiful country.
Best Cities to Live and Work in Austria: Relocation Guide
How much average gross salary do you need to live comfortably in Austria?
Generally speaking, adults would need around 2,000 EUR per month to live comfortably in Austria. This includes:
- renting a one-bedroom apartment in a good region
- buying average and high-quality food
- going out for meals and drinks
- yearly vacation and gateways weekends
- saving at least 100 EUR-200 EUR every month
Students can live on a small budget since most of them rent a room in a shared apartment, which costs between 350 EUR and 500 EUR per month. Therefore, 950 EUR – 1,100 EUR is a comfortable amount that places you in a good position to live as a student in Austria.
The general cost of living in Austria:
- Family of four, estimated monthly costs are 2,914 EUR without rent
- The estimated monthly costs for a single person, with no social partners is about 834 EUR without rent
Housing
- One-bedroom apartments range from 560 EUR to 700 EUR per month.
- Three-bedroom apartment from 1,050 EUR to 1,350 EUR
- Utilities for a one-bedroom apartment are around 100 EUR-150 EUR
- Internet or data 33 EUR
If you prefer purchasing a house instead of renting, below is a comparison of Austria’s house prices per square meters compared to other European countries.
Source: Global property
Food
For 400 EUR you can afford very high food quality if you don’t eat out too often. For many people, 200 EUR – 300 EUR is enough for food. According to International statistics, prices in Austria are as follows.
Source: Internations
Transport
In Vienna, you can buy a public transport ticket for 365 EUR for a whole year. Other public transport fees are as follows.
Source: Globalprice
Healthcare costs
As an employee, you can select between government-based or public and private health insurance. The rate of public health insurance is based on your income – employees pay 7,65% of their gross wage (half paid by the employers). In contrast, private insurance will cost you a fixed amount independent of your income.
Self-employed and freelancers pay a whole 7,65% for public health insurance.
Private sector health insurance is often cheaper than public or government-based ones. Expats can take out coverage with Care Austria for a very reasonable price (starting from 51 EUR per month). It’s one of the best insurance for expats and international students in Austria. Some of their plans are as shown below.
Source: Care Austria
Moreover, their packages are 100% valid for visa and resident permit applications. I used Care Austria for my application and kept the insurance for the entire three years I lived in Austria.
The second option for expats is Cigna Global. They offer international coverage. Hence, you can use their policy not only in Austria but almost anywhere in the world.
With 74,000 employees, 200 years of experience, and more than 100 million customers globally, Cigna is one of the largest international insurance providers out there.
With Cigna, you can enjoy instant and easy access to healthcare facilities and professionals around the globe.
Cigna offers several health insurance packages or plans.
Source: Cigna
Visit their website to learn more and choose the optimal coverage, from their wide count, for your situation and with the best benefits. Find here the sign-in form in Germany for Germany speakers.
You can also find suitable health insurance for Austria on this comparison platform.
How much tax do you pay in Austria?
As an employee in Austria, you need to accept that you’ll pay income taxes and social security contributions on a monthly basis.
Around 18,12% of the gross income will be deducted for social insurance contributions. Your employer or company will also pay the social security fund on your behalf – 21,32% of your salary. Around 1,53% will go to pension insurance.
Both employees and self-employed people must contribute to the Austrian social security system. Here is a breakdown of taxes you and your employer pays to social security funds in Austria (2022):
| Social Tax | Employee | Employer | Total |
| Health insurance | 3,87% | 3,78% | 7,65% |
| Unemployment insurance | 3% | 3% | 6,2% |
| Pension Insurance | 10,25% | 12,55% | 22,8% |
| Accident Insurance | 0% | 1,2% | 1,2% |
| Total | 18,12% | 21,32% | 39,35% |
Find your insurance for Austria on this platform.
Income taxes in Austria
Income taxes vary from 25% and 55%. Monthly income up to 1,099 EUR or 11,000 EUR annually is tax-free (2022). Different rates apply depending on the earned amount:
- €11,000 to €18,000 – 20%
- €18,000 to €31,000 – 32,5%
- €31,000 to €60,000 € – 42%
- €60,000 to €90,000 – € 48%
- up to €1.000.000 – 50% and above – 55%
Self-employed also pay income taxes starting from an income of 11,000 EUR. If you expect more than 30,000 EUR in your bank account, you will have to pay VAT.Taxes are one of the reasons why you shouldn’t move to Austria.
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