When choosing Poland asacountry torelocate to, many migrants assess itinterms ofthe opportunities for higher income. They reason isthat Poland isadeveloped European country and amember ofthe EU, sothey could beable toearn more there than intheir home country.
However, the Poles themselves claim that the wage indicators published byofficial statistics clearly exceed the actual incomes.
Inthis article, wewill try tounderstand the real size ofsalaries inPoland, how much immigrants can actually earn, and what income can beexpected for specific professions.
Earlier, wewrote about useful apps for life inEurope.
Average salary inPoland
According tothe data from Statistics Poland, the average gross salary in2022 was 6,346 zlotys. InJanuary 2023, the average wage was recorded at6,884 zlotys. This means that there was a13.5% increase over the year.
Gross salary refers tothe earnings before taxes, insurance, and other mandatory deductions. After all deductions are made, the net salary remains, which isthe take-home pay.
Nevertheless, Polish experts view this information with more than skepticism, pointing out that official statistics are imperfect because they only include companies with 10 ormore employees intheir research. This means that over 90% offirms are not included inthe calculations.
According tothe Ministry ofDevelopment and Technology, there are 2.62 million companies inPoland, with micro-enterprises being the largest group ofapproximately 2.2 million. Nearly 4.2 million people work inthese micro-enterprises. Incomparison, only 1.5 million employees work inmedium-sized enterprises, and 3.2 million inlarge ones.
Thus, the official data essentially only reflect the income ofemployees inlarge enterprises. Inreality, salaries inPoland ranging from 6,000 to7,000 zlotys can beearned bymiddle and senior-level managers working inregional centers. Meanwhile, young specialists even inlarger cities cannot expect anaverage salary, and neither can employees insmaller towns.
Experts note that out of15 industries, 9 have specialists who earn less than the average. The average salary inPoland isinflated bythe ITand energy sectors, where the income level ishigh.
Median salary
According tomost experts, the closest indicator tothe real wages inPoland isthe median value. InOctober 2020, the median gross salary was 4,702.66 zlotys, which was 22.2% lower than the average salary of5,748.24 zlotys.
The median isthe number that lies inthe middle ofaset ofnumbers. When calculating the median wage, all values are arranged inorder, and the one inthe middle isselected: 1,000, 2,000, 2,500, 3,000, 3,500. The median would be2,500.
Since Statistics Poland only publishes data onmedian salaries inPoland every two years, there has been nonew information available asofthe beginning of2023.
Based onprivate calculations for December 2022, the estimated median salary inPoland was 5,000 zlotys, while the average value was 7,300 zlotys.
Minimum salary inPoland
Atthe end of2021, the minimum salary inPoland was 2,800 zlotys. Around 1.6 million people (4.2% ofthe population) were receiving this wage inPoland.
In2022, the minimum wage was set at3,010 zlotys gross, and the minimum hourly rate was 19.70 zlotys gross.
In2023, the minimum wage inPoland will beincreased, and the lowest salaries will bedoubled:
- From January, the minimum wage was raised to3,490 zlotys,
- From July, the minimum wage will beincreased to3,600 zlotys.
Therefore, the average minimum wage in2023 will be3,545 zlotys gross. Anemployee will receive approximately 2,747 zlotys net per month.
The minimum hourly rate, which islinked tothe increase inthe minimum wage inPoland, will also double:
- From January 2023, itis22.80 zlotys,
- From July, itwill be23.50 zlotys.
Salary inPoland in2023 for specific professions
Now let’s illustrate the incomes ofrepresentatives ofsome specific professions. The gross salary data will beprovided inlocal currency and dollars.
Level ofaverage earnings inPoland inzlotys, dollars (2022)
| Profession/Specialty | Zlotys | Dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Java Developer, Programmer | 13,000-20,000 | 3,100-4,800 |
| Data Analyst | 12,000-21,000 | 2,800-5,000 |
| Process Engineer | 7,000-13,000 | 1,600-3,100 |
| Forwarder | 5,500-9,500 | 1,300-2,200 |
| Accountant | 6,000-9,000 | 1,400-2,100 |
| HRSpecialist | 5,000-9,000 | 1,200-2,100 |
| Customer Service Specialist | 5,000-9,000 | 1,200-2,100 |
| Driver, Long-haul Truck Driver | 6,000-8,500 | 1,400-2,000 |
| Foreign Language Teacher | 2,500-4,500 | 600-1,000 |
| Medical Doctor | 3,000-17,000 | 700-4,000 |
| Nurse | 2,000-5,500 | 1,000-1,300 |
| Welder | 5,000-8,000 | 1,200-1,900 |
| Electrician | 5,000-7,000 | 1,200-1,650 |
The provided level ofaverage salaries isapproximate. The size ofthe wage depends onthe field ofactivity, the size ofthe company, the complexity ofthe work performed, and the level ofknowledge ofthe Polish and English languages.
For example, the salary ofalong-haul truck driver inPoland depends onthe type ofcargo (such asmaritime containers, food products, etc.) and the countries they have totravel to.
The salary ofateacher depends onthe status ofthe school (private ormunicipal) and the number ofhours. Asimilar situation applies tothe earnings ofdoctors and nurses.
Net Salary inPoland, Taxes
All the above-mentioned wage data represents income before taxes. Sowhat remains after taxes?
Starting from July 1, 2022, the personal income tax rate inPoland was set at12%. Itapplies toincome upto120,000 zlotys per year. Incase ofexceeding this threshold, the rate increases to32%.
| Tax Base | Tax Rate |
|---|---|
| Upto120,000 zł | 12% multiplied bythe tax base minus the tax reduction amount of3,600 zlotys |
| Over 120,000 zł | 32% multiplied bythe amount over 120,000 zlotys plus 10,800 zlotys |
The applicable tax can bereduced through various exemptions and deductions, aswell asanon-taxable amount. Additionally, tax calculations can bemade jointly with aspouse iftheir income does not exceed the tax threshold.
Example: Ifataxpayer earned 140,000 zlotys and isnot eligible for any exemptions, the tax would becalculated asfollows: 140,000— 120,000 = 20,000 / 20,000 × 32% = 6,400 / 6,400 + 10,800 = 17,200 (zł).
Therefore, for most ofthe salaries mentioned inthe table above, the net salary would beapproximately 12% lower, asthe annual income does not exceed the lower tax threshold.
Salary ofImmigrants inPoland
According tothe Polish Border Guard, atotal of13.7 million people from more than 67 countries entered Poland in2022. Additionally, each year more immigrants choose tostay and live inPoland. From 2011 to2020, the immigrant population increased bymore than aquarter.
Arecent study byProgres Group says that the majority ofAsians (42%) want tostay here for atleast 5-10 years, 31%— for 10-20 years. 66% ofvisitors from South America also donot plan toreturn totheir homeland shortly. Half ofthem are ready tolive here for atleast 5 years, another half— atleast 10 years. Migrants from the states neighboring Poland are primarily guided bythe current situation, considering both long-term and short-term stays outside their homeland approximately equally.
Speaking about the employment offoreigners, experts from Progres Group note that not every industry ispopular. Migrants are most willing towork inthe following sectors:
- Warehousing
- Logistics
- HoReCa (Hotel/Restaurant/Café)
- Transportation
- Manufacturing
However, the majority offoreign workers are satisfied with their salaries inPoland, and only one infive complains about low earnings. This perception often arises because migrants donot speak the language and are forced towork below their qualifications.
The average salary for foreigners inPoland depends onthe industry but usually starts from 4,000 zlotys (approximately 1,000 dollars).
Purchasing Power
When talking about salary, weoften consider its size, but purchasing power may beamore tangible indicator. Understanding what can bebought with asalary and which services can bepaid for ismuch more important.
According toapurchasing power study conducted byGfK, Poland ranks 29th out of42 European countries. For comparison, the Czech Republic ranks 22nd. The average purchasing power per Pole is9,254 euros, while the European average is16,344 euros.
Analysts from ASM Sales Force agency presented data showing that inFebruary 2022, the cost ofthe food basket increased compared to2021. The overall cost ofthe food basket was:
- February 2021: 229.81 zlotys
- February 2022: 235.24 zlotys
Here are acouple more figures: inFebruary 2022, the cheapest food basket cost 182.32 zlotys, while the most expensive food basket cost 304.75 zlotys. Experts note anincrease inboth indicators compared toJanuary ofthe same year. The greatest price increases are observed insweets, dairy products, and alcohol.
Money Transfers from Poland
Regardless ofthe duration ofmigrants’ stay inthe Republic ofPoland, their main task istofinancially support their families back home.
According todata from the National Bank ofPoland, money transfers from working immigrants inthe fourth quarter of2022 amounted to6.9 billion zlotys. Over 63% ofall transfers were sent toneighboring countries, while the rest went toother destinations.
Migrants most commonly use mobile applications and online services tosend money. Korona app isone ofthem, allowing money transfers from Poland without acommission.
Other advantages ofthe Korona mobile application include:
- 50+ destinations
- User-friendly interface
- Favorable currency exchange rate
- Minimal clicks required tosend money
- Instant delivery
- Reliability and security oftransfers
You can download the application and calculate the transfer amount before you are prompted toenter your personal data. Try itnow.
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