The Central Statistical Office has published the latest data on salaries in Poland, which shed a completely fresh light on the state of the portfolios of millions of employees. Although media headlines frequently focus on the rising average salary, which in January 2025 amounted to PLN 8717.18 gross, this number reflects reality. The key indicator that exposes the fact about earnings is median.
According to the Central Statistical Office, median wages in the same period amounted to only PLN 6882.80 gross. This means that precisely half of the working Poles gain little than this amount. The difference between popular "national average" and media is over 1800 PLN. This is the median alternatively than the average inflated by salaries of top earners of IT managers and specialists, which shows where the financial centre of gravity of the Polish society is located.
Median versus national average. What is the difference?
Understanding the difference between the 2 indicators is crucial to realising the labour marketplace situation. Average remuneration is the arithmetic average of all salaries – the sum of earnings divided by the number of employees. It is simply a very susceptible indicator. Just a tiny group of people earning a lot to make a crucial profit for the full country.
In turn median is the mediate value. If we put all the employees in a line from the lowest to the highest salaries, the median is the wage of the individual standing right in the middle. This is simply a much more reliable indicator, as it shows how much a "typical" individual actually earns. The CSO data clearly show that this typical worker earns much little than the national average suggests.
Income distribution in Poland. Who earns the most and who pays the least?
The GUS data unmitigatedly exposure immense wage inequalities in Poland. Differences between different groups of workers are very clear and show how diverse the Polish labour marketplace is. Analysis of quantums, i.e. by percent group, provides shocking conclusions.
Turns out 10% of the lowest earners in Poland received a wage not exceeding PLN 4666 gross A month. On the another hand, 10% of the best paid people could anticipate a wage of at least PLN 14 328.68 gross. This means that the best earners receive at least 3 times the wage of those at the lowest threshold. This is simply a chasm that has a real impact on the standard of life and capabilities of millions of Poles.
Where do they pay the best? Public sector, enterprise size and gender
Analysis of GUS besides allows you to identify where the chances of higher earnings are greatest. It turns out that against popular opinion, Public sector offers higher median wages. It was over PLN 1450 higher than the national median. At the same time, the median in the private sector was almost PLN 700 lower than the general one.
The size of the company is besides crucial. The highest wages are recorded in large companies that employment more than 1,000 people – there the median reaches PLN 7880 gross. On the another pole are microfirms (up to 5 employees), where the median is just PLN 4300 gross. In practice, this means a minimum wage or a small higher. Sexual inequality has besides not disappeared. Median for men was PLN 7032.61While for women it was the amount PLN 6734.34.
What does this data mean for you and the labour market?
Revealing real median earnings is not just a statistical curiosity. It's a powerful signal for employees and employers. For many people, this may be a confirmation that their earnings, although lower than the "national average", are within the norm for most people. This may besides become an argument in wage negotiations – workers can now mention their expectations to a more realistic indicator.
Experts foretell that specified a clear display of inequality can increase wage pressure, especially in sectors and companies where salaries are importantly different from the median. Workers, aware of the real marketplace rates, can be more motivated to change jobs in search of a better remuneration, especially by moving from tiny businesses to larger corporations or considering working in the public sector. This data changes the communicative and can become a catalyst for changes in the Polish labour market.
Continued here:
The Central Statistical Office revealed the fact about the earnings of Poles. It's not the national average that's crucial.
