According to survey results of the General Confederation of Greek Trade Unions and public statistics.
Recent data from a study by the General Confederation of Greek Workers (GSEE), together with a research firm, shows that just about one in three private sector employees is covered by a collective agreement.
This limited coverage really underlines how collective bargaining isn’t driving wage growth for most workers.
During the first ten months of 2024, there were 205 enterprise-level agreements signed in Greece.
But these agreements only touched a small share of employees and usually brought wage bumps of no more than 2%.
Despite these pretty modest increases at the company level, 2024 still saw average wages rise across the economy.
As scientific bodies point out in their latest reports, the minimum wage in Greece is 5.9 per cent higher than in 2000, but the same cannot be said for the average wage, which is still 12.4 per cent lower than in 2000.
Official stats say that wages in Greece went up by 5.4% in the last quarter of 2024, not counting the primary sector or household work.
For the whole year, the average wage increase landed at 4.6%.
These numbers sketch out the broader market’s direction, even if some sectors are still dragging their feet.
Looking ahead, projections from the Medium-Term Fiscal Strategy for 2025–2028 expect wage growth to stick around 4.5% per year.
The Bank of Greece is also guessing at annual salary hikes close to 5%.
These trends sound positive, but the limited reach of collective contracts still throws up some roadblocks for wage progress.
The government wants to see the average wage hit €1,500 by 2027.
Getting there will need steady gains, and honestly, it’s a tough target given the current climate.
ERGANI’s data is at a higher level and shows that the average salary will reach €1,342 in 2024 (compared to €1,251 in 2023), an increase of 7.2%. Encouragingly, the average full-time salary was €1,476 (an increase of 18%), raising legitimate hopes for future increases. In fact, the leadership of the Ministry of Labor estimates that the average full-time salary will exceed 1,500 euros by 2025.
As Labor Minister Niki Kerameus recently reported, every second employee receives more than 1,000 euros per month, and 42 sectors of the economy pay salaries above the average salary, namely up to 2,500 euros.
In the financial sector, for example, the average salary is €2,626 and €2,490 in the energy sector, €2,232 in computer programming and consultancy, €2,108 in research and development activities and €2,050 in the pharmaceutical industry.
However, salaries vary according to sector and company size.
According to ERGANI’s annual report, most employees in the private sector (462,644) receive salaries between €1,001 and €1,200, while 357,832 employees earn between €901 and €1,000. Only 98,000 employees receive a salary of over 3,000 euros, while 239,000, who apparently work part-time, receive up to 500 euros per month.
In fact, the average salary in small companies with fewer than 10 employees was €1,099 in 2024, according to the IOBE report.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the typical income level for workers in Greece?
The average salary in Greece tends to sit between €900 and €1,200 a month.
Of course, that depends a lot on where you live and what you do for a living.
How has wage distribution in Greece evolved lately?
Lately, the gap between high and low earners has grown.
Big companies and certain sectors pay more, while smaller businesses often lag behind, partly because of economic reforms and shifting market forces.
What key factors affect pay levels in the Greek labour market?
Industry, company size, experience, and education all matter when it comes to Greek salaries.
Living in a city usually means higher pay compared to rural areas—no surprise there.
What is the cost of living wage in Greece, and how does it match with typical salaries?
A living wage in Greece is generally pegged at about €1,100 to €1,300 per month for basic needs.
Plenty of workers earn at or below that level, which makes covering everyday costs tough for many households.
Which industries in Greece tend to pay the most?
Finance, technology, and pharmaceuticals are up there with the highest salaries.
Large companies in shipping and energy also tend to offer fatter paychecks.
How do Greek wages measure up to other EU countries?
Greek wages tend to fall below the EU average. Countries up north and out west, like Germany or the Netherlands, usually see much higher incomes.
Greece’s pay levels are more in line with what you’ll find in some Southern or Eastern European countries. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, honestly.
