Average salary in Poland 2026: current data and how it is calculated

The national average salary in Poland (średnia krajowa) keeps rising and, according to the latest data from Statistics Poland (GUS, Główny Urząd Statystyczny), it has already passed PLN 9,000 gross (PLN 9,266.48 in the enterprise sector in September 2026). Yet for most employees this amount seems detached from reality. Why is the average salary so high when most Poles earn much less? The answer lies in the method used to calculate the national average and in the specific features of the Polish labour market.

Understanding the mechanisms behind the national average is key for employers, employees and HR specialists. It helps with planning pay, assessing how competitive salaries are in a given industry and making informed HR policy decisions. In this article we explain in detail how the national average is calculated, why it does not reflect the real earnings of most Poles, and we present current statistics.

What the national average salary is and how GUS defines it

The national average salary, also known as the average wage (przeciętne wynagrodzenie), is one of the most important economic indicators describing the labour market. It is the arithmetic mean pay calculated for the whole country on the basis of data collected by Statistics Poland. However, this name covers different indicators: the monthly average salary in the enterprise sector (companies employing at least 10 people, excluding, among others, public administration, education and health care), announced around the 20th of the following month, and the average salary in the national economy – quarterly and annual – announced in communiqués of the President of GUS for the purposes of pensions and benefits (Article 20 of the Act on Pensions from the Social Insurance Fund, FUS). The average salary in the national economy was PLN 8,903.56 in 2025, PLN 9,562.88 in Q1 2026 and PLN 9,233.13 in Q2 2026. A separate value is the forecast average salary in the Budget Act (PLN 9,420 for 2026), from which ZUS (Social Insurance Institution) calculates, among other things, the contribution base for business owners.

The definition of the national average may seem simple, but in practice it involves a complex calculation system that takes into account various types of pay and benefits. It is not just the sum of basic salaries divided by the number of employees, but a much more complicated economic indicator. GUS includes a wide range of pay components in its calculations, which directly affects the final level of the national average.

The national average serves as a reference point for many economic and administrative processes. It is used to set the amount of various social benefits, it is the basis for international comparisons and it is an important indicator for foreign investors assessing the attractiveness of the Polish labour market. However, interpreting it requires a solid understanding of the calculation method and the limitations of the statistical assumptions.

How GUS calculates the national average salary

Statistics Poland calculates the national average in several key stages:

1. Collecting data from businesses - Companies employing at least 10 people submit detailed reports on pay
2. Adding up all pay components - Gross personal pay, fees and payments from profit-sharing are included
3. Calculating the average number of employees - The average number of employees in the period is determined
4. Dividing total pay by the number of employees - This gives the arithmetic mean for the whole country
5. Verifying and publishing the data - The data is checked and published in GUS communiqués

A key element of the method is how the number of employees is determined. GUS does not include outworkers or people employed abroad in its calculations. This means that people working under an outwork contract (umowa o pracę nakładczą, e.g. home workers) and Poles employed in foreign branches of Polish companies are excluded from the calculations. This approach is intended to keep the data consistent and the results comparable over time.

Data is collected on the basis of reports submitted by businesses to GUS. Companies must provide detailed information on the pay paid to employees, the number of employees and the pay structure. This data is then verified and aggregated at national level, which makes it possible to calculate the national average for the whole of Poland.

An important aspect of the method is also the inclusion of various allowances and bonuses. GUS includes in its calculations not only basic pay, but also:

• Regular and discretionary bonuses
• Overtime pay
• Function and seniority allowances
• Jubilee and holiday awards
• Other pay-related benefits

Why the national average does not reflect real earnings

The main reason for the gap between the national average and the real earnings of most Poles is the influence of the highest earners on the statistics. Statistics Poland's calculations also include the pay of people with the highest salaries, including senior management, specialists with unique skills and management board members employed in companies. This means that people earning millions of zlotys have a much greater impact on the average than those whose pay is close to the minimum wage. One-off pay components such as a jubilee award follow their own rules – they are explained in our article on calculating a jubilee award.

An important limitation is that the most frequently quoted monthly data on the national average (the enterprise sector) only covers companies employing at least 10 people. This means that micro-enterprises, which make up the majority of Polish companies and employ a significant share of workers, are left out of this data. The GUS survey "Distribution of wages in the national economy" (Rozkład wynagrodzeń w gospodarce narodowej) shows that in May 2026 the median wage in entities employing 9 or fewer people was equal to the minimum wage (PLN 4,806).

Example: A small accounting office employing 8 people pays its accountants PLN 4,500 gross. A large corporation employing 500 people pays its accountants PLN 7,000 gross. In the monthly enterprise-sector data, only the pay from the large corporation will be included, which inflates the real picture of pay in the accounting industry.

Another factor affecting the accuracy of the national average is that people working under civil law contracts are not included. Poland has a very large number of contracts of mandate (umowa zlecenia) and contracts for specific work (umowa o dzieło), and people working under them often earn less than employees. Excluding this group from the national average gives an incomplete picture of the labour market. Employment costs are also affected by the PFRON wage subsidy, whose amount depends, among other things, on the degree of disability.

In addition, the national average does not reflect regional differences in pay. Poland has significant pay gaps between voivodeships, and between large cities and rural areas. Warsaw, Kraków or Wrocław offer much higher pay than smaller towns or rural areas, but the national average does not reflect these differences, presenting only a nationwide indicator.

Current national average salary data in Poland

An analysis of data on the national average in Poland shows a clear upward trend in recent years. The average salary in the enterprise sector in 2026 is above PLN 9,000 gross (January–September 2026: PLN 9,353.52, 5.8% more than a year earlier), a significant increase on previous years. Pay can be seen to rise steadily, although some months show slight falls related to seasonality and shifts in bonus payments.

Historical data shows a steady rise in the national average in recent years. In January 2022, the national average was PLN 6,064.24, and in September 2026 it was PLN 9,266.48, which means it rose by more than PLN 3,000 in less than five years. Such growth shows dynamic changes in the Polish labour market and rising employment costs.

It is worth noting that the national average does not grow evenly during the year. The highest values are usually recorded in December and March, due to the payment of annual bonuses, awards and other additional benefits. The lowest values often occur at the beginning of the year, when companies limit additional payments after the intensive December period.

The upward trend is also visible in year-on-year comparisons. Every month from January to September 2026 had a higher national average than the same month in 2025. This growth reflects the general improvement of the economic situation in Poland, but may also be linked to inflation and the need to adjust pay to the rising cost of living.

The national average compared with the mode and the median

Economists often stress that the national average does not reflect the real situation on the labour market in Poland. Other statistical indicators, such as the median and the mode, reflect the pay of most Poles much better. Statistics Poland publishes the median every month in the survey "Distribution of wages in the national economy", but with a delay of several months, and it does not publish the mode in its monthly data, which limits the scope for ongoing analysis of the pay situation in the country.

It is often pointed out that the level of Poles' pay is described much better than by the national average by the mode, which shows the dominant value among all wages in the economy. The mode indicates the most common wage, which gives a much more realistic picture of how much a typical Polish employee actually earns. The mode is completely different from the reported national average and is usually much lower.

The median wage is another important indicator, which divides all wages into two equal parts. This means that half of employees earn less than the median, and the other half more. Unlike the arithmetic mean, the median is not inflated by extreme values, such as the pay of millionaires or senior management of the largest corporations.

The differences between these indicators are significant and have practical consequences:

• National average (enterprise sector, September 2026): PLN 9,266.48 gross
• Median wage in the national economy (May 2026): PLN 7,550.32 gross, with an average salary in this survey of PLN 9,178.16
• Mode: GUS does not publish it in its monthly data; in companies employing 9 or fewer people even the median is equal to the minimum wage
• Minimum wage: PLN 4,806 gross in 2026, PLN 4,950 gross from 1 January 2027

The relationship between the national average and the minimum wage

Comparing the national average with the minimum wage reveals significant disparities in the Polish economy. The minimum monthly wage in Poland in 2026 is PLN 4,806 gross (PLN 4,950 from 1 January 2027), while the national average exceeds PLN 9,000. This means the national average is almost twice as high as the lowest pay, which points to a large pay gap in Polish society. According to GUS, at the end of 2025, 1.5 million employees (11.9%) received pay not exceeding the minimum wage.

This relationship between the national average and the minimum wage is not accidental and reflects the structure of the Polish labour market. A large proportion of employees, especially in low-skilled sectors, receive pay close to the minimum wage. At the same time, a relatively small group of highly qualified specialists, managers and entrepreneurs receive pay many times higher than the national average.

Case study: In a manufacturing company employing 100 people, 80 manual workers earn PLN 4,800–5,200 gross, 15 specialists earn PLN 7,000–9,000 and 5 managers receive PLN 15,000–25,000. The average pay in this company is about PLN 6,200 (depending on how pay is spread within the given ranges – from about PLN 5,640 to about PLN 6,760), but most employees (80%) earn less than this amount.

Many employees in Poland actually earn amounts close to the net minimum wage, which means their real pay is much lower than the national average. This applies especially to employees in sectors such as retail, catering, basic services and some areas of industrial production. For these people, a national average of over PLN 9,000 seems unrealistic and detached from everyday experience.

The difference between the national average and the minimum wage also has practical consequences for economic policy. The level of the national average is often used as an argument in debates about raising the minimum wage, but it can also lead to wrong conclusions about the real economic situation of most employees. That is why it is so important to also take into account other indicators, such as the median or the mode.

Limitations and shortcomings of the national average

The national average is not a reliable measure of real earnings in Poland, but paradoxically it is often quoted as a value that reflects Poles' pay well. This causes disbelief among many people who earn less and may feel undervalued or economically excluded. The problem stems from the fundamental limitations of using an arithmetic mean for pay.

The basic shortcoming of the national average is its sensitivity to extreme values. A single employee earning several million zlotys a year affects the national average as much as several dozen people earning the minimum wage. In practice, this means that a relatively small group of top earners can significantly inflate the national average, making it unrepresentative of most of society. We can take over salaries, payroll and employees' ZUS settlements – see our HR and payroll services.

Another important limitation is the exclusion of a significant part of the labour market. Micro-enterprises, which make up the majority of Polish companies, are not included in the monthly national average calculations. Similarly, people working under civil law contracts remain outside the average salary data – in the wage distribution survey, GUS includes payments from contracts of mandate or contracts for specific work only when they were concluded with the person's own employer. This approach gives an incomplete and distorted picture of the pay situation in Poland.

The main limitations of the national average are:

• Sensitivity to extreme values (the highest salaries)
• Exclusion of small companies employing fewer than 10 people
• Not including civil law contracts
• No regional or industry breakdown
• Leaving out outwork and employment abroad

The national average also does not reflect differences between regions, industries or town sizes. Poland has significant pay gaps between regions and between sectors of the economy. Warsaw offers much higher pay than the eastern voivodeships, and the IT or financial sector pays better than retail or catering. The national average evens out all these differences, which can lead to wrong conclusions about the situation in particular regions or industries.

Practical implications for employers and employees

Understanding the mechanisms behind the national average matters in practice for both employers and employees. Employers should be aware that the national average is not a good reference point for setting pay in their companies. Analyses of pay in a specific industry, region or group of positions are much more useful.

For employers, setting pay properly should include the following steps:

1. Analysing the labour market in the specific industry - Researching pay offered by competitors
2. Taking regional specifics into account - Adjusting pay to the local labour market
3. Segmenting by position - Differentiating pay according to the level and type of position
4. Monitoring pay trends - Regularly following changes on the labour market
5. Adjusting to the company budget - Balancing competitive pay with financial capabilities

For employers, regular labour market analyses in their sector are key. Instead of comparing the pay they offer with the national average, it is worth focusing on pay surveys for specific positions, levels of experience and qualifications. This approach allows a more precise pay policy and helps stay competitive on the labour market. Separate pay rules apply, for instance, to the pay of juvenile workers.

An IT company from Kraków offered programmers pay at the level of the national average, considering it competitive. A market analysis showed that pay in the technology sector is much higher than the national average. The company had to raise salaries by 40 percent to keep key employees and successfully recruit new specialists.

Employees, in turn, should be aware of the limitations of the national average when assessing their financial situation. Instead of comparing their pay with the national average, it is worth analysing pay in their industry, region and for similar positions. This approach allows a more realistic assessment of their position on the labour market and better career planning.

It is also important to understand the difference between gross and net pay. The national average reported by GUS refers to gross amounts, before taxes and social insurance contributions are deducted. The pay the employee actually receives is usually about 25-30 percent lower than the gross amount, which should be taken into account in comparisons and household budget planning.

Alternative pay indicators

Given the limitations of the national average, experts recommend using alternative pay indicators that better reflect the real situation on the labour market. The median wage, the mode and percentiles are much more useful tools for analysing the pay situation in Poland.

The median wage divides all wages into two equal parts and is not inflated by extreme values. This means that half of employees earn less than the median, and half more. This indicator gives a much more realistic picture of how much a typical Polish employee earns. GUS publishes the median every month, but with a delay of several months – in May 2026 it was PLN 7,550.32.

The mode indicates the most common wage in the economy. It is the value that appears most often in pay statistics and may be the most representative of the experience of most employees. The mode is usually much lower than the national average and better reflects the pay reality of most Poles.

Wage percentiles allow a more detailed analysis of the distribution of pay in society:

• 10th percentile: 10% of employees earn less than this amount
• 25th percentile: 25% of employees earn less (first quartile)
• 50th percentile: 50% of employees earn less (median)
• 75th percentile: 75% of employees earn less (third quartile)
• 90th percentile: 90% of employees earn less than this amount

Such indicators allow a better understanding of the pay structure and better pay policy planning. Companies can, for example, set pay at the 75th percentile to be competitive for most candidates without exceeding the pay budget.

Trends and forecasts for pay growth

An analysis of long-term trends in the national average shows a clear increase in pay in Poland in recent years. Since January 2022, the national average has risen by more than PLN 3,000, which shows dynamic changes in the Polish labour market. The upward trend is visible both year on year and in month-to-month comparisons.

The main factors driving the national average up are the rising cost of living, inflation, a shortage of skilled workers and competition on the labour market. Employers are forced to offer higher pay to attract and keep valuable employees. This is particularly visible in sectors requiring high qualifications, such as IT, finance or engineering.

In September 2026, the average salary in the enterprise sector was 5.9% higher than a year earlier. If this pace continued, the level of PLN 10,000 gross would be exceeded in roughly a year and a half – but this is a simple calculation, not a forecast. The pace of growth depends on the economic situation in Poland and worldwide, the level of inflation and the monetary policy of the National Bank of Poland.

Key trends on the labour market include:

• An increase in the national average of more than PLN 3,000 since January 2022
• A steady rise in pay in most months of the year
• The highest national averages recorded in December and March because of annual bonuses
• An upward trend visible in all year-on-year comparisons
• Expected further growth of the national average in the coming years

It is worth remembering, however, that a rise in the national average does not automatically mean an improvement for all employees. If the rise is driven mainly by the highest salaries, most employees may not feel a significant improvement in their financial situation. That is why it is so important to also monitor other pay indicators, such as the median or the mode.

The impact of the national average on social and economic policy

The national average plays an important role in shaping social and economic policy in Poland. It is used as a reference point for setting various social benefits, it is the basis for international comparisons and it influences decisions on the minimum wage. However, using this indicator in public policy is controversial because of its limitations.

The level of the national average is often cited in political debates as proof of an improving economic situation. Politicians point to the steady rise of this indicator as a success of their economic policy. Critics, however, stress that the national average does not reflect the real situation of most citizens and can lead to wrong conclusions about the state of the economy.

Internationally, the national average is used to compare living standards in different countries. International organisations such as the OECD or Eurostat use average pay data to create rankings and comparative analyses. Here too, however, the limitations of the national average can lead to imprecise conclusions about citizens' real economic situation.

The national average also influences the decisions of foreign investors considering locating their projects in Poland. High average pay may be seen as a sign of an expensive workforce, while in reality most employees may be available for much lower pay. Such misunderstandings can affect investment decisions and the country's economic development.

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