Salary Checker — Compare Your Pay to Market Averages

You are likely underpaid when your gross annual salary sits clearly below the average pay for your sector and country — a gap of more than 10% is a strong signal. Compare like with like: use gross annual pay (before tax), the same country, and the same industry. Also weigh your years of experience, city, company size and the value of benefits such as bonuses, pension contributions and paid leave. If the calculator above shows you 10-20% below the sector average and your responsibilities match the typical role, it is reasonable to open a pay conversation.

Average full-time gross annual wages in Western Europe generally range from roughly €45,000 to €75,000, depending on the country. Germany and France sit in the middle of that band, while Switzerland, Luxembourg, Denmark and Norway are considerably higher, and southern European countries are lower. Our figures come from the OECD average annual wages series, adjusted by Eurostat sector pay ratios, so you always compare against the most recent published year rather than an outdated estimate.

Start with evidence: note the sector average for your country, your current salary and the percentage gap between them. Build a short list of results you delivered — revenue influenced, costs saved, projects shipped — and tie each to the role's value. Then ask for a specific number, usually the market average plus a premium for your track record, rather than a vague 'raise'. Pick a moment tied to a review cycle, budget planning or a completed project, put the request in writing after the meeting, and if cash is blocked, negotiate on bonus, equity, training budget or extra leave.

All comparisons use gross annual salary — the amount agreed in your employment contract before income tax and social contributions. Net pay differs enormously between countries with similar gross pay, so gross is the only fair basis for cross-border comparison. If you only know your monthly figure, multiply it by 12 (or by the number of salary payments per year in your country) before entering it.

Across Europe, information technology and software, finance and insurance, energy and utilities, and professional or consulting services consistently pay above the national average — often 40-70% more. Manufacturing and public administration sit close to the average, while retail, transport, hospitality and food services typically pay below it. Choosing the sector dropdown above shows the exact ratio for your country.

The calculator queries the OECD and Eurostat databases daily and caches results for 24 hours. When those institutions publish a new reference year, the figures and the reference year shown under the calculator update automatically — no manual maintenance is involved. If a source is temporarily unavailable, the latest verified snapshot is used so you always get a result.

Yes. National averages blend high-paying capital regions with lower-paying rural areas, so a salary that looks average nationally can be below market in a capital city and above market elsewhere. Treat the national or sector average as your baseline, then adjust for local cost of living, the size of your employer and how specialised your role is.